Oct. 12, 2006
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech cross country teams will travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., Saturday, October 14, for the Front Runner Invitational. The course is located along the bank of the Tennessee River on the grounds of the Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute. The women’s 2 mile race will begin at 3:30 p.m. followed by the men’s 5k at 4:00.
“We’re looking forward to the Front Runner Invitational,” said Tech coach Alan Drosky. “It will be a smaller field of teams than our last meet in Louisville, Ky. We do have look out for Chattanooga, who has a really good program and will give us great competition. This race will help us focus on preparing for the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships in two weeks. The race distances are shorter than usual so we will work hard on being aggressive at the start.”
The men’s team is coming off a 13th place finish at the Greater Louisville Classic two weeks ago. David Herren finished first for the Jackets for the third consecutive race, coming in 41st overall. He was followed by Nazar Trilisky and Casey Gramling for the second consecutive week. This trio has anchored a men’s team that has shown improvements every week.
“David Herren will once again be looked at to lead the team,” said Drosky. “He’s running confidently and has been very consistent for us. Nazar Trilisky and Casey Gramling continue to improve each meet and EC Gibbs will feel much more comfortable with the shorter distance. We are looking for a few more individuals to step up and solidify us at the number five spot. The group includes Paul Specht, James Taylor, or Mike Lawson, each of these men can certainly fill that role.”
The women return to action after winning the gold 5k at the Greater Louisville Classic. Currently ranked fifth in the South Region by the United State Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), the women feel they can continue to get better.
“Our first three women, Nisha Kurian, Elena Linn, and Mary Chind, are all running very well and have been interchangeable at the first three spots,” said Drosky. “We look for them to continue to be competitive and use it to push each other. Jenny Sims has been solid for us and gets better every week. Freshman Kiersten Petersen has also been very consistent for us at number four or five. Behind them, the group of Lindsey Pickens, Maria Hampton, and Katina Zuganelis has been making great improvements in training and I think we’ll see that come out in this meet.”
After the meet in Chattanooga, the Jackets will return home to prepare for the ACC Championships on Saturday, October 28, in Charlottesville, Va.
“Overall, the training as been progressing well and we’re just looking for the team to make improvements in every meet as we lead up the championship portion of the season,” added Drosky.
NOTES:
Directions to Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute: Take I-75 North to I-24 to Downtown. DO NOT continue on I-24 towards Nashville, take the right fork at this crossroads toward Downtown. Take 27 North across the Tennessee River. Exit on Manufacturers Road. Turn LEFT – go under the overpass to Hamm Road (approx. ½ mile). Turn left on Hamm Road to a “T” intersection. Turn left onto Moccasin Bend Road and go to the end (approx. 2 miles).
