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30 • Friday, September 24, 2004 • Technique SPORTS Cross country teams get off to quick start Clark Nelson ago and added six freshmen. Both Cross-country may be an unfa- Staff Writer teams are excited by the performance miliar sport to many Tech students. of the incoming freshmen as well as Every race is important to the season Tech’s Men’s and Women’s the improvement of the returnees. and every runner on the team puts a Cross-country teams have begun “We have a lot of freshman that great deal of preparation into their their seasons in strong fashion. came in that are doing really well,” next meet. Nutrition, course layout, Sophomore Ann Armsby has led Armsby said. and visualizing the race are all apart the women while junior Rob Kuhn Both runners are looking to im- of the planning. paces the men. prove on last season’s performance. “I have to plan out what I’m go- Armsby, a native of Dacula, Kuhn hopes the Jackets can finish ing to eat; what I am going to think Ga, was named a Wendy’s Georgia in the top half of the ACC after a about,” Armsby said. Tech Student-Athlete for the week sixth-place finish last season. Armsby The men’s and women’s teams of Sep. 13. She finished seventh at has already succeeded in her main both put in a lot of miles training year the Georgia State Invitational with individual goal of improving her round. The women’s team typically a personal-best time of 19:10 in the runs around 50 miles a week and the five-kilometer run. Kuhn raced to men try to reach 75 miles in order a second-place finish for the men at “I think about who to a compete at a top level. the same meet. Both have their own “I’d say we run at least an hour ways of achieving success. I want to run with a a day and an hour and a half on “I think about who I want to run lot. I pick out one of Sundays,” Armsby said. “I think the with a lot,” Kuhn said. “I pick out girls hit fifty [miles] last week.” one of my teammates and I say I’m my teammates and I Both Kuhn and Armsby came to going to stick with them no matter say I’m going to stick Tech because of its academics, and what.” beacuse they could run cross-country Neil McDonagh and Kyle Rabbit with them no matter while getting a great education. are two other runners also expected to what.” Cross-country runners do not be headliners for the men this season. get much notoriety around campus, Rabbit was the Jackets top finisher but it does not faze them. They at last season’s ACC Championships Rob Kuhn understand cross-country is not while McDonagh finished strong at Junior cross country a spectator sport and are focused the NCAA South Region. The men on the team’s success and reaching return 14 runners and added seven their goals. freshmen. times and placing for the team. “I want to run consistently under “Neil McDonagh had a really The Georgia State Invitational 26 for 8K,” Kuhn said. “Last year I good summer of training back in saw seven Lady Jackets have top-20 was really sporadic.” California. He’s been looking really finishes in the five-kilometer run, The men’s and women’s teams strong,” Kuhn said. “Kyle’s been a including freshmen Elena Linn, had their meet in Tuscaloosa, Ala. little sick, but he is coming off a great Nisha Kurian and Emily Yandle. canceled due to Hurricane Ivan, season last year, so he’s going to be Following Kuhn for the men were but get back on course Oct. 1 at the really good for us.” freshmen Ryan Pfeffer in 12 and Notre Dame Invitational in South Senior Jenny Lentz is expected to Nazar Trilisky in 13. Sophomores Bend, Ind. By Christopher Gooley / STUDENT PUBLICATIONS be a leader for the women’s squad. Chris Clarke and Blake Ferttita Then, after two weeks off, the Ann Armsby leads the pack for the Lady Jacket’s at the Georgia The North Carolina native had finished 18 and 19 respectively. teams head up to Arkansas for a State Invitational. The cross country team is looking to build upon three top-15 finishes a year ago. The Auburn won both the men’s and meet. The ACC Championships will its wins last year in hopes of a successful season. women return 14 runners from a year women’s competitions. follow at the end of October. SPORTS Technique • Friday, September 24, 2004 • 31 No. 9 in the final season poll and 5 with last year’s red and black spoil- anybody: Duke, Maryland, UNC, from page 36 third according to Katz, Kansas