COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Take a close look at a photo of the Tennessee Tech women’s track & field team and you’ll see three smiles that are nearly identical.

Smiles is the key word here, since the three are rarely seen without a happy-go-lucky, cheerful grin. Their beaming expressions are nearly identical because they belong to three sisters, the gracious, good-humored daughters of Steve and Martha Forbes of Norris, Tenn.

Rachel, Rebecca and Kathryn.

The three sisters are important members of the Tech women’s track & field team, which is hosting the Ohio Valley Conference Championships, Friday and Saturday.

It’s the first time in 32 years that Tech has hosted the OVC meet, and the first time ever for the women’s division, which didn’t exist in 1978 when the university last served as the host school.

“Rachel is a team leader, and she has helped me tremendously in getting ready for the conference meet,” says Golden Eagle coach Tony Cox. “Rebecca is very funny and smart.  She is going to accomplish great things when she gets finished with school. 

“Kathryn is the quiet one of the family,” Cox adds. “She is a great young lady and is always willing to help out and support her teammates.”

Cox says all three of the sisters are a pleasure to work with. 

“They all come to practice ready to work and have a positive attitude about the workouts.  They are all high-energy people so that helps the team attitude overall. They love to laugh and have fun, so whenever there is a Forbes sister around, you know the energy level is going to be high,” he says.

Rachel, a senior, will compete in the pole vault and javelin in what will likely be her final collegiate meet. Rebecca, a junior, will compete in the javelin and discus. Kathryn, a freshman, is lined up to run the middle distance races at 800 and 1,500 meters.

While the University has seen several sets of sisters or brothers competing together, it is believed to the Forbes make the first time in Tech history that three members of the same family are competing on the same team.

Three Kalen brothers played baseball at Tech, but Jeff and Kevin were on the same team in the mid-80s while Kurt arrived five years later.

Whether it’s in the stadium for the running and jumping events, or on the throwing fields west of Willow Avenue, odds are high that family members will be among he spectators for each sister.

“Our family is very close and we support each other in everything that we do,” Rebecca says. “ My family encourages me in school and athletics, so I can perform to the best of my ability.  I would not be where I am today if not for the love of my family. I love them and thank them for being so supportive.”

“Our parents have raised us to be hard-working, dependable, loving children. They expect the very best for us, but will always support us through the rough times. They have almost never missed a meet or sporting event we have ever been in, and they are ALWAYS our biggest fans. “

That family support extends beyond the athletic competition.

“They expect us to do just as well in the classroom as on the playing field, and will not settle for anything less,” she adds. “We are so blessed to have such a wonderful backbone and support base, because we would not be where we are today without such amazing parents.” 

“These ladies have great family values,” Cox says.  “They come from a very well-grounded family and that really shows in how they treat each other and other people.  Their family is very supportive of them (and me) and comes to all the meets.  They have a great impact at meets by being there to support their daughters and helping out any way they can.”

Rachel is the oldest and was the first to enroll at Tech. Originally hoping to follow the path of her father and brother and become an engineer, she came to Tech on a track & field scholarship.  That path took a turn when she changed her major to exercise science, physical education and wellness (EXPW) with a concentration in physical therapy. 

“It turned out that engineering was not the right path for me, but I am extremely happy with my decision to pursue physical therapy,” Rachel says, just eight months away from graduating in December.  “The health care field has unlimited possibilities, and I am so thankful that I can be a part of that!”

She plans to attend physical therapy school.

“My big brother, Daniel, was a pole vaulter and I thought it looked fun, so I gave it a shot,” she says about getting started in the event during her career at Knoxville Catholic High School.  Rachel set a school record last year at 9 feet and this year she has raised her career-high to 9 feet, 6 inches.

To give her a second event, last year she added the javelin, an event that isn’t part of high school competition so she was starting from scratch. She owns the best effort on the team this season at just over 119 feet, leaving her just four feet short of the school record.

