Wednesday, September 17, 2008

MACON, Ga. (September 17, 2008) - The ETSU men's and women's cross country teams had a lot to smile about on Wednesday afternoon, as Kenneth Rotich (Nairobi, Kenya) and Victoria Jones (Marshall, N.C.) received Atlantic Sun Runner of the Week honors.

Rotich, a four-time recipient of the award, cruised his way to the crown at Charlotte's Bojangles Invitational last weekend. Despite battling wet and dangerous conditions, Rotich found a way to persevere and dominate the 89-man field. Rotich - who finished the 8K race in 25:22 - had to wait 34 seconds for the second competitor to complete the rugged course. Since his freshman season, Rotich, a native of Nairobi, Kenya, has tallied six top-10 finishes in 11 total races.

Through three weeks of competition, the sport management major owns the top 8K time in the A-Sun by almost 50 seconds. The Kenyan sensation blew away the 89-man field and won his third collegiate title, with an incredible time of 25:22.

On the women's side, Victoria Jones made history for the ETSU cross country program, as she became the first female Buccaneer runner to capture A-Sun Runner of the Week honors.

Jones, a freshman from Marshall, N.C., led the Buccaneer contingent across the finish line at the Bojangles Invitational, in Charlotte, about 150 miles from her hometown. Jones posted a season-best time of 21:16, which placed her 31st overall helping ETSU to a sixth-place finish.

Dating back to 2007, four of the last six female Runner of the Week recipients have been freshmen.

The Buccaneers take this weekend off before returning to action on Saturday, September 27 for the Mercer RunFit Sports Invitational in Macon, Ga.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

For more information on Buccaneer cross country, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.