By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- With well-rested legs, an enthusiastic mindset, and the chance to climb in the final standings, the Tennessee Tech men's cross country team will be in Oxford, Alabama this weekend to compete in the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference championship.
The race takes place Saturday morning at Oxford Lake Park, with the men's 8K race set for 9 a.m. The women's 5K race will follow at 10 a.m.
"We're really excited about going to this championship and competing," Angel said. "It gives us a chance to put together everything we've accomplished in training and with our mental preparation. I'm feeling really good about how we can perform."
While much of the attention this year has been on newcomer Geoffrey Sambu, the Golden Eagles will also be looking to Brennan Huber to have an major impact. The sophomore from Greenbrier, Tenn., has shown a steady climb this season throughout training and competition and first-year head coach Wayne Angel feels it could lead to a potential all-OVC performance.
Some of that optimism comes from the idea that Sambu, a sophomore from Kenya, could finish among the top runners in the conference. The top seven runners earn first-team all-OVC honors.
Some of the optimism comes from the prospect of Huber also crossing the finish line among the Top 14 runners, which would net him all-OVC second-team recognition.
"Brennan has continued to improve, he has worked hard and done a great job in training, and I think he could finish in the top 14," Angel said.
That would give Tech multiple all-conference winners in men's cross country for the first time since 1967, and only the second time in history.
In 1967, when the OVC ran a four-mile race, Daniel Henley placed third in 19:50, followed by Mark Shilito in fourth (20:32) and Lee Byrd in eight (20:48). The only other OVC Championship that included two Tech Top 10 efforts was in 1962when Robert Norris was third (21:46) and Dean Rector placed ninth (22:43)
Besides those two years with multiple markers, Tech has had individual runners in the Top 10 on 10 other occasions, the most coming from Byrd who was sixth in 1965, second in 1966 and eighth in 1967. Other TTU Top 10 finishers have included Mike WOlfe (1963), Williams Wells (1964), Jim Pearson (1969 and 1970), Mark Caldwell (1993), Nathan Pugh (1994 and 1995). The most recent all-OVC runner for Tech was Chad Messmer in 1997.
With Sambu and Huber leading the way, and support from his other runners, Angel feels Tech can finish anywhere between fifth and seventh place, a vast improvement over last year's 11th place showing. The Golden Eagles were seventh in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
The best-ever finish for the Golden Eagle men was second place in 1967, while Tech placed third in 1965 and 1966. The Golden Eagles were fourth in 1964, 1993, 1994 and 2000. In 2009, Tech placed fifth.
The course at Oxford is extremely flat and fast, according to Angel, which might lead to multiple personel best times. The potential for a new school record is also on the table. Already this year, Sambu has established a new school 8K record, and both he and Huber are listed elsewhere on the list of Tech's all-time fastest times.
In addition to that pair, the Golden Eagles will need strong performances all the way down the lineup, which will include sophomore Daniel Wiliamson, Wesley King and jordan Roth, and freshmen Ian Barclay, Collin Gwaltney and Blake Rhoden.
