View source for Tennessee Lady Volunteers cross country

{{For|the Tennessee men's cross country team|Tennessee Volunteers men's cross country}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox college cross country team
|name = Tennessee Lady Volunteers cross country
|founded = 1974
|logo = Tennessee Lady Volunteers logo.svg
|logo_size = 150px
|athletic_director = [[Danny White (athletic director)|Danny White]]
|university = University of Tennessee
|conference = Southeastern Conference
|conference_short = SEC
|city = Knoxville
|stateabb = TN
|state = Tennessee
|coach = Sean Carlson
|tenure = 3rd
|course = Cherokee Farm Cross Country Course
|nickname = [[Tennessee Volunteers|Lady Volunteers]]
|champions =
|NCAA_appearances = 1977*, 1979*, 1980*, 1982, 1983, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2023
|NCAA_regional = 1977*, 1978*, 1979*, 1980*, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023<br />''Asterisk = [[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championships#Cross Country|AIAW]]''
|conference_champion = 1983, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2005
}}
The '''Tennessee Lady Volunteers cross country''' program represents the [[University of Tennessee]] (UT) located in [[Knoxville, Tennessee]].  The women's program competes in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] and the [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC).  The women's cross country team officially started in 1974.
<ref>[http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/m-xc/guides/] {{dead link|date=July 2022}}</ref>
Along with all other UT women's sports teams, it used the nickname "Lady Volunteers" (or the short form "Lady Vols") until the 2015–16 school year, when the school dropped the "Lady" prefix from the nicknames of all women's teams except in [[Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball|basketball]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/tennessee-set-move-lone-lady-vols-team-063654452--spt.html |title=Tennessee set to make move to a lone 'Lady Vols' team |first=Steve |last=Megargee |agency=[[Associated Press]] |publisher=[[Yahoo! Sports]] |date=June 26, 2015 |access-date=June 26, 2015}}</ref> The “Lady Vol” name returned in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/2017/09/14/tennessee-vols-ad-john-currie-discuss-lady-vols-name-logo-and-brand/666091001/|title = University of Tennessee announces return of Lady Vols logo for all sports|website=Knoxnews.com}}</ref>
== Team history ==
The [[Tennessee Volunteers|Tennessee Lady Volunteers]] women's cross country program began competing in 1974 and within three years reached their first [[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women|AIAW]] Championship Tournament appearance. The Lady Vols won their first SEC title in 1983 and finished fourth in the NCAA Tournament. Their first head coach was Terry Crawford (1974–1983), who proved to be one of the best in program history. Crawford led the Lady Vols to 3 [[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women|AIAW]] Championship appearances, two NCAA Championship appearances, two regional titles, an SEC Championship, and most notably a program high 4th-place finish at the [[1983 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|1983 NCAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2022 Record Book |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/utsports.com/documents/2022/7/12/XC_Record_Book_2022.pdf |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=S3.amazonaws.com |format=PDF}}</ref> Since 2010, the program has struggled to maintain its prior success. Overall, they have failed to record a top 3 SEC finish since 2009, and have failed to qualify for the NCAA Championships in every season since 2006.
