GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College cross country teams will open its 2011 campaign this Saturday morning as the Pioneers travel to Greensboro, N.C. to compete at the Guilford College Cross Country Festival.
Second-year head coach Suzanne Byrd returns four runners with collegiate experience, coupled with nine newcomers on the Tusculum roster.
On the women's side, junior Jenny Grant is back after emerging as the Pioneers top runner a season ago. The Franklin, Tenn. native was the lone TC runner to compete in all six meets in 2010 as she posted an 11th-place finish at the Maryville Invitational and 44th at the South Atlantic Conference Championship. Grant also competed at the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.
Sophomore Ashley Andrukonis made six appearances in her rookie season. The Greeneville, Tenn. product recorded her best showing at the Maryville Invitational with an 18th-place finish with a 6,000-meter time of 31:45.
Sophomore Kim Brown will once again split time between running cross country and the Tusculum women's soccer program. The Scarborough, Ontario, Canada native ran five times in 2010 and tallied three top 30 finishes. Her best outing came in a 16th place performance at Maryville, preceded by a 25th place finish at the Bulldog Stampede and 26th at the Stampede at the Shoals.
The lone returner on the men's squad is junior Elvis Machado. In the 2009 campaign, Machado ran in five events, including an eighth place showing at the Virginia-Wise Invitational. He also placed 25th at the Trailblazer Invitational and 31st at the Stampede at the Shoals.
On the women's team, four newcomers will be looking to contribute, including Ashley Gregg, Lakesa Hendrix, Carol Hogan and Lizzie Kaster.
Hendrix, a native of Henderson, Tenn., was a two-time All-County standout at Station Camp High School. She competed at the State Cross Country championship in her junior and senior campaigns. He has posted personal-best times of 22:24 (5,000m), 6:31 (mile) and 1:05 (400m).
Gregg, a native of Parrottsville, Tenn., is a four-year member of the Cocke County High School cross country and track teams. She served as cross country team captain in her junior and senior campaigns, where she competed in the high school meets at the Furman Invitational, Western Carolina Invitational, The Citadel Invitational and the Disney Classic. She has posted personal-best times of 24:14 (5,000m), 13:47 (3,200m) and 2:42 (800m).
Hogan, a rookie from Pelham, Ala., was a two-time team captain at Indian Spring High School.
Kaster, a native of Lexington, Va., comes to the Greeneville campus from Rockbridge County High School. She posted a 5,000-meter time of 24:07 at the RoCo11 and has recorded 400 meter times of 1:03.70 and 1:04.94 and her personal best 100 meter time of 13.62 seconds. She has also competed in the 200 meter and 500 meter distances, while also competing on the Rockbridge "A" 4 x 800m team.
Newcomers on the 2010 men's roster includes: George Blalock, David Cooper, Elijah Minter, Zachary Simpson and Kekona Soon.
Blalock was a two-year varsity runner locally at Greeneville High School where he helped pace the Greene Devils to a pair of Blue Ridge Athletic Conference championships. GHS also won the 2010 A-AA Region I title and finished runner-up for the TSSAA A-AA State Championship. Blalock garnered 2010 All-Blue Ridge Conference while posting a 5,000-meter personal-record time of 19:00.
Cooper, who is also a Greeneville product, competed on the Chuckey-Doak High School cross country team. The two-time All-Region selection was a three-time State qualifier, including 2009 where he garnered All-State recognition. During that 2009 campaign, he was the Blue Ridge Conference Champion and has posted personal record times of 4:40 in the mile and 16:30 in the 5K.
Simpson, a product of Clinton, Tenn., lettered in cross country and baseball at Clinton High School. He posted a time of 17:57 at last year's prep regional meet.
Soon, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., ran his prep career at Halls High School where he posted a 5,000-meter personal best time of 18:18 at the 2010 KIL Championship. Soon also competes on the Halls track and field team where he has posted personal best times of 2:11 in the 800 meters and 8:59 in the 4 x 800m, both coming at the 2010 KIL Track Championship.
Following this weekend, the Pioneers return to action next Saturday (Sept. 10) as Tusculum will travel to Newton, N.C. and the Lenoir-Rhyne Invitational.
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