COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Sophomore Geoffrey Sambu and senior Yeshi
Dohrmann accepted their team MVP awards, and several running mates
were also honored Monday night as the Tennessee Tech cross country
squads celebrated the 2014 season with an awards dinner at the
Cookeville Golf Club.
Former U.S. Olympian Jose "Tony" Parrilla was the guest speaker,
followed by the presentation of various awards by head coach Wayne
Angel, assistant coaches Eugene Frazier and Samantha Linck, and
Director of Athletics Mark Wilson.
Sambu, a sophomore from Kenya, led the Golden Eagle men's team in
every race in his first year on the roster, following his transfer
from Florida A&M. He not only set the school 8K record, he was
also first-team all-OVC for his sixth-place finish at the
conference championships. He followed that with a 13th place
showing in the NCAA South Regional, earning him all-region
honors.
Likewise, Dohrmann was the top finisher in every race in 2014 for
the Golden Eagle women's team while establishing a new career-best
time.
Dorhmann was one of four runners recognized for serving as team
captains in Angel's first year at the school. He also presented
captain's plaques to Landry Loving for serving as women's team
co-captain with Dohrmann, and to Sterling Smith and Brennan Huber
as the men's team captains.
Wilson announced the team's Academic Award winners, presenting
plaques in recognition to Loving and Huber for topping each of
their teams in GPA.
The Most Dedicated Runner awards went to Daniel Williamson and
Anna Cooper, while the Most Improved Runner honors were presented
to Huber and Cooper.
Huber, a sophomore from Greenbrier, Tenn., fiinished second on the
men's team in every race, and sliced two minutes off his personal
best 8K time, notching his name in the Tech record book with the
third-best time in school history with an 18th place individual
showing at the OVC Championships.
Cooper's career-best time also came at the OVC Championships when
she finished second on the team. She improved from fifth on the
team to second over the course of her rookie season.
Williamson, a sophomore from Union City, Tenn., was third on the
squad in four of the five meets in which he competed. Smith, a
senior from Knoxville, Tenn., ran among team leaders in the first
three meets of the season before being sidelined from action due to
an injury.
The evening, which began with viewing a highlight video and a
photo presentation, ended with Wilson recognizing the three
departing seniors for their contributions to the program. That
included Emily Williams, Dorhmann and Smith. Williams, from
Talbott, Tenn., and Dohrmann, from Tullahoma, Tenn., are scheduled
to graduate on Saturday, while Smith, from Knoxville, Tenn., is on
course to receive his degree in 2015.
In photos...
Top Right: Award winners, from left, Daniel
Williamson, Yeshi Dohrmann, Anna Cooper, Landry Loving, Brennan
Huber, Geoffrey Sambu.
Top left: The 2014 team captains, from left,
Brennan Huber, Yeshi Dohrmann, coach Wayne Angel, Landry Loving and
Sterling Smith.
Bottom left: From left, Director of Athletics
Mark Wilson, guest speaker Jose "Tony" Parrilla and head coach
Wayne Angel