April 12, 2007
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The men’s cross country team is gearing up for its final spring event, marking the end of a successful non-traditional season for the Commodores.
The Commodores started the 2007 competition with the Georgia Relays, where junior Austin Williamson took third in the 5000-meter run with a 15:23 mark. Chris Noel also finished in the top ten at the 5k event, placing ninth overall with a 15:56 finish. In the 1500-meter run freshman Thomas Davis placed sixth with a 4:03 finish.
“There were very tough conditions with high winds and cold temperatures,”
Vanderbilt Head Coach Steve Keith said. “Our expectations were mostly to just get the first race under our belts and reacquaint ourselves to racing again.”
The team quickly got back into the swing of competition, as both Michael Nordlund and Davis set personal records in the 1500-meter race at the Alabama Relays less than two weeks later.
Nordlund finished 22nd with a 4:04 mark, while Davis led the Commodores with 3:57 finish and eighth place overall. Davis’s mark qualifies him for the USA Junior Nationals in Indianapolis, scheduled for late June.
On April 6 and 7, the Commodores had another round of personal bests at the Auburn Invitational. Four of Vandy’s six competing athletes set personal records in the 5k event, including Williamson who notched a record setting 14:54.
“He ran probably the fastest 5k in the last 25 years for a Vanderbilt runner,” Keith said.
The Cross Country team will wrap up spring competition on April 20-21 at the Vanderbilt Invitational.
Even though the pressure around spring cross country events lack the high pressure atmosphere of the fall conference season, Keith stresses the importance of the athlete performances at the meets.
“Each season, cross country and track, complements the other and builds a more complete distance runner,” Keith said. “The speed we gain on the track will help in cross country and the strength we gained last fall is showing on the track this spring.”
Results
http://www.rolltide.com/downloads1/19174.pdf?ATCLID=833614&SPID=3036&DB_OEM_ID=8000&SPSID=37486
http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sports/c-track/stats/2006-2007/results.html
