Aug 27, 2013
Nashville, Tenn. – For the second straight year the women’s cross country team will open the season ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Top 30 as the 20th ranked team in the nation.
The Commodores are coming off another solid season in which the team finished third at the Southeastern Conference Championships and end the year ranked 27th nationally. SEC coaches tabbed Vanderbilt finish third in the league earlier this month.
The squad returns SEC Freshman of the Year and All-SEC first team runner Hannah Jumper. Senior Liz Anderson brings All-SEC credentials back to the team for her last season while juniors Rebecca Chandler, Amira Joseph and Grace Orders look to recapture their SEC All-Freshmen form from two years ago.
“It’s good to see some preseason recognition as the women have worked hard to help keep our program at a national level over the last few years,” Head Coach Steve Keith said. “Keep in mind, however, that this is just preseason and it is a long way to our championship part of the season in November. We just want to concentrate on working hard right now during August and September in anticipation of some big races later in the schedule.”
The Commodores are one of two teams from the SEC in the Top 30 with Arkansas holding down the No. 9 spot in the poll. The preseason No. 1 team is Providence followed by Florida State, Oregon, Duke and Washington.
The Dores’ women’s and men’s teams open the season on Friday in the Belmont Opener at Percy Warner Park. The women’s 4K race is slotted for 5:30 p.m. with the men’s 5K race to follow at approximately 6 p.m.