“My dad is the best coach I have ever had.  He may not be an expert, but he definitely adapts and gives me the best advice he can,” Rachel says. “I also can give thanks to both my high school coach Al Rodd from Anderson County and, of course, coach Tony for his awesome javelin skills advice.”

Rebecca was the next to enroll at Tech. She is majoring in mechanical engineering and plans on a double major in pre-medicine. It was Tech’s academic reputation that brought her to Cookeville.

“Although having my sister and brother at Tech, I formed my decision on coming here by how strong the academic system is here,” Rebecca says.  “Knowing that I was going to join the track and field team and have a great education, I knew that Tech was the place for me to go.”

During the indoor season, Rebecca competed in the shot put and weight throw. Now outdoors, her events are the discus and javelin. Her top effort this spring in the discus is 105 feet, 10 inches, and her top toss in the javelin is 95 feet, 7 inches. Both of those personal best marks came during the TTU Invitational in March.

“I began throwing discus when I was in middle school and took up javelin when I came to college,” Rebecca says. “I really enjoy throwing and my throwing buddies are irreplacable.  I would have to say that the idea of flying in the air in pole vault is appealing, but I would never want to give up throwing.”

The newest member of the Tech student body, Kathryn is a nursing major whose decision on colleges was an easy one.

“It was a given that the baby Forbes was going to attend Tennessee Tech,” she says. “My brother and two older sisters attend Tech, so it was destined for me to go there, too. The four of us are very close and love to be together. After being away from my siblings and the only one at home, I missed them and wanted nothing more than to be at the same college. 

“I also had the opportunity to run track and be on a team which I now call my second family,” says Kathryn.

The rookie member of the squad, Kathryn will compete in the 800-meter run Friday and the 1,500-meter event Saturday. She ran cross country during the fall for the Golden Eagles, her first venture into those distances and she now says she has grown to like the longer races.

“Without the love and support from my family I would not be the same person I am today; they believe in me more than I believe in myself,” she says.

Bright doesn’t just describe their smiles. All three are also accomplished in the classroom. 

“The Forbes sisters were major contributors to the academic success of their teams during the past academic year,” says Dr. Lance Jasitt, assistant athletic director for academics. “Each has maintained a cumulative GPA above 3.5 and two of them earned perfect 4.0 averages during the fall semester.”

During the fall semester, the outdoor track & field team ranked first among Tech’s 16 intercollegiate teams with a team GPA of 3.42.

Having each other on the squad has provided lots of inspiration for each.

“Oh yes definitely! My family is my rock, I depend on them for more than you can even imagine,” Rachel says. “I am truly blessed to have Rebecca and Kathryn with me here at Tech; both of them have so much to offer and they truly are the best sisters anyone could have.”

Rebecca uses similar terms.

“I am blessed to have my sisters on the team,” Rebecca says. “They are my biggest fans and inspiration. I love to see Kathryn and Rachel running up to give me a hug with loving smiles on their faces.  This I know is a gift from God.”

Wrapping up the season by holding the OVC Championships on the Tech campus is something special for Rachel and her sisters.

 “Hosting the OVC meet this year really is the highlight of my collage career,” Rachel says.  “This is something that I would never have dreamed of in my four years here at Tennessee Tech.  Just the fact that we got a pole vault pit this year, and I can actually practice every single day is enough icing on the cake.  But hosting the OVC?  That’s priceless!”

Rachel says the credit for getting the conference meet at Tech goes to Cox.

“He’s the person to thank for bringing the OVC meet here,” she says.  “He has worked so hard to make this wonderful event happen for myself and my fellow seniors and teammates.  It really does not get much better than this.”

Competition begins Friday at 1 p.m. at the throwing field and 2:15 p.m. in the stadium. The official Opening Ceremony takes place Saturday at 8:45 a.m. in Tucker Stadium.  Finals begin Saturday at 8 a.m. at the throwing field and at 10 a.m. in the stadium.

The Awards Ceremony to crown the team champions will be Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Daily tickets for admission into the stadium are $5 for adults and $1 for students. Children three and younger are free.

In the photos, from left: Rebecca, Rachel and Kathryn Forbes