UT SEC Championships Cross Country Meet Notes

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TENNESSEE 2011 CROSS COUNTRY 1 NCAA Championship | 30 SEC Championships | 36 All-Americans

SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Oct. 31, 2011 | Lambert Acres Golf Club| Maryville,Tenn. Men’s 8K Race - 10 a.m. ET Women’s 6K Race - 11 a.m. ET

Big Orange Slices Trick Or Treating Again At Lambert Acres  The 2011 SEC Cross Country Championships will be held on Oct. 31 for the fourth time in history.  The league also did its cross country “trick or treating” in 2009, 1998 and 1988.  The last time UT hosted in 1998, the meet also was on Halloween and at Lambert Acres Golf Club.  Typically, SEC Cross Country Championship meets are held on Saturdays, but when the host school has a home football game on that day, the meet is moved to Monday because of logistical issues. About The SEC Championship Course - Lambert Acres Golf Club  For the 14th season, Lambert Acres Golf Club in Maryville, Tenn., is serving as the home course for the Tennessee cross country teams. A 27-hole golf course, Lambert Acres is nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and boasts 9,525 yards of rolling hills with sloping grades throughout the entire layout.  Prior to the 2011 SEC Championships, UT has hosted 15 meets at Lambert Acres, dating back to the 1998 season. In addition to the men playing host to the Tennessee Invitational 11 times and the women joining them for 10 of those events, UT welcomed the NCAA South Regional in 2002, 2006 and 2008 and the rest of the Southeastern Conference for the 1998 SEC Championships.  The Big Orange squads held the 2011 Tennessee Invitational at Lambert Acres earlier this season, with Kentucky facing off vs. the Vols and Lady Vols on Sept. 17 and winning dual team battles over the hosts. Vols Projected Fifth, Lady Vols Ninth In SEC Preseason Coaches Poll  The Vols, who were fourth at the 2010 SEC Championships, were picked to finish fifth in the 2011 SEC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Lady Vols, 12th a year ago, are projected to wind up ninth this time around. Two Decades Of SEC Cross Country For J.J. Clark  This marks J.J. Clark’s 20th SEC Cross Country Championship meet as a full-time coach, including 10 seasons at Florida (1992-2001) and 10 at Tennessee (2002-present).  While Clark is guiding the Lady Vols at the SEC Championships for the 10th time, this marks the first occasion he has directed the Vols at the league meet.  Clark piloted the Lady Vols to three-consecutive SEC crowns from 2003-05 and steered Florida to wins in 1996 and 1997. He was chosen SEC Women’s Coach of the Year on all five occasions.  In nine seasons, Clark’s Lady Vols have finished in the top three at the SEC Championship meet on eight occasions. Last year was the only exception, as an injury-plagued squad struggled to 12th place.  When UT last hosted this meet in 1998 and Clark was still coaching at Florida, his UF women’s team was runner-up to Arkansas. Sheffey Picking Up Steam  Brittany Sheffey is coming off a victory on Oct. 15 at the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The UT senior covered the 5K course in a lifetime best of 17:11.71 to pick up her second victory of 2011.  Sheffey also won a 5K race on Sept. 17, claiming the Tennessee Inv. at Lambert Acres in 17:43.46.  Before redshirting last season, Sheffey was an All-SEC and All-South Region honoree in 2008 and 2009.  Sheffey is trying to earn the third All-SEC honor of her career and become the ninth Lady Vol to do so.  Sheffey was 12th overall and UT’s second finisher at the 2008 and 2009 SEC Championships. She was 28th overall and Tennessee’s fourth finisher as a rookie in 2007.  In 22 career races entering the SEC meet, Sheffey has contributed to UT’s point total in all of them and has paced the team in all four of her starts in 2011.  Sheffey last ran the 6K layout on the Lambert Acres course in 2008 at the NCAA South Regional, placing 23rd in 21:42.91.  The UT senior ranks 13th on the SEC 6K top performers list this season with a time of 21:19.

CONTACT

Bodary Has Senior Role Down Pat  Chris Bodary has paced the Vols in every race this season and has contributed to UT’s scoring total in 10 consecutive races and in 16 of 21 career starts.  2011 TENNESSEE CROSS COUNTRY MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACT Eric Trainer | Associate Media Relations Director Cell 865.603.2916 | Email etrainer@utk.edu

2011 UT XC QUICK FACTS School ............................................................ University of Tennessee Location ......................................................................... Knoxville, Tenn. Founded .........................................................1794 as Blount College Enrollment .......................................................................................27,523 Colors ........................................................................Orange and White Nicknames ........ Lady Volunteers (Lady Vols) & Volunteers (Vols) Conference ........................................................... Southeastern (SEC) Affiliation .......................................................................NCAA Division I Home Course........Lambert Acres Golf Club (Maryville, Tenn.) President............................................................Dr. Joseph A. DiPietro Chancellor.............................................................Dr. Jimmy G. Cheek Faculty Athletics Representative ....................... Dr. Dan Murphy Director of Athletics/Vice Chancellor ...........................Dave Hart Director of Women’s Athletics ...................................Joan Cronan Director of Track & Field/Cross Country ..........................J.J. Clark Alma Mater (Year).....................................................Villanova (1986) Year at Tennessee .............................................................................10th Asst. Cross Country/Distance Coach ....Mary Jayne Reeves Alma Mater (Year) ...........................Appalachian State (2001) Year at Tennessee .......................................................................1st Volunteer Assistant ................................................Daniel Goetz Alma Mater (Year) ................................... Bryan College (2010) Year at Tennessee .......................................................................1st 2010 SEC Men’s Finish .......................................................................4th 2010 NCAA South Regional Men’s Finish .................................4th 2010 NCAA Championships Men’s Finish ...............................N/A Men’s Letterwinners Returning/Lost/Newcomers ...........6/5/8 2010 SEC Women’s Finish ............................................................12nd 2010 NCAA South Regional Women’s Finish .......................18th 2010 NCAA Championships Women’s Finish ........................N/A Women’s Letterwinners Returning/Lost/Newcomers ......8/1/4

At The Starting Line... Southeastern Conference Championships  Tennessee plays host to the SEC Championships on Oct. 31 at Lambert Acres Golf Club in Maryville. UT last hosted in 1998, also at L.A.G.C.  The men are scheduled to run an 8000m race at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the women in a 6000m battle at 11 a.m.  Ranked squads: Men: #15 Arkansas and #28 Florida. Women: #11 Arkansas and #22 Florida. UT SEC Championships History  Tennessee’s men were fourth at SECs a year ago, while the Lady Vols were an uncharacteristic 12th.  Tennessee’s top finishers in 2010 were Vol senior All-SEC performer Michael Spooner (11th) and Lady Vol freshman Amber Zimmerman (42nd).  J.J. Clark is leading the Vols for the first time in SEC action and the Lady Vols for the 10th time.  The Vols have won 25 all-time SEC cross country titles, while the Lady Vols own five.  The last Tennessee SEC team wins came in 2005 for the women and 1990 for the men.  Two Lady Vols have won individual SEC titles, including Alison Quelch (1983) and Patty Wiegand (1990). Five have been runners-up, with Felicia Guliford in 2005 as the most recent.  A Vol has won the SEC meet on 16 occasions, with Todd Williams (1989, 1990) as the most recent victor. There have been 13 UT runners-up, with Doug Ellington the most recent in 1998.

FOLLOW ON TWITTER @VOL_TRACK AND @LADYVOL_TRACK /// TENNESSEE CROSS COUNTRY

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UT SEC Championships Cross Country Meet Notes by The University of Tennessee Athletics Department - Issuu