Shane Vicry
Triangle Writer
Our Bryan College men’s and women’s cross country teams have wrapped up another fantastic fall season. The school had the privilege of hosting the AAC Championship meet for the first time this year at nearby Fort Bluff Camp (Dayton Mtn.) seeing great success. The guys won their third consecutive AAC crown while the girls had a strong runner-up finish as well.
Runners positioned at the starting line prepare for a race at this past weekends AAC Cross Country Championship at Fort Bluff Camp in Dayton / Photo courtesy of Jordana Bollant
Jesse Murray
Senior Reporter
There was more going on last weekend than the LSU vs. Alabama game. Up at Fort Bluff Camp on Dayton Mountain, Bryan’s men and women’s cross country teams faced off against their foes in the 2011 AAC Cross Country Championship. It was the Lions first time hosting the tournament.
The men’s team took the title on Saturday for the third time running. It’s the Lions fourth cross country championship in the past five years. The women’s team took second place behind Milligan College.
“It has been a great experience to win four team titles as a Lion,” said senior Bryson Harper. “The past three in a row have been pretty special as well, and it is a beginning of a streak that I hope continues years down the road.” Read full story »
Senior Bryson Harper has had quite the run as one of the stars of Bryan College's cross-country team.
Jesse Murray
Senior Reporter
Bryan’s cross country team is ranked 12th in the nation now. It’s no surprise. The boys are fast and dedicated to excellence. They eat differently, sleep differently, drink differently, and do just about everything differently. Lifestyles like that give rise to runners like Bryson Harper. Lifestyles like that give rise to leaders like Bryson Harper.
This is Harper’s fifth year at Bryan. He’s from Pikeville, Tenn., right on the other side of Dayton Mountain. He’s about to turn 23. He is twice an All-American with a third on the way. He’s a great runner, but that’s just surface stuff. There’s more to him, just like there’s more to every athlete at this school than most of us get to see. That’s the tragedy of it. Read full story »
by Sebastian Fischer
Staff Writer
Bryan College’s track and field program once again proved to have a competitive edge in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) in middle-distance running.
Last Friday, Bryan’s runners picked up five individual wins at the AAC Championship, held at Sidney Smallwood Track in Johnson City (Tenn.). Bryan won all men’s and women’s middle-distance events and the men’s 5k.
Sophomore Alyssia Lindsay led the Bryan women with wins in the 800 and 1500 meter races, lowering the school’s record in the 1500 to 4:55.34. She said that in both races everything came together well for her and her hard training work is beginning to pay off. At the end of the day, Lindsay received the award for most outstanding athlete.
“It is a huge honor [to win this award]. There are some great athletes in our conference and several of them could have won it. I am privileged that they chose me,” said Lindsay.
For the men, sophomore Jason McLeod, junior Bryson Harper and senior Zach Buffington earned the wins. McLeod won the 1500 meter race in impressive fashion, finishing seven seconds in front of the runner up. It was his first time ever to win a conference race.
“It felt pretty good to win a conference race for the first time… [But] I knew that the best runners in the conference were my teammates, so with none of them in the race, I knew it was mine to win,” said McLeod.
Although he was content with his performance, McLeod said he sees his win more as a stepping stone on the path to the national championship.
“A conference win is just another small step in the right direction. Ultimately we are looking to compete well at the national level, so everything we do is a process working towards that goal,” he said.
Junior Bryson Harper led the field in the 800 meter race and won the conference title in 1:55.26. McLeod came in third. In the 5000 meter race senior Zach Buffington claimed the win, and senior Hunter Hall finished third. It was the last conference race of their collegiate careers.
Although Buffington was not content with his time of 15:26.96, he said that he was “happy to end his career on a positive note with winning the 5k“.
Like his teammates Buffington is now looking forward to competing at the NAIA Outdoor Championship held from May 26 to 28 in Marion (Ind.).
by Daniel Jackson
Staff Writer
Three men from Bryan College’s indoor track and field team are competing in the NAIA indoor track and field championships, held in Geneva, Ohio, at the Geneva Area Recreational, Educational and Athletic Trust Sports Complex, March 3 through 5. The championship races are held inside an echoing sports center large enough to hold a race track because snow and icy winds cover the outdoors.
Indoor track and field is very similar to outdoor track and field, except that it is raced indoors, and the track is smaller. An outdoor track is usually 400 meters long, but the average indoor track is 200 meters. At nationals, the Bryan Lions will be racing on a track 300 meters long.
Senior Zach Buffington, junior Bryson Harper and sophomore Jason McLeod will be traveling to Ohio to race against 144 other schools across the nation. Those schools will be represented by teams of one to 15 athletes.
Each of the athletes are running different races at nationals. Buffington will run the 5k race, Harper will compete in the 3k and McLeod in the mile. Read full story »
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