University of Tennessee Athletics
2002 Cross Country Awards Announced
December 10, 2002 | Cross Country
Dec. 10, 2002
Winners of the annual cross country team awards were announced by head coach George Watts Tuesday. The awards recognized the contributions of team members who led Tennessee to its second consecutive NCAA Championships meet for the first time since 1994-95.
Senior Patrick Gildea earned Most Valuable Runner honors courtesy of leading the Vols in four of seven meets. Gildea, a native of Holbrook, N.Y., earned All-SEC and All-Region honors. Gildea was one of only two runners to score for the Volunteers in every meet. In fact, since Gildea broke into the travel squad in midseason 2001 he never finished out of the scoring column for Tennessee. Even though some finishes were better than others, Gildea never had an off day or a bad race.
The 23rd Vega-Watts Volunteer Award went to senior Eric Bell. The award is sponsored by former Vol distance greats and teammates Sal Vega (1977-79) and Watts (1976-78). The Vega-Watts Volunteer Award is given to the individual who makes the greatest sacrifice to compete for the team. Bell, a Farragut native, transferred from Florida in time for the 1999 cross country season. In addition to switching schools, Bell's career brimmed with adversity because of persistent injury. However, Bell persevered through training and notched his finest season as a Vol senior in 2002, beginning with his selection as team co-captain and ending with scoring in the final four meets. Bell was the second Vol to cross the line at the NCAA Championships, his highest finish within the Tennessee pack since 2000.
The Captain's Award went to team co-captains Bell and Scott DeFilippis. DeFilippis also fulfilled his captain's duties admirably. The senior from Colonia, N.J., has also battled the specter of injury to some degree since he arrived on The Hill in fall 1998. DeFilippis showed up solid in his final year by finishing in the scoring for Tennessee in every meet save one because of illness. His greatest contributions came in the postseason in leading the Vols at the SEC Championships and finishing eighth overall in an important NCAA South Regional race. DeFilippis earned All-SEC and All-South Region acclaim for his gutsy performances late in the season.
Junior Steve Klein garnered the Most Improved Award. The Ballston Lake, N.Y., native answered the call every time the starting gun fired by joining Gildea as the only other Vol to finish in the scoring in every race. Klein usually finished fourth or fifth in the Vol pack, often passing people down the stretch to improve Tennessee's team standing. Klein took ninth overall at the Furman Invitational and earned All-Region with a 19th-place finish to spur the Vols to victory at the NCAA South Regional.
Letter awards were granted to the eight competitors at the SEC Championships, as is custom, as well as Matthew Lapp and Doug Brown. Bell, senior Rob Cloutier, freshman Ed Davis, DeFilippis, Gildea, junior Tim Kelly, junior Keith Kimmons and Klein earned letter awards by suiting up for the SEC meet. Additionally, Lapp and Brown won letters because of the ultracompetitive race for spots on the travel squad this year.
The cross country squad will continue its focus on exams this week before breaking for the holidays. When squad members return in early January, the focus shifts immediately to indoor track. Tennessee opens the indoor track season Jan. 9 at the Tennessee All-Comers Meet on the home lanes in Stokely Athletics Center.
