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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Nine of Tennessee Tech's 13 cross country runners ran in their first collegiate race Saturday as coach Wayne Angel's Golden Eagles opened the 2015 season at the Indiana Open.
The host Hoosiers, each ranked 12th nationally in the preseason polls, swept the top positions in both races in the head-to-head scoring between the two squads on a hot and humid morning on the IU Championship Cross Country Course.
Still, Angel thought his Golden Eagle women did a good job competing in their first event of the year. He felt the Tech men are a work in progress.
"Overall, I am excited for our teams," Angel said. "We are young, hungry and determined."
The next action for the Golden Eagles is the Furman Invitational next Saturday, Seot. 12, in Greenville, S.C.
Women's Cross Country
With six of his seven runners competing in cross country for the first time at Tennessee Tech, Angel was pleased with the performance of the women's team Saturday morning.
"I was very pleased with our women's performance today," Angel said. "They competed with passion and purpose. As a team, this was the best that we have competed from top to bottom on a very challenging course.
Angel recognized freshman Jenna Storms for her effort in leading the team in her first collegiate event.
"Jenna Storms was awesome today," he added. "She executed the race plan to perfection and ran a very good time on a difficult course."
The veteran coach, now in his second season at the Tech helm, saw plenty of reason for optimism.
"We still have work to do on closing the gap between our first and fifth runners, but I am confident that we will get there," he said.
Only sophomore Lera McNamara had run in a cross country meet previously for Tech, while the other six each produced times that are now established as their personal-best efforts in purple & gold.
Storms, a true freshman from the northern California town of Cottonwood, led the way for Tech, finishing ninth overall with a time of 19:25.03. Another California newcomers, junior Sarah Brandt from Oraville, finished next for Tech with a 13th place showing in 20:00.05.
Newcomers Purity Murray and Molly Griffin are new to the program while Sonel Bezuidenhout and Madison Stremler competed in track & field but not it cross country last season, so all four were running in their first cross country action at Tech.
Tennessee Tech women's team individuals (place), time
Jenna Storms (9th) 19:25.03 (personal best)
Sarah Brandt (13th) 20:00.50 (personal best)
Purity Murray (16th) 20:31 (personal best)
Sonel Bezuidenhout (17th) 20:47.09 (personal best)
Lera McNamara (19th) 21:33.67
Madison Stremler (20th) 22:12.97 (personal best)
Molly Griffin (23rd) 23:17.73 (personal best)
Men's Cross Country
The Golden Eagle men had a little more returning experience in the lineup Saturday, with three returning runners and three newcomers. And it was returning junior Daniel Williamson who paced Tech.
"Our men's team is still a work in progress, and we are still finding our way as a team," Angel said. "We will get there, though. We didn't compete as well as I would have hoped, but there were some shining moments today."
Williamson, a junior from Union City, Tenn., finished 13th overall in 27:13.94, not far off the pace of his career-best time despite the tough course and humid weather conditions.
"Daniel Williamson stepped up in a big way," Angel said. "He led all Tech runners, nearly running a personal-best. His hard work over the summer is starting to pay off."
All-Region returnee Geoffrey Sambu, a junior from Eldoret, Kenya, was next, about nine seconds behind Williamson, finishing 14th in 27:22.52. From there it was just under a two-minute gap until freshman Amos Kipchirchir was Tech's third runner in 29:03.14.
Tech men's team individuals (place), time
Daniel Williamson (13th) 27:13.94
Geoffrey Sambu (14th) 27:22.52
Amos Kipchirchir (20th) 29:03.14 (personal best)
Timothy Misoy (21st) 29:54.06 (personal best)
Colin Gwaltney (24th) 31:18.73
Joshua Daughtry (25th) 31:37.46 (personal best)
