10-4-15
DEMOREST, Georgia, October 3, 2015 — Heather Estetter earned her first championship as Brenau cross country head coach Saturday, as the Golden Tigers bested four other teams and finished first overall in a women’s 6K event at the 2015 Piedmont College Invitational.
The first place finish in Demorest comes after a fifth place finish at the Dalton State College Twilight Cross Country Classic on Sept. 4 and a ninth place finish at a University of North Georgia invitational on Sept. 19.
Estetter, who joined Brenau earlier this summer after a nearly three year stint as assistant cross country and track and field coach at the University of West Georgia, said she was thrilled to see her team come out on top at Saturday morning’s precipitation-drenched run.
“The girls went out on the course today with great determination and confidence,” Estetter said. “The course was muddy and the rain was heavy, but that was not enough to stop the Golden Tigers.”
Alongside host Piedmont College, other teams participating in the race included Agnes Scott College, Oglethorpe College and Toccoa Falls College.
Five out of the top six finishers were Brenau student-athletes.
Jasmine Ray, a senior from Appling, Georgia, placed second overall with a 24:56.76 finish. Senior Tyana Luna of Lawrenceville, Georgia, came in third with a time of 25:01:77, while senior Deishane’ Honeycutt of Stone Mountain, Georgia, finished fourth overall with a 25:19:05 final time.
Michelle Velazquez, a freshman from Duluth, Georgia, came in fifth with a 25:44.11 final time. Rounding out the top six was Nia Griffin, a freshman from Hampton, Georgia, who finished with a final time of 25:55.68.
Other Brenau finishers include Anazjah Mayes, a junior from Lawrenceville, Georgia, who came in 15th; Aunica Clinton, a junior from Buford, Georgia, who came in 19th; and Felicia Gordon, a freshman from Monticello, Georgia finishing 24th.
Estetter was congratulated by President Ed Schrader at the 2015-16 Brenau Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony, held at the Brenau Downtown Center in Gainesville, Georgia, shortly after the race.
“The success of our athletics programs means so much here,” he said. “It is an absolute delight to see our cross country team take home this well-deserved honor.”
The cross country team looks to have more success at their next meet, the 43rd annual Furman University-Gene Mullin Invitational, scheduled Saturday, Oct. 10 in Greenville, South Carolina.
More on the Golden Tigers cross country team, including a full schedule of upcoming races, is online at http://www.brenautigers.com
For more information, please contact David Morrison at dmorrison@brenau.edu or (770) 534-6167.
