UT MARTIN CROSS COUNTRY TO OPEN 2023 SEASON THIS WEEKEND
8/31/2023 2:29:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
MARTIN, Tenn.- The 2023 University of Tennessee at Martin cross country season will begin this weekend when the Skyhawks compete in the City Auto Memphis Twilight Classic.
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UT Martin returns a plethora of talent for both men's and women's teams. In total, 16 returners will look to pace the team with eight returners on both squads. This is an extremely positive sign for a Skyhawk program that finished second on the men's side and sixth in the women's standings at the Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships last season.
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On the women's side, Lydia Tankersley, Lilia Alvarez, Maggie Roy, Rita Eimer, Gabby Brown, Tori Holliday, Kaitlyn Loyet and Jill Plotner make up the returners for head coach Jolyta Henderson.
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On the year, the women's team had a season-high third-place finish at the Golden Eagle Invitational. The PR's of the returners in the 6k are as listed: Tankersley (22:46.3); Alvarez (22:33.5); Roy (23:43.1); Eimer (23:11.1); Brown (24:35.5); Holliday (23:23.2); Loyet (26:40.6) and Plotner (24:02.9).
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The newcomers feature freshman Violet Francisco and graduate transfer Brooke Skoog.
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For the men's team, they're coming off one of their most successful seasons ever. A program-best runner-up finish at the OVC Championship, a top-15 ranking in the men's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association regional rankings, a win at the Golden Eagle Invitational and an OVC Freshman of the Year award winner in Luke Johnson are just a few of the many accolades for the men's program in 2022.
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Johnson joins teammates Chance Craig, Hawken Foote, Colten Glosser, Hudson Hall, Ethan Knight, Ben Ruscoe and Sam Shuman as the returners for the 2023 team.
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Their PR's in the 8k are as listed: Johnson (25:18.5); Craig (26:31.0); Foote (27:17.0); Glosser (26:21.6); Hall (25:41.6); Knight (25:59.7); Ruscoe (25:47.1) and Shuman (25:56.2).
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Andre Brown (a member of the cross country team from 2019-21) and Maluke Cluver (a two-year Skyhawk track and field letterman) will also run cross country this season. The newcomers are freshmen Ray Englebert, Colton King, Agnus Monro, Christian Patterson, David Stukey and transfer Brady Millikin.
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The season features four regular season meets that run from Sept. 2 through Oct. 13. Following the season opener this Saturday, UT Martin will take part in races hosted by Indiana State (Sept. 16), Louisville (Sept. 30) and Evansville (Oct. 13). The 2023 OVC Championship is set for Oct. 28 in Morehead, Ky. while the NCAA South Regional Championship is scheduled for Nov. 10 at Gainesville, Fla.
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UT Martin returns a plethora of talent for both men's and women's teams. In total, 16 returners will look to pace the team with eight returners on both squads. This is an extremely positive sign for a Skyhawk program that finished second on the men's side and sixth in the women's standings at the Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships last season.
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On the women's side, Lydia Tankersley, Lilia Alvarez, Maggie Roy, Rita Eimer, Gabby Brown, Tori Holliday, Kaitlyn Loyet and Jill Plotner make up the returners for head coach Jolyta Henderson.
Â
On the year, the women's team had a season-high third-place finish at the Golden Eagle Invitational. The PR's of the returners in the 6k are as listed: Tankersley (22:46.3); Alvarez (22:33.5); Roy (23:43.1); Eimer (23:11.1); Brown (24:35.5); Holliday (23:23.2); Loyet (26:40.6) and Plotner (24:02.9).
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The newcomers feature freshman Violet Francisco and graduate transfer Brooke Skoog.
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For the men's team, they're coming off one of their most successful seasons ever. A program-best runner-up finish at the OVC Championship, a top-15 ranking in the men's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association regional rankings, a win at the Golden Eagle Invitational and an OVC Freshman of the Year award winner in Luke Johnson are just a few of the many accolades for the men's program in 2022.
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Johnson joins teammates Chance Craig, Hawken Foote, Colten Glosser, Hudson Hall, Ethan Knight, Ben Ruscoe and Sam Shuman as the returners for the 2023 team.
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Their PR's in the 8k are as listed: Johnson (25:18.5); Craig (26:31.0); Foote (27:17.0); Glosser (26:21.6); Hall (25:41.6); Knight (25:59.7); Ruscoe (25:47.1) and Shuman (25:56.2).
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Andre Brown (a member of the cross country team from 2019-21) and Maluke Cluver (a two-year Skyhawk track and field letterman) will also run cross country this season. The newcomers are freshmen Ray Englebert, Colton King, Agnus Monro, Christian Patterson, David Stukey and transfer Brady Millikin.
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The season features four regular season meets that run from Sept. 2 through Oct. 13. Following the season opener this Saturday, UT Martin will take part in races hosted by Indiana State (Sept. 16), Louisville (Sept. 30) and Evansville (Oct. 13). The 2023 OVC Championship is set for Oct. 28 in Morehead, Ky. while the NCAA South Regional Championship is scheduled for Nov. 10 at Gainesville, Fla.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
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