Bryan College Triangle

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 »

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 Sebastian Fischer
Staff Writer

Men’s and women’s track and field keeps waving the Bryan College flag on the national level. Traveling to the Niswonger Invitational hosted by East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, Tenn.) last weekend, the Lions achieved three national qualifying marks and several personal best results.

Junior Bryson Harper and senior Zach Buffington, who had already qualified for the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championship the weekend before at Indiana University’s Indiana Relays (Bloomington), continued their successful streak, qualifying in additional disciplines. Read full story »

Triangle photo by Lana Douglas

By Sebastian Fischer
Staff Writer

Last week I had the opportunity to talk to Coach Rodney Stoker, head coach for both the men and women’s cross-country and track and field. Now in his sixth season at Bryan, Coach Stoker was named Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) men’s cross country coach of the year three times and led his team to three conference championships while producing seven NAIA All-Americans and 61 All-conference awards. Stoker, a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, resides in Dayton with his wife of 11 years, Kimberly, and their two children Owen Miles (8) and Ian Pace (4). I talked to him about results, expectations for the upcoming track season and his coaching philosophy.

The cross-country and track and field program is the only one in the Bryan Athletic Department with a packed schedule year-round. Aren’t you jealous that your colleagues get more time off?

Our schedule is different, no doubt that it gets packed with cross country in the fall followed by the track indoor and outdoor season. But all the other coaches still put in a lot of time too, and, of course, I love my job and want my athletes to be successful. I’m a very competitive guy and I always want to win. Read full story »

by Anna Kat Thomas
Staff Writer

Cross country team prepares to compete in nationals, held in Washington./Triangle photo by Anna Kat Thomas

The men’s cross-country team placed seventh at the NAIA National Championships Saturday in Vancouver, Wash., and junior Bryson Harper placed 27th to earn a spot on the NAIA All-America team.

Junior Ericka Simpson paced four Lady Lions, who competed individually, and finished the 5K course in 20:15, good for 211th place.

Recently the men were able to defend their title as Appalachian Athletic Conference champions against Montreat College (Black Mountain, N.C.), and Head Coach Rodney Stoker was named the AAC Coach of the year.

Going into the competition with the men’s team ranked sixth in the nation, Stoker said, “Rankings are great for recruiting, they are great for alums, fans and our school, but for our team it is meaningless. That day is what counts, so it is not about numbers, it’s about effort.” Read full story »