August 30, 2014

Tech women claim fourth place in seven-team Carolina Invitational

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Senior Yeshi Dohrmann paced the Tennessee Tech women's cross country team Saturday, leading first-year coach Wayne Angel's squad to a fourth-place finish at the seven-team Carolina Invitational to open the 2014 season.

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Senior Yeshi Dohrmann paced the Tennessee Tech women's cross country team Saturday, leading first-year coach Wayne Angel's squad to a fourth-place finish at the seven-team Carolina Invitational to open the 2014 season.

Host South Carolina swept to the team title with 15 points, boasting the first nine individual finishers and 13 of the first 15 in the 5K run at Hilton Field on Fort Jackson. Georgia Southern (73) was second, with The Citadel (96) finishing third.

Tech posted 105 points to place fourth, followed by South Carolina State (132), Pfeiffer (144) and Presbyterian (151).

Dohrmann, a senior from Tullahoma, Tenn., placed 21^st overall in the time of 20:57.85, missing a Top 20 showing by half-a-second. Freshman Valeria McNamara was just 12 seconds back, placing 24^th in her first collegiate race with a time of 21:10.64. Close on her heels was junior Sarah Wilson in 27^th place with a time of 21:22.84, while freshman Anna Cooper placed 29^th in 21:31.14. Also scoring for the Golden Eagles, freshman Baylee Balgemann finished 36^th in 22:20.89.

Senior Emily Williams (22:47.63), freshman Kathlean O'Neill (22:50.67) and junior Landry Loving (23:10.20) completed Tech's lineup in the race.

"I thought it was a pretty good start, but we learned quickly that we have a lot of work to do," Angel said of the TTU women's squad. "We just need to learn how to race. We need to learn not be intimidated by the competition. We'll get better, there's no doubt about that.

"I thought Yeshi did a really nice job. She ran very well. But she knows she can run better, too. They all do," Angel said.

The Golden Eagles will be in Bloomington, Ind., next Saturday (Sept. 6) to race in the Indiana Open, hosted by the University of Indiana.