November 1, 2008

Tech Men 10th, Women 11th at ACC Championships

Nov. 1, 2008

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Georgia Tech men finished 10th and women 11th at the 2008 ACC Cross Country Championships on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C. Senior Nazar Trilisky and freshman Mary Kate DuBard led their teams, finishing 37th and 31st respectively.

In a repeat of the 2007 ACC Championships, the Virginia men and Florida State women won the team crowns at the meet. The Tech men finished with a total of 239 points, while the women closed out the meet with 289. Virginia’s Ryan Foster finished in first place on the men’s side, as Florida State’s Susan Kuijken won her second-straight title in the women’s race.

Trilisky paced the Tech men for the first time this season, posting a time of 25:41 in the 8K race. Senior E.C. Gibbs placed 48th overall with a time of 25:53. Finishing third for the Yellow Jackets and 50th overall, was junior Billy Mateker in a time of 25:55.

Junior Matt Hickey (25:56) was right behind Mateker in 51st place, while sophomore D.J. McMillan rounded out the top five for Tech running a time of 26:03.

“The men ran a solid race but I’m really disappointed with 10th place,” head coach Alan Drosky said. “The scores were so tight from 6th-10th, we were just on the wrong side of that bubble. We could have run a little better, but overall they competed well.”

In the women’s 6K race, DuBard paced the Jackets with a time of 21:42. Freshman Annie Martin placed 49th with a time of 22:13, while senior Veronica Kinard finished 84th with a time of 23:18.

Finishing 85th was sophomore Felicity Brower (23:21), as freshman Betsy Kim rounded out the top five in 86th place with a time of 23:23.

“Our first two women were good today, particularly for freshmen,” Drosky added. “Veronica and Felicity are two of our most improved runners. We just weren’t good enough in the middle of the line-up today.”

Both teams will take a week off before heading to the NCAA South Region Championships on Nov. 15 in Knoxville, Tenn.