Monday, November 03, 2008

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 3, 2008) - The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its weekly Division I regional rankings on Monday afternoon, and the ETSU men's cross country moved its way up to sixth in the South Region.

ETSU captured its 21st conference championship on Saturday morning, as the Buccaneers claimed their first title since joining the Atlantic Sun. Junior Kenneth Rotich (Nairobi, Kenya) won the individual crown and took home A-Sun Runner of the Year honors; marking the first time since 1995 when Derek Murphy accomplished the feat in the SoCon. Rotich was one of five Buccaneer runners to receive all-conference honors as well, while head coach David E. Walker was named Coach of the Year for the 14th time in his illustrious career.

Seniors Michael Deren (Blasdell, N.Y.) and Jeff Crane (Taylors, S.C.) capped off their final conference run by ending Belmont's six-year run as A-Sun champions. Both Deren and Crane showed their senior leadership by making some impressive moves down the stretch to help propel the Buccaneers past Belmont, 29 to 35, in the overall team scoring.

Not only did ETSU jump Belmont in the conference, but the Buccaneers also moved past their rival in the regional rankings list. The Bucs were previously ranked 11th, and the Bruins dropped from sixth to seventh.

Sitting ahead of ETSU are Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Florida and Tennessee (all in the exact order).

The Buccaneers now look to improve on their ranking and leapfrog those BCS schools, when ETSU competes at the NCAA regional meet on Saturday, Nov. 15. The South Regional will be held in Maryville, Tenn.

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