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Sam Chelanga and the Flames cross country squad moved up to No. 10 in the Southeast region after winning last weekend's Big South Men's Cross Country Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C.

After winning the Big South title last weekend, the Liberty men’s cross country squad is listed No. 10 in the Southeast Region this week, according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The team has been ranked as high as sixth this season.

At Saturday’s Big South Cross Country Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C., the Flames had 33 points for the first-place finish, followed by High Point in second with 46 points and Coastal Carolina in third with 59 points.

Redshirt junior Sam Chelanga finished first in the men’s 8K with a time of 23:50 to win his second straight Big South Championship. He became only the fifth runner in Liberty program history to repeat as the Big South individual champion, and his win marked the sixth straight year a Liberty runner has been the men’s overall winner.

Evans Kigen finished second with a time of 25:13, followed by David Ricksecker in eighth place (26:17), and Jake Reed in 10th (26:30). Chelanga, Kigen, Ricksecker and Reed were all named to the 2009 Big South all-conference team.

William & Mary is ranked first in the Southeast Region, followed by N.C. State, Virginia, Louisville and Duke in the top five.

The Flames are back in action on Nov. 14 at the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championship in Louisville, Ky. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.