Mocs Head to SoCon Track Championships

Saturday, February 25

Johnson City, Tenn.

All Day

Chattanooga

Southern Conference Championships

Senior Anna Kate Chance will lead a young team to the SoCon Indoor Track Championships

2/24/2017 10:12:00 AM | Cross Country & Track & Field

Schedule of Events Live Results

By: Anne Wehunt

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will head to Johnson City, Tenn., for the 30^th annual Women's Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend at the Mountain State Health Alliance Athletics Center.

Saturday's schedule will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the women's pentathlon and will be followed by the first four men's heptathlon events at 9 a.m. Events are scheduled through 6:35 p.m. on Saturday with action resuming on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. with the men's final three heptathlon events. The championship will conclude on Sunday evening with the awards ceremony slated for 4:05 p.m.

Western Carolina will be seeking its fourth consecutive men's title, while Samford will look to claim back-to-back women's titles. The Catamounts tallied 183 points on the men's side, while the Samford women earned 216 points in 2016.

Freshman Nicole Buerhle (Sugarloaf, Pa.) ranked 18^th in the league for the Mile will start off the Mocs' competition Saturday morning with the prelims at 1:00 9.m. Freshmen Taylor Sawyer (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Kelsey Henry (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) along with sophomore Mercedes Bright (Kingsport, Tenn.) will compete in the women's 60 meter dash and the 200m.

The 800 meter will feature freshmen Kennedy Thomson (Catharine's, Ontario), Julia Henderson (Brentwood, Tenn.), Abby Bateman (Jefferson City, Tenn.), Sydney Gilliam (Brentwood, Tenn.) and Maddie Christian. Senior Anna Kate Chance (Columbia, Tenn.) and freshman Rebekah Wich (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) will run both the 3000 meter and the 5-kilometer. Sophomore Brianna Nelson (Jefferson, Wis.) and freshman Haley Morris (Lenoir City, Tenn.) will run the 3000m with freshman Hannah Caldwell (Brentwood, Tenn.) running the 5K.

"Anna Kate and Kennedy have met or exceeded all of our expectations so far this season," Chattanooga head coach Andy Meyer said. "They are our two biggest chances for podium spots, for really good placing at the championships. They have done what we asked them to do."

With so many freshmen on the team, Meyer reflected on who he thought might do better than was expected at the beginning of the season.

"Rebekah redshirted the cross country season and started this season at the back. Amanda [Cotter, assistant coach] had a really good conversation with Rebekah about being competitive and she has taken that to heart. She surprised everyone when she almost beat Anna Kate at the meet two weeks ago.

"Nicole Buerhle and Mercedes Bright are two that have not run much over the last couple of years with injuries and they are both very competitive for us."

The Mocs will run the 4x400 meter relay and DMR. UTC is the two-time defending SoCon champs in the Distance Medley Relay will field and all-freshman team this season.

"The DMR team we are fielding is an all-freshman team," Meyer said. "None of them were here when the past teams won. These are the fastest runners on the team. Our 400 meter runner is usually a sprinter, but we are having to drop an 800 runner down to that."

Competition begins Saturday morning and finals will take place Sunday. Live stats will be available at GoMocs.com with results posted as soon as they are available each day.

Events:
60m: Taylor Sawyer, Kelsey Henry and Mercedes Bright.
200m: Taylor Sawyer, Kelsey Henry and Mercedes Bright.
800m: Kennedy Thomson, Julia Henderson, Abbey Bateman, Sydney Gilliam, Maddie Christian.
Mile: Nicole Buerhle
3000m: A.K. Chance, Rebekah Wich, Brianne Nelson, Haley Morrison
5000m: A.K. Chance, Rebekah Wich, Hannah Caldwell
DMR: Julia Henderson, Abbey Bateman, Nicole Buerhle, Kennedy Thomson
Alts: Hannah Caldwell, Haley Morrison
4x400: Julia Henderson, Nicole Buerhle, Abbey Bateman, Kennedy Thomson
Alts: Hannah Caldwell, Haley Morrison, Brianne Nelson