NEWTON, N.C. -- Tusculum junior Simon Holzapfel posted a school-record time of 25:53.96 to win the 2009 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Cross Country Championship on Saturday at Southside Park.

Holzapfel won his fifth straight race in as many events this season and is the first TC men's cross country harrier to garner SAC Runner of the Year accolades. He also is the first Pioneer to break the 26:00-barrier in an 8,000-meter meet, while breaking the previous school record time of 26:17.33 he established last Saturday at the Trailblazer Invitational.

Holzapfel was also named the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Scholar Athlete for Men's Cross Country.

The Tusculum men and women both posted ninth place finishes in the team competition. Mars Hill won its 13th consecutive SAC men's title, while the Lenoir-Rhyne women's squad repeated as league champions.

Tusculum's David Parham finished 38th with a time of 30:14.39, while Ben Hale posted a 48th place showing with his time of 31:44.31. Elvis Machado finished his meet in 35:25.98 for 62nd place, followed by Tyler Buckner (38:14.13 - 65th), Tyler Rogers (40:30.86 - 67th) and Jason Seaton (41:14.44 - 68th).

In the women's meet, Tusculum graduate student Robin Smith led the Lady Pioneers with her 30th place showing with a time of 23:17.55 on the 5K layout. Jessica Figler recorded a time of 25:13.70 to finish 49th, while Kelsey Longwell placed 56th with a time of 26:20.94. Estefania Chavez finished 59th (27:21.53), followed by Josie Honaker (27:42.74 - 60th), Katie Shelton (31:05.17) and Storm Vance (37:20.02).