University of Tennessee Athletics
Rookie Price Leads Lady Vol XC Team at Belmont
September 05, 2008 | Women's Cross Country
Sept. 5, 2008
NASHVILLE -- Chanelle Price was expected to make an immediate impact as a middle distance star on the University of Tennessee track & field team. The Lady Vol freshman showed on Friday evening in her collegiate debut that she has the tools also to be a difference-maker in cross country, finishing as UT's top runner at the Belmont Opener.
Price, a product of Easton, Pa., covered the 4,000-meter Vaughn's Creek Course at Percy Warner Park in 14 minutes, 52.67 seconds to cross the line eighth out of a field of 103 runners and lead the Big Orange women to a runner-up team finish with 83 points. Vanderbilt, paced by individual victor Rita Jorgenson (14:23.32), captured the title with 44 points in a meet that was delayed 30 minutes by a rain storm that struck just as the starter's pistol was about to fire.
For the second year in a row, UAB was third, tallying 94 points. The Blazers were followed by Alabama and Samford (98), Middle Tennessee (149), Belmont (180), Lipscomb (196), Austin Peay (214), Tennessee-Martin (296), Bethel (349) and Crichton (372).
Joining the three-time Pennsylvania prep state cross country medalist in the Tennessee scoring five were junior Phoebe Wright (Signal Mountain, Tenn.), who turned in a 12th-place outcome in 15:10.78; senior Rolanda Bell (Laurelton, N.Y.), who was 14th in 15:14.94; sophomore Brittany Sheffey (Bellport, N.Y.), who finished 15th at 15:15.18; and freshman Elizabeth Altizer (Bartlett, Tenn.), who came in 34th with a readout of 15:41.76. Sheffey kept alive a perfect collegiate streak of seven races in which she has counted in UT's scoring total.
Also competing but not contributing to the team's point total were freshman Ally Colvin (Maryville, Tenn.) in 42nd at 15:54.08, senior Leah Soro (Knoxville, Tenn.) in 52nd at 16:06.08, freshman Elizabeth Tiller (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) in 81st at 17:51.22 and classmate Charity Honeycutt (Burnsville, N.C.) in 93rd at 20:02.91.
"I thought it was a solid start," Clark said of his squad, which ran without senior leaders Sarah Bowman (Warrenton, Va.), and Katie Van Horn (Glendora, N.J.) and junior standout Jackie Areson (Delray Beach, Fla.), who the coach opted to hold out this weekend. "I saw some positive things out there today, and I believe we'll do better down the road when it counts.
"It's nice to see Chanelle Price run such a competitive race in her first college event. We'll build on that and look forward to seeing what happens in the future."
Tennessee opened a campaign at the Belmont Opener for the fourth consecutive season and was seeking its second straight team title. With Bowman, Van Horn and Areson sitting this one out as they continue their training, that possibility became less realistic as Clark included five rookies in his nine-athlete travel party. Bowman also had to forego the opportunity to win her second straight and third overall individual crown at the meet.
The next chance to run for Clark's harriers will come on Sept. 19, as the Big Orange women and men serve as hosts for the Tennessee Invitational at Lambert Acres Golf Club in Maryville. Race time is 5:30 p.m. for the women's 5,000-meter race and 6:15 p.m. for the men's 8K affair.
