CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A special season for the No. 11 Lady Vols was capped off Saturday morning in Charlottesville, Virginia, as they raced to a sixth-place team finish at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships at Panorama Farms.
Racing at the national meet for the first time since 2006, their placement is the program’s best since also finishing sixth in 1989 and tied for the second-best finish in Lady Vol cross country history.
The women placed sixth in the 6K race with 294 points.
“It has been a pretty cool journey with those girls,” head coach Sean Carlson said. “I think we were ranked sixth in the region at the start of the year and we just like that number, so we said let’s do that at nationals too. It’s been really cool. We got a whole new group of young girls and some older girls that have helped lead the way and they just bought into each other and ran as a family.”
The 15th-ranked Vols ran in the men’s 10K, finishing 26th as a team with 556 points. It was the men’s second straight appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, making back-to-back trips to the national race for the first time since 2001-02.
WOMEN’S RACE RECAP
Leading the charge for the Lady Vols was Ashley Jones, who crossed the finish line 42nd with a time of 20:07.1. Freshman Jillian Candelino posted a time of 20:29.6, crossing 72nd, while Rachel Sutliff clocked in at 20:30.2 to claim the 74th spot in the field.
Caroline Lyerly ran a solid race at 20:37.4 to place 91st, while Jessie Secor rounded out the Lady Vols’ top five, finishing at 20:46.1 and securing 113th.
MEN’S RACE RECAP
The Vols’ top performer Saturday was Jacob Lewis, who completed the 10K course in 30:28.8, to finish 90th overall. Gabriel Sanchez was next to cross the line at 30:47.5, placing 126th, while freshman Dean Casey posted a time of 31:04.0 to finish 151st. Brandon Olden and Eli Nahom rounded out the Tennessee contingent, finishing in 154th (31:07.1) and 156th (31:07.4) places, respectively.
RESULTS
Women’s 6K – 6th of 31 – 294 points
42. Ashley Jones – 20:07.1
72. Jillian Candelino – 20:29.6
74. Rachel Sutliff – 20:30.2
91. Caroline Lyerly – 20:37.4
113. Jessie Secor – 20:46.1
—
Kayla Gholar – 20:52.6
Callie Tucker – 21:22.3
Men’s 10K – 26th of 31 – 556 points
90. Jacob Lewis – 30:28.8
126. Gabriel Sanchez – 30:47.5
151. Dean Casey – 31:04.0
154. Brandon Olden – 31:07.1
156. Eli Nahom – 31:07.4
—
Yaseen Abdalla…
Racing at the national meet for the first time since 2006, their placement is the program’s best since also finishing sixth in 1989 and tied for the second-best finish in Lady Vol cross country history.
The women placed sixth in the 6K race with 294 points.
“It has been a pretty cool journey with those girls,” head coach Sean Carlson said. “I think we were ranked sixth in the region at the start of the year and we just like that number, so we said let’s do that at nationals too. It’s been really cool. We got a whole new group of young girls and some older girls that have helped lead the way and they just bought into each other and ran as a family.”
The 15th-ranked Vols ran in the men’s 10K, finishing 26th as a team with 556 points. It was the men’s second straight appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, making back-to-back trips to the national race for the first time since 2001-02.
WOMEN’S RACE RECAP
Leading the charge for the Lady Vols was Ashley Jones, who crossed the finish line 42nd with a time of 20:07.1. Freshman Jillian Candelino posted a time of 20:29.6, crossing 72nd, while Rachel Sutliff clocked in at 20:30.2 to claim the 74th spot in the field.
Caroline Lyerly ran a solid race at 20:37.4 to place 91st, while Jessie Secor rounded out the Lady Vols’ top five, finishing at 20:46.1 and securing 113th.
MEN’S RACE RECAP
The Vols’ top performer Saturday was Jacob Lewis, who completed the 10K course in 30:28.8, to finish 90th overall. Gabriel Sanchez was next to cross the line at 30:47.5, placing 126th, while freshman Dean Casey posted a time of 31:04.0 to finish 151st. Brandon Olden and Eli Nahom rounded out the Tennessee contingent, finishing in 154th (31:07.1) and 156th (31:07.4) places, respectively.
RESULTS
Women’s 6K – 6th of 31 – 294 points
42. Ashley Jones – 20:07.1
72. Jillian Candelino – 20:29.6
74. Rachel Sutliff – 20:30.2
91. Caroline Lyerly – 20:37.4
113. Jessie Secor – 20:46.1
—
Kayla Gholar – 20:52.6
Callie Tucker – 21:22.3
Men’s 10K – 26th of 31 – 556 points
90. Jacob Lewis – 30:28.8
126. Gabriel Sanchez – 30:47.5
151. Dean Casey – 31:04.0
154. Brandon Olden – 31:07.1
156. Eli Nahom – 31:07.4
—
Yaseen Abdalla…
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