Sept. 4, 2003
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech cross country teams will begin their season this Friday evening at 6 p.m. at the UTC Opener in Moccasin Bend, Tennessee. The women’s two-mile race is slated to begin at 6 p.m., followed by the men’s five-kilometer race at 6:30 p.m.
Headlining the men’s team are Kyle Rabbit, Brendon Mahoney, and Neil McDonagh. Rabbitt and McDonagh are returning from redshirt seasons a year ago, while Mahoney returns as the top Tech finisher in both races that he ran in 2002.
Sophomore Rob Kuhn is expected to be in the top half of the lineup as well, as he was the first Tech finisher in three races and second in his other three races a year ago.
Running in their first races for the Jackets will be six freshmen, including three-time Georgia state cross country champion Cristan Duvall and the state’s top mile and two-miler, David Herren.
On the women’s side, five freshmen, led by Kirby Cross and Jenny Sims, will compete for the first time. Sims was the state champion in the half-mile and third in cross country during her senior season, while Cross was the AA state record holder in the 3200 meters during the track season.
Seniors Katie Griffin, Tech’s top finisher in every race that she ran in 2002, and Amy Dock, a 15th-place finisher at the NCAA South Regionals last year, will return to lead the Jackets this season. They will be joined by Neta Ezer and Jenny Lentz at the top of the lineup.
Several of Tech’s top runners will not race on Friday.
-GT-
