Nov. 9, 2006
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech men’s and women’s cross country teams are heading back to Tennessee for the fourth time this season to run in the NCAA South Regional hosted by the University of Tennessee on Saturday, November11. The women’s 6K will begin at 11 a.m. on the Lambert Acres Golf Course followed by the men’s 10K at noon.
“The NCAA South Regional should be a great meet,” said Tech coach Alan Drosky. We’ve run the course earlier in the season and know what to expect.”
The women are coming off a ninth-place finish at the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Junior Nisha Kurian placed 20th overall at the ACC meet and crossed the line first for the Yellow Jackets. Kurian has consistently performed in the top three for Tech all season along with junior Elena Linn and senior Mary Chind. These three athletes have each performed at a very high level throughout the 2006 campaign.
“Individually, Nisha Kurian, Elena Linn, and Mary Chind are coming off strong races at the ACC Championships,” added Drosky. “All three could be a national qualifier if they continue to compete as they have all season.”
The NCAA South Regional will be packed with top teams. The field includes four teams currently ranked in the top-25 nationally by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). ACC foe Florida State, 21st nationally, headlines a group that includes Georgia, Florida and Tennessee.
“The competition will be strong with FSU and Miami from the ACC, many of the SEC schools, as well as a number of other programs that put a lot of emphasis on cross country,” said Drosky. “The women have been ranked from 5th to 7th all season long in the South Region. We want to make sure that we focus on running like we’re capable of and hope that we can take a shot at one of the top four teams.”
The men finished 11th at the ACC Championship. Senior David Herren continued to lead the team, finishing 23rd overall and first for Tech. Herren has placed first for the Jackets at every meet this season. Junior Nazar Trilisky has been consistent, finishing second for Tech at four meets. Sophomore E.C. Gibbs has been a solid runner for the team, continuing to improve each week.
Tech will be up against three teams in the USTFCCA top 30 poll including Florida, Alabama and Florida State.
“Throughout the season the men have been in and out of the top 10 in the South Region rankings,” proclaimed Drosky. “We want to have a solid team effort, finish the season with our best team race to date and end up in the top 10 at the meet.”
