November 9, 2012

Mahan, Miller pace Tech runners at NCAA South Regional meet

Mike Mahan led the Tennessee Tech men's cross country team and Beth Miller was the top finisher for the women's team as the Golden Eagles competed Friday at the NCAA South Regional meet in Tallahassee, Fla.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Mike Mahan led the Tennessee Tech men's cross country team and Beth Miller was the top finisher for the women's team as the Golden Eagles competed Friday at the NCAA South Regional meet, hosted by Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla.

Mahan posted a career-best time of 33:16.2 while finishing in 108th place, two spots ahead of teammate Matthew Bishop, who covered the distance in 33:19.5, about nine second shy of his personal-best. Daniel Francis, running that distance for the first time, was Tech's third finisher, placing 142nd in 34:13.1.

Adam McLeod also posted a career-best time, finishing 161st in 35:16.3 as the fourth counter for the Golden Eagles. The Tech lineup also included Sterling Smith, finishing in 35:54.9, Kolbe Andrzejewski in 37:16.7, and Charlie Jordan in 37:23.1. LIke Francis, it was the first race at that distance for Andrzejewski and Jordan.

Overall, the Golden Eagle men finished in 24th place among the 26 teams in the field. Tech closed the day ahead of Florida Atlantic and South Florida.

Four of Tech's seven entries also posted career-best efforts in the women's 6K race, including Miller who paced the team with a time of 23:10.7 That shattered her previous best at that distance, which was 24:27 earlier this year. She was in 151st place Friday.

Rebecca Cline, who was second for the GoOlden Eagles, clocked a new PR to finish 167th in 23:49.1, and freshman Landry Loving also had a career-best with a time of 24:22.4 to place third on the team. Peri Winborne was fourth for Tech in 24:51.3, followed by Kathryn Forbes with a PR f 25:25.8, Amelia McCoy in 25:27.1, and Meghan O'Donoghue n 26:04.0.

Florida State captured first place in both the men's and women's races. Second place teams, which also qualified to run in the NCAA National Championships in Louisville next week, were Georgia in the men's event and Vanderbilt in the women's race.