GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College cross country team will open its 2013 campaign this Saturday as the Pioneers travel to Montreat, N.C. for the Hyder-McMahill Invitational. The first race is slated to begin at 9 a.m.
First-year head coach Cory Pratt returns nine letter-winners from last year's men's and women's squad (3 men, 6 women), which finished seventh and ninth, respectively at the 2012 South Atlantic Conference championship.
Anchoring the men's team is 2012 All-Southeast Region harrier David Cooper. The Greeneville, Tenn. junior finished fourth at last year's SAC Championship, which earned him a spot on the All-SAC first team. Cooper finished in the top-20 in all eight races last year, including a pair of individual titles. He followed his SAC Championship performance by finishing 19th at the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.
Cooper also shined in the classroom as he earned a spot on the Capital One Academic All-America® second team. The Chuckey-Doak High School alum has a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point average while majoring in biology.
Greeneville, Tenn. sophomore Lawson Burrow competed in all eight events in last year's rookie campaign. The Chuckey-Doak High School graduate logged six top-25 performances, including a runner-up performance at the Maryville Invitational. Burrow also finished 25th at the SAC Championship and 73rd at the NCAA Southeast Regional.
Junior Zachary Simpson is back after competing in all eight events last year. The Clinton, Tenn. (Clinton HS) product posted four top-25 finishes, including a season-best fifth place effort at the Warren Wilson Invitational. Along with Cooper, he provides veteran experience on the squad having competed in 12 collegiate events during his Tusculum career.
On the women's side, six letter-winners are back, including 2012 SAC All-Freshman honoree Maggie Bernabei. The Crossville, Tenn. sophomore accounted for five top-20 finishes in her eight collegiate events, including a third-place showing at the Warren Wilson Invitational. The Cumberland County High School graduate also finished fifth place at the Maryville Invitational and placed 31st at the SAC Championship, but finished amongst the top-five freshmen in the meet.
Greeneville, Tenn. sophomore Paige Bible returns after a solid freshman season with the Pioneers. She accounted for a very steady and consistent rookie campaign with five top-30 performances in her eight races. Bible finished runner-up at the Warren Wilson Invitational and 15th at the Carson-Newman Challenge. The Greeneville High School alum also finished 35th at the 2012 SAC Championship.
The lone senior on this year's roster is Scarborough, Ontario, Canada native Kim Brown. Brown has competed as a two-sport student-athlete the last three years on both the TC cross country and women's soccer teams, but will be full time with the Pioneers in her collegiate finale in 2013. In 2012, Brown ran in five meets, while finishing in the top-50 in all but one of them, including a pair of 22nd place finishes at the Warren Wilson Invitational and the Maryville Invitational.
Parrottsville, Tenn. junior Ashley Gregg is back after competing in all eight events last fall. The Cocke County High Scholl alum finished in the top-40 on four occasions, including 13th at the Warren Wilson Invitational and 27th at the Bulldog Invitational with a season-best time of 23:14.
Allison Hall, a sophomore from Greeneville, Tenn., accounted for five top-50 finishes a year ago, while competing in all eight events. The Greeneville High School product finished 15th at the Warren Wilson Invitational and 17th at the Maryville Invitational.
Hendersonville, Tenn. junior Lakesa Hendrix competed in all eight events in 2012, including four top-50 finishes. The Station Camp High School graduate placed 14th at the Warren Wilson Invitational (Sep. 21) and 31st at the Maryville Invitational (Oct. 6).
The Tusculum men's team will have three newcomers on this year's roster. Former Pioneer men's basketball player James Clay will be making his cross country debut on Saturday as the Lawrenceville, Ga. senior will be competing in his first and only TC campaign.
Sevierville, Tenn. freshman Cory Ramsey ran his prep career at Sevier County High School where he was a three-time All-County selection (2010, 2011, 2012) and finished 10th at the IMAC Conference Championship, earning him a spot on the All-IMAC squad.
Rounding out the newcomers on the men's squad is Rogersville, Tenn. freshman Isaac Ringley. The four-time All-Region and All-Conference honoree at Volunteer High School is battling back following a horrific automobile crash in January that had him in critical condition.
The lone newcomer on the Tusculum women's team is Maryville, Tenn. freshman Samantha Johns. Johns lettered in cross country and track at William Blount High School and was named her team's most valuable runner.
Following Saturday's meet at Montreat, the Pioneers will travel to Buena Vista, Va. for the VMI Invitational on Sep. 21.
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