By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
Belmont Opener
Date: Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021
Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: Percy Warner Park | Nashville, Tenn.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech women's cross country team is set to kick off its 2020-21 campaign Sunday afternoon at the Belmont Opener in Nashville, Tenn. Hosted by Ohio Valley Conference and in-state rival Belmont, the event will take place at Percy Warner Park.
The women's 5K will begin at 1:00 p.m. CT, followed by the men's 8K at 1:30 p.m.
The Golden Eagles welcome back three members of the team from last season, including juniors Alexa Brugere and Courtney McCowan and sophomore Rahab Sawe. In the 2019 campaign, Sawe finished second among Tech competitors in each of the team's five events, posting a season-best 5K time of 19:00.80 at the Upstate Invitational. Tech won the event with Sawe finishing second overall.
Tech added five newcomers to the fold for the season, including freshmen Nyla Armand, Emma Bradford, Amanda Laboy and Ruby Wyles, as well as junior Tina Cesnik. A Prevalje, Slovenia native, Cesnik joins the purple and gold by way of North Florida, having competed in four meets last season for the Ospreys with a personal best 5K of 18:58.79 at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships.
The Field
The Belmont Opener field consists of host Belmont, as well as Austin Peay, Chattanooga, Evansville, Jacksonville State, Lipscomb, North Alabama, Northern Kentucky, Miami (Ohio), Murray State, Tennessee Tech, and Tennessee State.
Up Next
Following this weekend's race, the Golden Eagles will compete next at the Seminole Invitational on Feb. 5 in Tallahassee, Fla.
Photo by Ohio Valley Conference
