Nov. 15, 2002
ATLANTA – With a trip to the NCAA Championships on the line, the Georgia Tech men’s and women’s cross country teams are set to compete at Saturday’s NCAA South Regional Championships at the Lambert Acres Golf Club in Maryville, Tenn.
The women’s 6K is slated for a 10 a.m. start, followed by the 11 a.m. men’s race. The men will run a 10K for the first time this season.
The women’s field is made up of 21 teams and individuals from four schools, while 23 teams and individuals from four schools will compete on the men’s side. Several Southeastern Conference opponents will be in action, as will Atlantic Coast Conference rival Florida State.
The top two teams in both the men’s and women’s field will qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships, which are scheduled for Monday, November 25, in Terre Haute, Ind. Additionally, the top four individual finishers not on qualifying teams will earn berths at the national championship. There are also 13 team at-large spots in the 31-squad NCAA field.
Both Yellow Jacket teams hope to rebound from sluggish performances at the ACC Championships on November 2. The women placed eighth, while the men took ninth place. Senior Brendon Mahoney finished 12th in the men’s race for Tech’s top individual finish.
Tech’s women will be led by freshman Carly Matthews, who was the Jackets’ top finisher at the conference championships. She has consistently been Tech’s second runner throughout the season. Seniors Amy Dock and Eboni Crosby, as well as junior Neta Ezer will also be looked to for strong races. The Jackets will be without top runner Katie Griffin, who is nursing a stress fracture in her right heel. She earned all-region honors a year ago.
Freshman Rob Kuhn, who has been Tech’s first or second finisher in all five of his races this season, is expected to lead the men’s team. Seniors Joe Poliseo and Jimmy DeYonker and sophomore Adam Jones should also contribute.
The Yellow Jacket women, who finished 26th at NCAAs a year ago, are seeking their third consecutive trip to nationals. Tech’s men have never qualified as a team for the NCAA Championships.
-GT-
