GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum cross country program will begin its 2017 campaign this Friday when they host the Tusculum Open at the Holston Homes Course in Greeneville. The meet will start at 6 p.m.
The Pioneers will welcome teams from eight colleges and universities to Friday's season-opener including South Atlantic conference members Carson-Newman University and Lincoln Memorial University, as well as Brevard College, Johnson University, Maryville College, Milligan College, North Greenville University and Welch College.
Tusculum head coach Cory Pratt, who is entering his fifth season with the Pioneers, has amassed one of the largest teams in recent memory as TC will field a 25-runner roster this year.
WOMEN'S PREVIEW
The Tusculum women return seven letter-winners from last year's squad that posted a ninth-place finish at the South Atlantic Conference Championship.
Leading the charge for the TC women will be sophomore Emily Stoklosa. The Homer Glen, Illinois product accounted for an outstanding rookie campaign as she was the team's top runner in all six events in 2016 including first place honors at last year's Tusculum Open. She won the TC Open with her 5K time of 21.38.9 as she led the Pioneers to a runner-up finish in their home event.
Stoklosa, who was the team's most valuable runner, posted a fifth-place showing at the Hyder McMahill Invitational and finished 36th at the SAC Championship with a time of 20:43.8. She posted her best time of the season at the Royal Cross Country Challenge in Charlotte where she finished with a time of 19:54.3 on the 5,000-meter layout. She also ran at the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional as she finished with a 6K-time of 25:00.44.
Junior Makenzi Alley is also back as she emerged as Tusculum's No. 2 runner last season. The Cincinnati, Ohio native finished fourth at last year's TC Open with her time of 22:37.6. She posted a 13th place showing at the Hyder McMahill Invitational and finished 54th at the SAC Championship. Her 20:49.1 time at the Royal Cross Country Challenge was a career-best, while she also excelled in the classroom and earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District first team.
Junior Mackenzie Newsome competed in five of Tusculum's six events last season. The Lewisville, North Carolina native posted a time of 22:55.1 to finish seventh at the Tusculum Open. She came in 20th at the Hyder McMahill meet and 59th at the SAC Championship with her time of 21:55.0, her best of the season.
Columbia, Tennessee junior Deondra Thomas returns for Tusculum. Thomas completed all six races in 2016 with her best finish coming at the Tusculum Open as he came in 12th place with a time of 23:51.4. She also finished 29th at the Hyder McMahill Invitational (23:46.8) and 72nd at the SAC Championship (22:43.7). Thomas posted a season-low 5K time of 21:14.1 at the Royal Cross Country Challenge, just seven seconds off her career-low.
Lillian Wallace returns for her junior campaign after competing in four meets last season. Wallace, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, did not run at last year's Tusculum Open, but carded a 47th place finish at the Hyder McMahill Invitational with a 5K time of 27:44.2. She lowered her times significantly as the season progressed including a career-low 5K time of 25:36.8 at the Royal Cross Country Challenge. She also posted a time of 25:52.6 at the SAC Championship to finish in 84th.
Brooklyn Smith, a sophomore from Middlesboro, Kentucky, completed all six meets of her rookie campaign including the Tusculum Open where she finished 20th with a 5K time of 26:17.1. At the Hyder McMahill meet, she finished 28th with a time of 23:41.2. She posted sub 23-minute in her last three 5K races, including a season-best time of 22:40.6 at the Royal Challenge. She also finished with a time of 22:46.22 at the Greater Louisville Classic and came in 74th place at the SAC Championship with a time of 22:47.
Sophomore Emma Hicks is also back after completing three races last year including the Hyder McMahill Invitational (28:07.9), Royal Challenge (26:50.3) and the SAC Championship (26:52.9).
Also returning to the Tusculum roster from a season ago are sophomores Carrigan Bishop (Limestone, Tenn.), Brittany Bowery (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Katie MacDonald (Ocklawah, Fla.).
Five newcomers have joined the Pioneer program including Addison Aguilar, Hayden Fobare, Alissa Furches, Angel Quay and Paige Roberts.
Furches, a local product from Greeneville, comes to Tusculum after competing at nearby Milligan. She posted a collegiate-best 5K time of 19:02 with the Buffaloes. The South Greene High School graduate was an All-Conference performer in both cross country and track. The 2014 All-Conference pick earned team MVP honors multiple times and is the program record holder in both the 1600 and 3200 meters where she was the conference champion in both events.
