VIDEO: Katie Smock Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman cross country teams return to the course after a solid performance from both sides, this time at the UNG Cross Country Invite in Oakwood, Georgia, on Friday afternoon.

Senior Katie Smock led the way for the women, finishing 5^th at the 2023 SAC Preview.

"It was nice to get going and get the race feel back," Smock said. "It was good to feel the summer mileage pay off and see what it looked like as a team to get back out there."

As a team, the Eagles' women placed 2^nd at the SAC Preview, and Smock sees the impressive start as a bright spot moving forward.

"I think a lot of the young runners and returners took the initiative," Smock said. "That all ties together to a great team performance, so I'm excited to see that going forward."

In preparing for the course at the UNG Invite, Smock acknowledges the challenge that the course presents. The course at the UNG Invite is one that the Eagles have had prior success at, with former Eagle Luke Greer finishing 2^nd at the NCAA DII SE Region Cross Country Championships.

"I believe it's a pretty fast course," Smock said. "I'm excited to see what it's like to get that momentum going and get the fast paces down… We've done a lot of preparation going through drills, interval work, and just knowing what those paces should feel like, so we're comfortable when we get there."

Smock believes the momentum the team built in the SAC Preview will carry over well to the UNG Invite.

"We all did a great job of getting out there strong," Smock said. "Locking in and pushing those last few K's… I think we did a good job of each person doing their part and knowing that we're all working together."

Going into the UNG Invite, interim head coach Whit Lee believes running as a team will take this group far.

"We're going to need to rely on that pack mentality," Lee said. "We've emphasized running in groups and competing in those groups… That way, we're prepared for everyone to step up into a scoring position when needed."

While the course is relatively new to the team, Lee knows what it will be like and the results it will produce for the Eagles.

"I went and ran through it this summer just to get an idea of its layout," Lee said. "It can be a pretty quick course, and I think we will see some good results."

The Eagles will take the course at the UNG Invite on Friday, with the men running at 5:45 p.m. and the women to follow.