Track teams still battling injuries, illness
Brad Bacon
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Sports
Normally injuries and illnesses are not something a track coach has to worry about at the start of the season.
"I think in the 19 or 18 years [of coaching], this is the first we have been just decimated by flu or any other virus," Head Coach Bill Gautier said. "You miss a day here and a day there, you are gonna get behind."
The track team has had multiple athletes miss practice time with illness, and has even sustained injuries to strong runners like last season's conference champions Chris Berry and Michael Danehy.
Berry, a junior from Murfreesboro, Tenn., suffered an ankle injury over Christmas break that could keep him out until the SoCon championship meet. Berry won the 5,000 meter run at last season's SoCon championships, and is looking to repeat.
"He probably will not be ready until the conference championships, and that's a huge blow for us." Gautier said. "We are still hoping a miracle for Chris."
Danehy, a senior from Morristown, Tenn., has not seen injury this year, but he has been hit hard with illness.
Last season at the SoCon championship meet Danehy placed first in the 800 meter race.
"Michael has seen the worst case scenario as far as the illnesses that we have had," Gautier said. "[But] the SoCon Championship meet is still five weeks away, and Michael will probably have the chance to recover."
With two of the teams more experienced runners out, one would expect the team to skip a beat, but the Mocs have a full arsenal of both seasoned runners and new coming freshmen waiting to prove themselves when given the chance.
UTC's Blake Ketron, a Kingsport, Tenn., senior, Emmanuel Kirwa, a junior from Kapsabet, Kenya, and David Moore, a senior from Sarnia, Ontario, Canada will pick up where the injured and ill runners left off to lead the team.
"Emmanuel is the two time Southern Conference cross country champion," Gautier said. "Right now he is our top athlete, so we are really counting on him to get into form."
"I think in the 19 or 18 years [of coaching], this is the first we have been just decimated by flu or any other virus," Head Coach Bill Gautier said. "You miss a day here and a day there, you are gonna get behind."
The track team has had multiple athletes miss practice time with illness, and has even sustained injuries to strong runners like last season's conference champions Chris Berry and Michael Danehy.
Berry, a junior from Murfreesboro, Tenn., suffered an ankle injury over Christmas break that could keep him out until the SoCon championship meet. Berry won the 5,000 meter run at last season's SoCon championships, and is looking to repeat.
"He probably will not be ready until the conference championships, and that's a huge blow for us." Gautier said. "We are still hoping a miracle for Chris."
Danehy, a senior from Morristown, Tenn., has not seen injury this year, but he has been hit hard with illness.
Last season at the SoCon championship meet Danehy placed first in the 800 meter race.
"Michael has seen the worst case scenario as far as the illnesses that we have had," Gautier said. "[But] the SoCon Championship meet is still five weeks away, and Michael will probably have the chance to recover."
With two of the teams more experienced runners out, one would expect the team to skip a beat, but the Mocs have a full arsenal of both seasoned runners and new coming freshmen waiting to prove themselves when given the chance.
UTC's Blake Ketron, a Kingsport, Tenn., senior, Emmanuel Kirwa, a junior from Kapsabet, Kenya, and David Moore, a senior from Sarnia, Ontario, Canada will pick up where the injured and ill runners left off to lead the team.
"Emmanuel is the two time Southern Conference cross country champion," Gautier said. "Right now he is our top athlete, so we are really counting on him to get into form."
