Posted by Steven Aldridge - Fri, Sep 18, 2009 - [Men's Cross Country] - Viewed 964 times
JACKSON, Tenn. - The TranSouth Conference coaches have voted Union (Tenn.) University as the favorite to win the men's cross country conference championship. Bethel (Tenn.) University was picked to finish second.
After Union and Bethel, Blue Mountain was voted third, Lyon fourth and Freed-Hardeman fifth.
Returning to the list of schools offering cross country as a varsity sport for the 2009 season is Freed-Hardeman. This will be their first competition in five years since discontinuing their program in 2004.
2009 TranSouth Men's Cross Country Coach's Poll
1. Union University
2. Bethel University
3. Blue Mountain College
4. Lyon College
5. Freed-Hardeman University
Season outlooks for each of the men's cross country teams
BETHEL MEN
The men's team has 11 runners, led by defending TranSouth individual champion and runner of the year, Nelphat Bor (sophomore) of Kenya. Key returners include Bill Robertson (senior), Ryan Nieuwnehuis (senior), Ron Plemons (junior) and Emmanuel Tavares (sophomore). The key additions to the team are Bethuel Boinett of Kenya, Jacob Robertson from Davidson Academy and Brett Adams of Millington, Tenn.
"With Bor returning and Boinett joining the team, we have an opportunity to be really good one-thru-five", says head coach Kilburn.
BLUE MOUNTAIN MEN
Coach Fred Smith and his Blue Mountain College Toppers enter their second full cross country season in the TranSouth Athletic Conference with youthful optimism building on inaugural year success.
The Toppers qualified six total runners for the 2008 NAIA national championship but only two men's runners returned for 2009 campaign: Richard Feist and Hunter Flanagan, both sophomores.
"We're still a young team, especially the women's team," Smith says. "We're still very much a developing program, but there's a really strong team chemistry that I think will serve us well this year."
While a return to the NAIA national meet is always a goal, Smith says the Toppers are focused on the TranSouth championship on Oct. 31.
"Now that we've got at least one year of experience, I think we'll be a much better team," Smith says. "It's going to be a good season, and we're really excited about having a true conference championship this year."
The men's team goes a deeper, with the return of five lettermen to join freshmen Austin Epting and Derek Scott. Kreig Sartin, the only senior on either Blue Mountain team, is back with sophomores Nathan Young, Will Nichols, Feist and Flanagan.
FREED-HARDEMAN MEN
Freed-Hardeman University will compete in cross country for the first time in five years after bringing back the program that was discontinued in 2004. Assistant women's basketball coach Lain Hinson was chosen to lead both the men's and women's teams.
"We're excited about the addition of cross country," he said. "We want to build a program that will be successful. Our goal is to be able to compete immediately in the TranSouth Conference."
The Lions' top runner will likely by Colby Phillips, a freshman from Athens, Ala. He was a three-time all-state selection and won the sectional meet twice. The other runners are freshmen Chris Bouffard and Jon Woodall, junior Joshua Carr and senior Joseph McKenzie.
LYON MEN
The Scots are led by four-year starter and two-time All-TranSouth Conference runner Beau Palmer. Palmer, a TranSouth Freshman of the year in 2006, qualified for the NAIA Nationals in 2006 and 2008, and will be counted on again to lead the Scots' pack on the course. Seniors Michael McQueen, Alex Moeller and Jonathan Hubbard return to the Scots and provide much needed experience. Meanwhile, Jacob Vore, Jeffrey Casteen and transfer Yasutaka Abe are expected to add much needed depth on the Lyon College cross-country team this year.
UNION MEN
The 2009 Union University men's cross country team is looking to win their sixth straight TranSouth Conference title. The Bulldogs are also eyeing a third straight team appearance in the NAIA National Meet.
Union head coach Gary Johnson has six runners returning from the 2008 championship team to go along with three newcomers. Union lost just one senior from last year's squad.
Two seniors top the 2009 roster for Union led by Seth Covington. Covington has been a three-time All-Conference runner in his career to this point. Dan Ramer also returns to add leadership to the squad.
Union has no juniors on this roster, but do have a very talented group of four sophomores. Alex Bett, Zach Covington and Joel Wellum each were named All-Conference runners in 2008.
Three freshmen join the squad in hopes of continuing the successes of Union cross country over their careers. Taylor Dartt, Drake Ott and Logan Smith will have their opportunities to contribute to this young team.
#TRANSOUTH#