fea- ers from Athens and a mid-month NC State [or] Wake. Different teams Games tures the toughest, most experienced home game vs. James Madison, now present different challenges.” by two teams that many predicted to opponent on Tech’s non-conference led by former Tech assistant coach Fellow junior Theodis Tarver matchup against each other in the itinerary with skilled veterans Wayne Dean Keener. narrows it down to a single Tobacco the St. Louis regional semifinal game Simien and Keith Langford seeking The schedule is also loaded with Road school, Wake Forest, saying when the ‘Zags held the two-slot vengeance for last year’s stunning the usual tough ACC opponents that “they got everyone coming back numbers and the Jackets the three-slot. overtime loss. along with the additions of Miami from last year.” “ Wit h u s The Jackets and Virginia Perhaps the going on the are 1-3 all time Tech, who play toughest adjust- 12 road really early “With us going on against Kansas Tech twice and “With our league ment from last The number of teams ranked in to Kansas and the road really and will face once, respective- being so tough, it year to this up- the top 25 nationally who will Gonzaga, you them at Allen ly. The ‘Canes coming season is participate in the Carpet Capital never know,” early to Kansas and Fieldhouse. have not played could be anybody: living up to the Collegiate golf tournament. The said third-year Gonzaga, you never Other no- Tech since 1997 Duke, Maryland, high expecta- tournament, originally scheduled starting point tables on the and the Hokies tions that Tech for the past weekend, was postponed guard Jarrett know.” non-ACC slate have not squared UNC, NC State [or] basketball cre- as a result of Hurricane Ivan. The Jack. include an an- off against the Wake.” ated for itself by high-caliber competition, featuring Tech wil l Jarrett Jack nual invite to Jackets in over surpassing its 18 teams overall, will be played at make the road Junior point guard the Chic-fil-A two decades. Jarrett Jack previous best The Farm golf club in Rocky Face, trip to Univer- Pe ach Bowl T e c h ’ s performance of Ga. Nov. 5-7. sity of Nevada Classic where home-and-away Junior point guard a Final Four ap- Las Vegas (UNLV) to face off against the Jackets will face off against de- matchups in- pearance. This the well-ranked Bulldogs (No. 12 in fending Mountain West Conference clude Clemson, Duke, Florida State, year the Jackets will not be the Cin- the final season poll and No. 22 in champions Air Force; a home date NC State and Wake Forest while derella at any ball as the nation has 1988 Katz’s preseason poll) Dec. 18 as the with Sun Belt Conference - Division their single-game ACC contests come to recognize their talent. The year that “Bobby Dodd Sta- final test against a ranked opponent A winner University of Arkansas- include North Carolina, Maryland “We were the underdogs last year dium” became attached to the name before the new year rolls around. Little Rock; and finally, a road trip and Virginia – the first two of which and we trained hard and we were of Tech’s home field. The Georgia The Ramblin’ Wreck’s biggest before Turkey Day to the University are away. coming and surprised a few people. State Board of Regents voted to add non-conference face-off comes Jan. of Illinois-Chicago, champions of When asked which fellow con- Now we’re one of the top dogs and the name in honor of the legendary 1 against last year’s Elite Eight op- the Horizon League. ference team presents the toughest everyone’s gunning for us, so [we coach. ponent and object of Jack’s 29-point Two other pivotal games are challenge, Jack said, “With our have] just got to train harder than barrage – the Kansas Jayhawks. worth a glance: a home date on Dec. league being so tough, it could be we did last year,” Tarver said. Eight of the toughest opponents for Tech basketball 1 Wake Forest North Carolina Kansas Duke The number of singles tennis matches 1/27 @ Home; 3/2 @ 1/12 @ UNC 1/1 @ Kansas 2/5 @Duke; 2/23 @ that Bill Moore lost in his Tech ca- Wake Preseason #2 Preseason #3 Home reer. He teamed with Russell Bobbit Preseason #1 Preseason #10 to win the SEC doubles tournament Led by sophomore McCants, Sean May The Jayhawks are a Shaun Livingston never in 1938. He is the namesake of the sensation Chris Paul, and Raymond Felton, perennial power, led by showed up, and Luol Tech tennis center.