Vols, Lady Vols Tab Fourth-Place Finishes At Live In Lou Classic

Saturday, October 3

Louisville, KY

9:00 AM

University of Tennessee

Live in Lou Cross Country Classic

LEXINGTON, KY - 2019.11.01 -SEC Cross Country Championships

Photo by: Brian Woolston

Vols, Lady Vols Tab Fourth-Place Finishes At Live In Lou Classic

October 03, 2020 | Track & Field

Men's Results Women's Results

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Both Tennessee cross country squads earned fourth-place team finishes Saturday morning, as the Vols and Lady Vols opened their 2020 campaign at the Live In Lou Cross Country Classic. Saturday's meet marked the first competition for the Tennessee track & field / cross country program in 217 days.

"Today was a great day, as our Vols and Lady Vols got to wear the uniform and represent," head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said. "After the last 7 months, they do not take anything for granted. Both squads raced tough and fought hard."

MEN'S RACE RECAP: The Vols scored 78 points for a 4th-place team finish Saturday morning. Junior Georde Goodwyn was the top finisher for the Tennessee men for the first time in his career, running a personal-best 8K time of 24:05.1 to place seventh overall.

Ole Miss took the team title with 28 points, followed by Charlotte (69), Kentucky (72), Tennessee (78) and Louisville (132) to round out the top five.

Junior Karl Thiessen was the second Vol across the finish line, placing 11th individually with a time of 24:12.9. Redshirt freshman Riley Buchholz made his in-uniform cross country debut and was the third Vol to finish, clocking in at 24:24.2.

Tennessee natives Conner Hawkins (24.27.8) and Alex Crigger (24:31.1) rounded out the top five for the Tennessee men, placing 20th and 22nd respectively.

"Our men had a massive breakout race by Georde Goodwyn, a senior that has stepped up his game," Sullivan said. "We had three freshmen in the top seven and our captains of Crigger, Hawkins and Thiessen had a good rust-buster day. We had a good look at SEC competition and will keep our sights on October 30th."

WOMEN'S RACE RECAP: Guided by two Lady Vols in the top-five individually, Tennessee took fourth in the team standings on Saturday. Juniors Sydney Seymour (16:52.2) and Katie Thronson (16:56.9) both ran personal records in the 5K, placing second and fourth respectively.

"Sydney and Katie were just outstanding," Sullivan said. "Both young women have developed very well for me and today shows, they will contend at the highest levels in our sport."

Notre Dame won the meet in a tight race with Ole Miss, as the Irish edged the Rebels with 47 points. Ole Miss scored 54, followed by Kentucky (76), Tennessee (93) and Louisville (124) to complete the top-five in the women's team standings.

In her first cross country race as a Lady Vol, junior Olivia Janke crossed the line 27th in 17:40.5 for a college-best mark in the 5K. Senior Abigail Smith also tabbed a PR with her time of 17:53.7 to place 33rd at the meet.

True freshman Kayla Gholar cracked the Lady Vol top-five in her collegiate debut, clocking in at 18:06.6 for 39th place to round out UT's scoring performances on Saturday.

"Olivia Janke is one of the best competitors for our program. As she gets more fit, she is a weapon for us," Sullivan said. "Very proud of Abigail's great race and freshman Kayla Gholar shows promise for the future."

BIG ORANGE DEBUTS: On the men's side, six Vols made their official Tennessee cross country debuts Saturday in Louisville: Riley Buchholz, Eli Nahom, Mike Griffin, Thomas Gardiner, Fuji Anday and Canaan Anderson.

Seven Lady Vols also made their first appearances on the cross country course in a Tennessee uniform: Olivia Janke, Kayla Gholar, Callie Tucker, Msgana Araya, Jette Davidson, Avery Jackson and Erin Spreen.

"This team has heart and talent, and this month will be fun for our teams," Sullivan said. "Shoutout to our leadership for getting us to this opportunity and to Louisville for putting on an amazing competition."

UP NEXT: Following a two-week break from competition, the Big Orange will travel to Birmingham, Alabama, to wrap up the regular season at the Blazer Classic. Hosted by UAB, the meet is scheduled for Saturday, October 17.

A full breakdown of Tennessee's results from the Live In Lou Cross Country Classic can be viewed below. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee cross country, follow @Vol_Track on Twitter.

Men's 8K
Team Results
1. Ole Miss - 28 points
2. Charlotte - 69 points
3. Kentucky - 72 points
4. Tennessee - 78 points
5. Louisville - 132 points
6. App State - 141 points
7. Marshall - 217 points

Individual Results
7. Georde Goodwyn - 24:05.1
11. Karl Thiessen - 24:12.9
18. Riley Buchholz - 24:24.2
20. Conner Hawkins - 24:27.8
22. Alex Crigger - 24:31.1
--
25. Eli Nahom - 24:40.7
26. Mike Griffin - 24:43.9
39. Adam Johnston - 25:10.2
40. Thomas Gardiner - 25:11.9
48. Fuji Anday - 25:31.3
50. Canaan Anderson - 25:39.1
61. Devin Sullivan - 26:47.1

Women's 5K
Team Results
1. Notre Dame - 47 points
2. Ole Miss - 54 points
3. Kentucky - 76 points
4. Tennessee - 93 points
5. Louisville - 124 points
6. Charlotte - 165 points
7. App State - 176 points
8. Marshall - no team score

Individual Results
2. Sydney Seymour - 16:52.2
4. Katie Thronson - 16:56.9
27. Olivia Janke - 17:40.5
33. Abigail Smith - 17:53.7
39. Kayla Gholar - 18:06.6
--
45. Callie Tucker - 18:15.7
50. Msgana Araya - 18:27.9
59. Jette Davidson - 18:56.9
62. Avery Jackson - 19:12.4
64. Alaina Riordan - 19:17.5
78. Erin Spreen - 20:40.2