Roberts, a product of Bristol, Tennessee was a four-time All-Conference and All-Region performer at Sullivan East High School. She was a four-time team MVP as she established the school women's track record for the 1,600 (5:38) and 3,200-meter (12:40) events. She led Sullivan East to back-to-back conference championships (2013, 2014) and a 2014 region title.
Aguilar, a freshman from Clovis, California, completed in cross country and track at Clovis North High School where she was the recipient of the Best Newcomer and Most Improved Awards as her teams capture back-to-back conference titles.
Quay, a freshman from Knoxville, Tennessee, was a two-year letter-winner in cross country and track at L&N STEM Academy in Knoxville. She was a member of the 2017 region runner-up team while her junior and senior teams both advanced to the State meet.
Fobare, a rookie from Franklin, Tennessee, competed on the cross country team at Centennial High School.
MEN'S PREVIEW
Coach Pratt returns three lettermen for the Tusculum men's program which finished 10th at the 2016 SAC Championship.
Leading the way for the Pioneers is senior standout Jacob Cutshall. The Jonesborough, Tennessee native was Tusculum's top finisher in all six meets last season as he captured runner-up honors at the TC Open. He posted a 5K time of 17:18.7, a week after finishing seventh at the Hyder McMahill Invitational with a 17:14.5 finish at the 5,000-meter event. Cutshall placed 42nd at the SAC Championship with his 8K time of 28:44.0. He carded a season-best time of 26:58.9 at the Royal Cross Country Challenge as well.
Junior J'Quen Johnson also returns for his third Tusculum season. The Gallatin, Tennessee product, by way of Barrow, Alaska, finished fourth at the Tusculum Open a year ago with a time of 17;39.8. He competed in five meets in 2016, including his 21st place showing at the Hyder McMahill (17:50.0 – 5K) and 47th at the SAC Championship. At the Royal XC Challenge, Johnson posted a career-best time of 27:37.1 on the 8K layout.
Junior Will Noel completed in all six events in 2016 including his 18th place finish at the Tusculum Open (19:46.9). The Asheville, North Carolina native placed 45th at the Hyder McMahill meet and 89th at the SAC Championship with his 8K time of 30:01.5. He was also TC's third-top finisher at the NCAA II Southeast Regional with his 10K time of 38:00.57.
Also back for the Pioneers are is sophomore Mason Snelson (Pollok, Texas), who did not run in 2016.
Six newcomers will be on the Tusculum roster this season including true freshmen Jackson Beason, Zac Branham, Will Cronin, Alex Haffcke, Isaac Hybarger and Caleb Sells.
Three local products from Greeneville High School join the Tusculum program this fall with the trio of Cronin, Haffcke and Hybarger.
Haffcke was a four-time All-Conference cross country performer while also earning All-Region honors on two occasions in 2014 and 2016. He earned team MVP accolades in 2014 and was also a two-time All-Sub Sectional standout in track in 2013 and 2015. He also is a member of the 4x1600m team that established a program record in 2016.
Cronin earned All-State in 2015 and was a two-time team MVP for the Greene Devils in 2015 and 2016 winning the 2016 conference title and finished as conference runner-up in 2015. He posted a 5K PR time of 16:32 and also owns PR times of 4:40 in the 1600m and 9:56 in the 3200m.
Hybarger lettered three times with the Greeneville cross country program as well.
Beason, a native of Maryville, Tennessee, competed on the cross country and track & field teams at Alcoa High School.
Branham, a product of Johnson City, Tennessee, was a three-time All-Conference cross country runner at Daniel Boone High School. Branham also starred on the Trailblazers' track & field team where he was a two-time All-Region selection. The DBHS cross country team finished runner-up in the state while he earned a spot on the Footlocker All-South Team on two occasions in 2016 and 2017. He posted a 5K PR time of 16:22.
Sells, another standout from Daniel Boone High School, joins the Pioneers as well. The Gray, Tennessee native garnered All-Conference and All-Region honors twice with the Trailblazers. Also a member of the DBHS track team, Sells earned All-Conference and All-Region accolades in the 800m, 1600m, 3200m and 4x800m.
Following the Tusculum Open, the Pioneers will travel to the Lenoir-Rhyne Invitational on Sep. 8 at Southside Park in Newton, North Carolina. It will give the Pioneers a preview of the course which will host the South Atlantic Conference Championship in October.