GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College cross country teams will open its 2014 campaign tomorrow as the Pioneers travel to Salisbury, North Carolina to take part in the Catawba Invitational at the Salisbury Community Park.

The women's 5,000-meter event will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's 8,000-meter race, scheduled to begin at approximately 6:15 p.m. The event will serve as the pre-conference meet, as the Indians will host 2014 South Atlantic Conference Championships on the same course on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Second-year head coach Corey Pratt returns four letter-winners from last season on both the men's and women's squads that finished eighth and ninth respectively at the 2013 SAC Championships.

"We're very excited to get this season started," said Pratt. "It's going to be nice to get to see the SAC championship course ahead of time so we can make some adjustments when we get back home, and simulate some things so we can get better before we return in November."

Anchoring the men's team is 2013 All-Southeast Region honoree David Cooper. The senior from Greeneville, Tennessee was the top finisher for the Pioneers in every event in which he competed. Cooper posted his career-best 8,000-meter time of 26:15.8 at the SAC Championship, which earned him an eighth place finish and a spot on the All-SAC Second Team. His time was also the fifth-fastest in school history.

Cooper also excelled in the classroom as he was named a Capital One Academic All-American for the second consecutive year, and was also named the SAC Men's Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year. The Chuckey-Doak High School alum has a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point average while majoring in Biology.

Fellow Greeneville, Tennessee native Lawson Burrow is set to return to the Pioneers for his junior campaign. Burrow, also a Chuckey-Doak HS graduate, participated in all six events for TC in 2013 and recorded his fastest 8,000-meter time of the season at the SAC Championship, which resulted in a season-best 34th place finish. Along with Cooper, Burrow represented Tusculum at the NCAA II Southeast Regional meet.

Senior Zachary Simpson is back for his final campaign at Tusculum. The Clinton, Tennessee native posted a season-best 8,000-meter time at the SAC Championship. Simpson's top finish of the season was 33rd in the season-opening Hyder-McMahill Invitational.

Sophomore Cory Ramsey competed in five evens for the Pioneers during his freshman campaign. The Sevierville, Tennessee native posted his top time of the season at the Royals XC Challenge. Ramesy's best finish of the season came in his collegiate debut at the Hyder McMahill Invitational where he claimed a 69th place finish.

"We just want to improve in every meet that we compete," Pratt stated. "Since we are so young, that shouldn't be a hard task, and we are going to learn a lot as we go. We have great leadership from our upperclassmen, and we also have a lot of new talent on the team."

On the women's side, sophomore Samantha Vogt returns after a fantastic rookie campaign for the Pioneers where she was the team's top finisher in every event that she competed. The Maryville, Tennessee native posted a season-best time of 19:27.3 at the Royals XC Challenge, which was also the 12th fastest 5,000-meter time in school history.

Vogt had two solid outings in her postseason debuts including a 37th place finish at the 5,000-meter SAC Championship and a 57th place finish at the 6,000-meter NCAA II Southeast Regional.

Ashley Gregg is the lone senior on the Pioneers' squad after competing in all six events during her junior campaign. The Parrottsville, Tennessee native posted a season-high, and a new career-best 5,000-meter time, at the Royal XC Challenge. Gregg competed in both postseason events for the Pioneers in 2013 and opened the year with a season-best 80th place finish at the Hyder-McMahill Invitational.

Greeneville, Tennesse native Paige Bible is one of two local juniors returners for TC this season. Bible posted times in all six meets for the Pioneers last year, including her top 5,000-meter time of the season, and new career best, at the Royal XC Challenge. The Greeneville High School alum competed in both postseason meets for the Pioneers and recorded her best finish of the year at the season-opening Hyder-McMahill Invitational (49th).

Fellow Greeneville, Tennesse native Allison Hall is also returning for her third season at Tusculum. Hall, also a Greenville HS graduate, ran in five events for the Pioneers in 2013 and recorded a season-best, and a new career-best 5,000-meter time, at the Royal XC Challenge. Hall competed in both postseason events for the Pioneers, and took home a 93rd place finish at the SAC Championship.

"Just like the men, the women are a young team," said Pratt. "Our team leader is just a sophomore (Voght) but she has done a great job in growing as a leader and she is starting to find her voice as a captain."

Both the men's and women's teams added a transfer to their rosters, both hailing from Eldoret, Kenya. Erick Koskey joins the men's team after spending last season at Victory University in Memphis, Tennessee. Pauline Muiruri joins the Pioneer women after running at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Muiruri was ULM's top finisher in every meet, and was named to the 2013 All-Louisiana Cross Country Team and honored with the Newcomer of the Year award. She won the Warhawk Invitational and set a new personal-best 5,000-meter time (18:58.38) at the Crimson Classic. Both Koskey and Muiruri will join the Pioneers as juniors.

The TC men's team will also feature four new freshman newcomers, including the local duo of Jacob Cutshall and Caleb Cutshall. Both harriers are alumni and former teammates at Daniel Boone High School, and helped the team to back-to-back runner-up finishes at the AAA State Championship. Jacob Cutshall was a Two-time All-Conference Runner and a 2013 All-Region Runner. Both guys also lettered in wrestling.

The Pioneers also added two other local runners to their freshman class, Gray Deanda and Jesse Harrell. Deanda, a native of Sevierville, Tennessee was a three-year letterman at Sevier County High School. Harrell, a native of Bulls Gap, Tennessee was a team captain at Cherokee High School, where he also lettered in NJROTC Athletics.

The TC women's squad added a pair of freshman hailing from the Volunteer State. Sierra Hanson completed a four year prep career at Daniel Boone High School and owns a personal best 5,000-meter time of 23:17. The Jonesborough, Tennessee native competed in the state competition as a freshman and was voted as the Most Improved Runner by her teammates following her freshman campaign.

Surgoinsville, Tennessee native Alexis Berlin rounds out the freshman class for the Pioneer women. Berlin is a product of Volunteer High School.

Following Friday's meet at Catawba, the Pioneers will travel to Montreat, North Carolina for the Hyder-McMahill Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 13.