Mei Chiang Wins FCSAA Race in Dominant Fashion, Named Runner of the Year
Tallahassee, FL – Florida State College at Jacksonville's Mei Chiang etched her name into history Friday at the storied Apalachee Regional Park—the same grounds that have hosted the NCAA, NJCAA, USATF, and IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The former Fleming Island High School standout blazed through the 5K course in race record 18:46.4 and winning by a commanding 35 seconds. For her feats, Mei was awarded the FCSAA Runner of the Year.
Chiang's wire-to-wire victory was a masterclass in control and confidence. Behind her, teammates Ellie Cardozo and Leilani Ortega Sandoval (who notched a personal best) helped solidify FSCJ's strong showing. Ava Banks, Lauren Hughes, and Krista Lovely also turned in gritty efforts, with Lovely clocking her season's top time.
On the men's side, Benjamin Hale continued his late-season surge, leading the Manta Rays to a 4th-place team finish—just ahead of nationally ranked Eastern Florida State College, who entered the meet at No. 20 in the NJCAA poll. Hale was followed by Cole Fleming and Blake Looney, whose breakthrough 28:23 PR vaulted him to #10 on the program's all-time top 10 list. Rounding out the scoring were Edward Julian, Aiden Taggart, David Beasley, Spencer Middleton, and Anthony Ress, who also clocked a personal record.
The men's squad posted a combined average of 28:17, setting a new program record for fastest team time in school history.
"Our men lost to Eastern Florida by one point two weeks ago at the Florida Gateway XC Invite, so they were fired up for the rematch," said head coach Jody Hale. "And Mei's performance—epic. She led from the gun to the tape. There was a spectator about 200 meters in who said, 'This race is over.' He was right. 3 PR's and the men's fastest average time ever, another great day to be a Manta Ray."
Next up for the FSCJ Manta Rays: the NJCAA National Cross Country Championships in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on November 8, where Chiang and the men's record-breaking squad will look to carry their momentum onto the national stage.
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