Sept. 27, 2007
ATLANTA – After taking a week off, the Georgia Tech men’s and women’s cross country teams will be back in action this Saturday, September 29 when they compete at the Greater Louisville Classic on E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park cross country course in Louisville, Ky.
“The 2007 edition of the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic will be a great competition for both the men and the women,” head coach Alan Drosky said. “The women are the defending champions for this meet and will look for a similar result this year.”
The event is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET with the first men’s 8-kilometer race followed by first women’s 6km race at 10:15 a.m. The second men’s 8km race will begin at 11 a.m., while the second women’s 6km race will conclude Saturday’s events at 11:45 a.m. Overall, more than 110 teams from more than 50 schools and 14 states will compete in the four races.
The men’s team is coming off a second-place finish at the Vanderbilt Invitational. Senior David Herren led the way for the Jackets by placing second overall, his second straight top-five finish this season.
The Jackets, ranked 11th in the South region by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), will join the field of 33 teams competing in the first men’s race. Also running in the first group are host Louisville, ranked No. 15 in this week’s USTFCCCA Top 30 Poll and third overall in the Southeast Region, as well as Tennessee (No. 6 in South), Eastern Kentucky (No. 8 in the Southeast), Georgia State (No. 9, South), Dayton (No. 10, Great Lakes), Wake Forest (No. 10, Southeast), Vanderbilt (No. 12, South), East Tennessee (No. 13, Southeast), Tennessee-Chattanooga (No. 13, South) and Kentucky (No. 15, Southeast).
“Our men have been improving each week, their training continues on pace, and we’re looking to solidify our top seven spots as we head into October,” Drosky said. “We’re excited about this meet for the men and are looking for a solid team effort.”
The women’s team also is coming off a second-place finish at the Vanderbilt Invitational. Senior Elena Linn crossed the line second and was followed by fellow senior Jenny Sims to lead the Jackets. Also finishing in the top 10 was senior Nisha Kurian, who placed sixth overall.
Tech will be one of six regionally ranked teams in the field of 29 teams running in the first women’s race. Tech, which finished first at last year’s GLC, enters this weekend’s event ranked seventh in the South. Also slated to compete is host Louisville, ranked 11th in the Southeast, SEC members Vanderbilt (No. 6 in the South) and Kentucky (No. 6, Southeast), Eastern Kentucky (No. 14, Southeast) and Bowling Green (No. 15, Great Lakes).
“There will be four to five teams that should battle it out up front,” said Drosky of the women’s race. “We should have a strong front group, but for us to win the meet, we’ll need our fourth and fifth runners to perform well. The gap between one and five needs to be tighter.”
Following this weekend’s race, Tech will have a week off from competition before returning to action at the Pre-Nationals at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind., site of the 2007 NCAA Cross Country Championships.
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