University of Tennessee Athletics
2015 Tennessee Cross Country Preview
September 03, 2015 | Track & Field
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee men's and women's cross country teams open the 2015 season on Friday at the Hokie Invite at Buford Meredith Cross Country Course in Blacksburg, Va.
2015 Tennessee XC Schedule
- Sept. 4
Hokie Invite (Blacksburg, Va.) - Sept. 19
Commodore Classic (Nashville, Tenn.) - Oct. 3
Louisville Classic (Louisville, Ky.) - Oct 17
Pre Nationals (Louisville, Ky.) - Oct 30
SEC Cross Country Championships (College Station, Texas - Nov. 13
NCAA Regionals (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) - Nov. 21
NCAA Cross Country Championships (Louisville, Ky.)
The UT men were picked to finish 10th and the women were picked to finish 11th in the 2015 SEC Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll. Tennessee's men are 12th in the USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Preseason South Region rankings.
Friday's races, which are slated to start at 6 p.m. ET, will be among the teams' shorter races the season as the men will run a 6K and the women will run a 4K. Tennessee director of track & field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan, who begins her second year at the helm, said that the student-athletes are pumped to start the season.
"We are excited to be suiting up and getting after it on Friday," Sullivan said. "It's always exciting in the lead-up to the first competition because everybody's fresh, especially this team since we are so young. The majority of both the men's and women's teams are going to be freshmen who are going to be racing throughout this whole season. They are very excited to wear the Orange and White and put on the uniform for the first time."
Senior All-American Chelsea Blaase leads the Tennessee women, a group that features three seniors and five freshmen. Blaase became the women's program's 10th All-American when she finished in 10th place at her first-ever NCAA Championships. She was UT's first All-American on the women's side since 2008 and the first to post a top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships since 1989. Her stellar junior year featured PRs in the 5K (16:37.66) and 6K (19:26.20) and seven top-10 finishes (six top-3s) over seven 2014 races. Caroline Duer brings veteran experience and posted PRs in the 5K (18:56.30) and the 6K (22:34.50).
"Chelsea wants to win every race she runs," Sullivan said. "She's in that kind of position where she is seasoned, she's very hungry and she's very excitable about trying to be the best she can be. In every competition, she's going to have a shot at the win."
The 2015 men's team features 14 runners with two seniors, one junior and 11 freshmen. Redshirt senior Kyle Walter is coming off of a strong finish to the 2014 cross country season in which he set a new 10K PR at the NCAA South Regional with a time of 31:11.50 to finish 27th. He is also coming off of a strong 2015 indoor and outdoor track season. Senior Jack Little posted a career-best 10K time of 31:44.80 at the 2014 NCAA South Regional.
"Kyle made great strides last year both in cross country and in the track seasons," Sullivan said. "He ran PRs all the way through both track seasons. This is his final go and sometimes when it's your final chance you really step up."
Sullivan is excited to see what some of the freshmen men and women can do in their first collegiate competition. She added that the goal is for both teams to run as packs, as tight as possible from 1 to 7 or however many run in a given race. Veterans Blaase and Walter may sit out Friday's race in Blacksburg and open their respective seasons at a later event.
"Early on we have the quad of freshmen who are going to open up," she said. "We've got Peighton Meske who is a local product and has been looking good in preseason camp and in the workouts she's been holding on her own. We've got Abby McCulla out of the Nashville area who is very talented and excited to race. I think the shorter distance is going to be fun for her as well.
"For the guys, I think we're going to see some good stuff out of Drew Kelley, who redshirted last year in cross country and ended his track season very well. Tyler Woodrome is another redshirt freshman who made tremendous strides throughout his freshman year. Jack Little, one of our team captains, will run up front this coming weekend and throughout the season."
