JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — If you compared Chase Atkins' performance in the 2024 ASUN Championship to Chris Striegel's in the 2016 Greater Louisville Classic, it would be a photo finish.

On Friday morning in the conference meet at Cecil Field, Atkins came within a blink of an eye of breaking Striegel's 8k program record while garnering All-ASUN accolades with a program-best finish and leading the Bellarmine University men's cross country team to a top-third finish of fourth among 12 teams.

Sierra Oesterling had a groundbreaking performance on the women's side as well. The junior delivered a top 10 all-time performance in the 5k while making more history by securing the program's first-ever All-ASUN laurel in pushing the Knights to an upper-tier finish of sixth of 12 teams.

Bellarmine's men tied their best finish at the ASUN Championship while the Knights women posted their best finish with at least 12 competing teams (the last four years).

Atkins became just the second runner in men's program history to break 24:00 minutes in the 8k. His 23:59.3 was a breadth shy of Striegel's record 23:59.04. Atkins earned second-team All-ASUN recognition while placing ninth, the highest finish at the ASUN meet in program history. Atkins also became the program's first two-time All-ASUN honoree and now owns three of the top 5 all-time marks in the 8k.

Oesterling placed a program-record 20th to reap third-team All-ASUN plaudits. Her 17:42.5 ranks eighth in program history, and she ascended from 10th to fourth on the 5k performance list.

Junior Alex Hooten followed Atkins in 26th for the men, and his 24:44.3 ranks 21st in program history. Senior D.K. Schnieders took 29th and posted a 24:49 that ranks 30th all-time, while sophomore Will Nobbe placed 33rd with a 24:55.9 that is 44th all-time and elevated him from 14th to 11th on the performance list. Senior Jackson Gawarecki rounded out the scoring for the Knights in 35th (25:01.4).

Senior Trisha Sexton followed Oesterling in 42nd (18:36.7) for Bellarmine's women. Senior Taylor White took 43rd and moved into a tie for 16th on the performance list with an 18:39. Senior Hannah Ellis placed 45th and broke onto the performance list in 18th with a 18:42.7. Senior Justice Pohlman-Singleton capped the Knights' scoring in 69th (19:25.7).

Bellarmine will compete in its first-ever Division I NCAA Southeast Regional Championship on Nov. 15 at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

"Coach Musk, Coach Sexton and I are extremely proud of the showing of both our women's and men's teams today at the ASUN Championship," Bellarmine director of cross country and track & field Jim Vargo said. "They embody the true definition of an NCAA Division I student-athlete. The mission is still not complete as we will race for the first time in Bellarmine history at the NCAA Southeast Regional."

Bellarmine 5k Women's Results
20. Sierra Oesterling 17:42.5, 42. Trisha Sexton 18:36.7, 43. Taylor White 18:39.0, 45. Hannah Ellis 18:42.7, 69. Justice Pohlman-Singleton 19:25.7, 76. Sarah Jacob 19:51.8, 77. Ginger Atzinger 19:53.3, 79. Erin Luckett 19:57.0, 82. Shaianne Overall 20:14.6, 84. Ellerie Heinzmann 20:20.8

Bellarmine 8k Men's Results
9. Chase Atkins 23:59.3, 26. Alex Hooten 24:44.3, 29. D.K. Schnieders 24:49.0, 33. Will Nobbe 24:55.9, 35. Jackson Gawarecki 25:01.4, 43. Nolan Hester 25:26.4, 44. Chase Austin 25:26.7, 49. Josh Meiman 25:34.0, 52. Ben Hunter 25:42.8, 59. Hunter Griffin 25:57.4,

Women's Team Scores
1. Lipscomb, 16
2. North Florida, 69
3. Central Arkansas, 83
4. EKU, 141
5. FGCU, 168
6. Bellarmine, 195
7. North Alabama, 201
8. Queens, 223
9. Jacksonville, 229
10. Austin Peay, 233
11. Stetson, 261
12. West Georgia, 294

Men's Team Scores
1. EKU,  29
2. North Florida, 59
3. Lipscomb, 63
4. Bellarmine, 125
5. North Alabama, 145
6. Central Arkansas, 176
7. Queens, 187
8. FGCU, 226
9. Stetson, 254
10. West Georgia, 272
11. Jacksonville, 317
12. Austin Peay, 363

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