Troy University Athletics
Sunday, November 1
Atlanta, Ga.
Troy University
at
Sun Belt Conference Championships
Players Mentioned
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Trojans Set for Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championship Meet
10/31/2015 12:48:00 PM | Cross Country
HAMPTON, Georgia – Troy's men's and women's cross country teams are set to compete at the 2015 Sun Belt Conference Championship on Sunday, November 1, at Nash Farm Battlefield in Hampton, Georgia. Hosted by Georgia State, the meet will begin at 10 a.m. with 11 teams racing the women's 5k, followed by nine teams in the men's 8k at 11 a.m.Â
Armed with young talent on the men's side and consistent upperclassmen on the women's team, the Trojans will look to improve on last year's conference finishes – both teams took ninth place overall, but the traveling squad has changed considerably since then with steady improvement and the addition of a large freshmen class.
"We're definitely in a better position now than we were heading into Sun Belt last year," head coach Elliott Blount said. "Both of our teams have the potential to exceed last year's performances. It's an important meet for our program – we have to take advantage of this opportunity."
On the men's team, only two runners that represented Troy at last year's conference championships will return to compete at this year's meet: junior Timothy Bulger, and sophomore Dylan Ogburn, who finished first for the Trojans in 2014.
The rest of the men's crew consists of freshmen, who have helped revitalize their team this year. Standout Brennan Garriques crossed the line first for the Trojans in three of the four meets he raced, and will likely be joined up front by Kyle Norris, who took the top spot for Troy at the Crimson Classic earlier this month. Ryan DeGale, who ran the fastest 8k for the Trojans this year in 25:52.90 – good for ninth place at the Azalea City Classic – will also aim to push the pace for his team. They will be joined by Austin Gray and Zachary Bias, who have also finished among Troy's top runners this year.
Conversely, the women's team has primarily rallied around consistency and leadership from its upperclassmen this year – in particular, junior Mikayla Hodges and senior Julia Ostendorf. Their duo led the Trojans through the line at nearly every meet this year. They will likely be challenged by sophomore Sara Zylstra, who has been on a hot streak lately, crossing the line as Troy's No. 1 runner for the past two meets. She will look to capitalize on the momentum of her recent breakthrough performances to help the women's team. The squad will be rounded out by juniors Samantha Smith, Keaton Wallace, Katrina Bokenfohr, and sophomore Naomi Sheppard.
The Trojans will once again contend with a deep field of talent at this year's Sun Belt Conference Championship. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCA) rankings for week five of the women's cross country season placed UT-Arlington at No. 9 and Arkansas State at 11 in the South Central Region. On the men's side, UT-Arlington sits at No. 6, while South Alabama is currently ranked No. 13 in a loaded South Region.
At last year's conference meet, Hannah Stefanoff of Georgia State won the women's individual title while UT-Arlington claimed the women's team prize. On the men's side, South Alabama took home the men's trophy after its own Christoph Graf won the race.
Fans can keep up with the action by following Troy track and field and cross country on Twitter @TroyTrojanXC_TF and Instagram @TroyTrojansTFXC.
For more information on Troy Athletics, fans can find the Trojans on Twitter and Instagram @TroyAthletics and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TroyAthletics.
Armed with young talent on the men's side and consistent upperclassmen on the women's team, the Trojans will look to improve on last year's conference finishes – both teams took ninth place overall, but the traveling squad has changed considerably since then with steady improvement and the addition of a large freshmen class.
"We're definitely in a better position now than we were heading into Sun Belt last year," head coach Elliott Blount said. "Both of our teams have the potential to exceed last year's performances. It's an important meet for our program – we have to take advantage of this opportunity."
On the men's team, only two runners that represented Troy at last year's conference championships will return to compete at this year's meet: junior Timothy Bulger, and sophomore Dylan Ogburn, who finished first for the Trojans in 2014.
The rest of the men's crew consists of freshmen, who have helped revitalize their team this year. Standout Brennan Garriques crossed the line first for the Trojans in three of the four meets he raced, and will likely be joined up front by Kyle Norris, who took the top spot for Troy at the Crimson Classic earlier this month. Ryan DeGale, who ran the fastest 8k for the Trojans this year in 25:52.90 – good for ninth place at the Azalea City Classic – will also aim to push the pace for his team. They will be joined by Austin Gray and Zachary Bias, who have also finished among Troy's top runners this year.
Conversely, the women's team has primarily rallied around consistency and leadership from its upperclassmen this year – in particular, junior Mikayla Hodges and senior Julia Ostendorf. Their duo led the Trojans through the line at nearly every meet this year. They will likely be challenged by sophomore Sara Zylstra, who has been on a hot streak lately, crossing the line as Troy's No. 1 runner for the past two meets. She will look to capitalize on the momentum of her recent breakthrough performances to help the women's team. The squad will be rounded out by juniors Samantha Smith, Keaton Wallace, Katrina Bokenfohr, and sophomore Naomi Sheppard.
The Trojans will once again contend with a deep field of talent at this year's Sun Belt Conference Championship. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCA) rankings for week five of the women's cross country season placed UT-Arlington at No. 9 and Arkansas State at 11 in the South Central Region. On the men's side, UT-Arlington sits at No. 6, while South Alabama is currently ranked No. 13 in a loaded South Region.
At last year's conference meet, Hannah Stefanoff of Georgia State won the women's individual title while UT-Arlington claimed the women's team prize. On the men's side, South Alabama took home the men's trophy after its own Christoph Graf won the race.
Fans can keep up with the action by following Troy track and field and cross country on Twitter @TroyTrojanXC_TF and Instagram @TroyTrojansTFXC.
For more information on Troy Athletics, fans can find the Trojans on Twitter and Instagram @TroyAthletics and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TroyAthletics.
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