Junior runner has set PRs in all four meets this season

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — John Greene’s sparkling junior season brought the Tennessee Tech runner conference-wide recognition on Tuesday as he was named Co-Male Runner of the Week by the Ohio Valley Conference.

Greene, a Friendsville, Tenn., native, finished fifth out of 94 runners at the JSU Foothills Invitational on Saturday in Oxford, Ala., posting a time of 26:28.77 and besting his previous personal-best of 26:39 set a week ago by 11 seconds.

He shared the league honor with Jacksonville State's Mickey Sanders, who finished 1.67 seconds ahead of him at the JSU Foothills Invitational. Greene bested Sanders by five seconds a week ago at the TTU Invitational in Cookeville.

In four meets this season, Greene has set a personal-best in each, including this past weekend. From the beginning of the season, Greene has trimmed 1:32 off his previous best time entering the year.

His time at the JSU Foothills Invitational ranked as the 13^th-best 8K time in program history.

“I think all the work he’s put in over the summer and the fall is paying off for him because he’s running really well right now,” said head coach Tony Cox. “We’re really excited about the possibility of him doing really well at the conference meet.”

The league’s sports information directors are responsible for nominating runners for the weekly awards and the conference office determines winners.

A week ago, Greene clocked a time of 26:39.49 and won the TTU Invitational at Southern Hills Golf Course. Prior to that, he posted a 26:59 at the Georgia State Invitational and opened the season by running the Sewanee Invitational in 27:41.

Greene and his teammates compete in their final regular-season meet of the 2011 season on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Evansville Invitational. The OVC Championships will be held Oct. 29 at Eastern Kentucky.