=== J.J. Clark Era ===
The most successful coach historically for the Lady Volunteers was J. J. Clark who won three straight conference titles from 2003 to 2005. He came to UT after 10 seasons as the head coach of the [[Florida Gators cross country|Florida Gators women's cross country]] team from 1992 to 2002. Under his guidance the Tennessee's Lady Vols won four straight NCAA regionals, and made a program-record five consecutive [[NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship|NCAA Championship appearances.]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-xc/tennw-w-xc-body.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=July 9, 2011 |archive-date=July 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110702035612/http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-xc/tennw-w-xc-body.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Additionally, Clark is the winningest coach in program history, and won 3 SEC Women's Coach of the Year awards at UT (2003, 2004, 2005). Under Clark 14 female cross country athletes won 31 All-South Region awards and 23 All-SEC honors. Besides his 5 team appearances in the NCAA Championships, Clark saw individuals Jackie Areson (2008, 2009, 2010), Sarah Bowman (2008), Brittany Sheffery (2011), and Katie Van Horn (2009, 2010). His earlier successes wained as he failed to guide the Lady Vols back to the NCAA Championships in each of his final 7 seasons, and failed to record a Top 5 SEC finish in his final 4 XC seasons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=J.J. Clark - Track & Field Coach |url=https://utsports.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/coaches/j-j-clark/489 |access-date=2022-08-04 |website=University of Tennessee Athletics |language=en}}</ref>
=== Beth Alford-Sullivan Era ===
Under Beth Alford-Sullivan (2014–2021), the Lady Vols rarely found team success. However, Alford-Sullivan guided two time All-American Chelsea Blaase to an individual 2015 SEC runner-up finish, an NCAA South Regional win, and individual NCAA Championship appearances in 2014 (10th) and 2015 (14th).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Beth Alford-Sullivan - Track & Field Coach |url=https://utsports.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/coaches/beth-alford-sullivan/3390 |access-date=2022-08-04 |website=University of Tennessee Athletics |language=en}}</ref> Alford-Sullivan was fired in May 2021 due to poor results across men's and women's XC and track. In 8 seasons under Alford-Sullivan, the Lady Vols finished in the top half of the SEC only three times. Additionally, they never once finished in the top 3 of the SEC or qualified for the NCAA Championships.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tennessee athletics parts ways with track and field director Beth Alford-Sullivan |url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/other-sports/2022/05/19/tennessee-athletics-track-and-field-director-beth-alford-sullivan/9845818002/ |website=Knoxnews.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2021-22 Track and Field Record Book |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/utsports.com/documents/2021/7/30/TRACK_AND_FIELD_2021_22_Record_Book.pdf |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=S3.amazonaws.com |format=PDF}}</ref>
=== Sean Carlson Era ===
The Lady Vols are led by first year head coach Sean Carlson who spent 10 years prior to Tennessee as the head coach of the [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish|Notre Dame]] men's cross country and distance teams, in addition to serving as an assistant coach on the women's team. While at Notre Dame, the women's program finished in the top 30 of the NCAA Championships 8 times, and in the top 15 six times. On the men's side, Carlson developed Notre Dame into a national power, winning 3 [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]] championships, and finishing in the top 10 of the NCAA Championships during each of his final three seasons. In his final season at Notre Dame, Carlson served as the head coach of the men's track team as well.<ref>{{cite web |title=White Appoints Sean Carlson as Head Coach and Director of Cross Country/Distance |url=https://utsports.com/news/2022/6/11/track-field-xc-white-appoints-sean-carlson-as-head-coach-and-director-of-cross-country-distance.aspx |website=Utsports.com}}</ref> Former Notre Dame assistant and nationally recognized recruiter, Nic Jacobsen followed Carlson to Knoxville, and serves as an assistant coach for both distance programs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carlson Adds Nic Jacobsen to Distance Staff |url=https://utsports.com/news/2022/7/11/cross-country-distance-carlson-adds-nic-jacobson-to-distance-staff.aspx |website=Utsports.com}}</ref> In just his second year at the healm, he led the Lady Vols to a 6th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, their best result since another 6th place score in 1989.
== Home courses ==
The Lambert Acres Golf Club was previously the site of home cross country meets for the Volunteers from 1998 to 2013. The course still serves as a 27-hole golf course, and is nestled in the foothills of the [[Great Smoky Mountains]] and boasts 9,525 yards. Throughout its run, the course hosted the Tennessee Invitational 10 times, the NCAA South Regional in 2002, 2006 and
2008, and [[Southeastern Conference|Southeastern Conference Championship]] in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-xc/lambert_acres_xc_course.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=July 9, 2011 |archive-date=May 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527092958/http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-xc/lambert_acres_xc_course.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2014, the Vols moved much closer to home with the opening of the new Cherokee Farm Cross Country Course on Alcoa highway across the [[Tennessee River]] from the main UT campus. The course served as the practice venue for the team in 2014 and 2015, before finally serving in competition for the 2016 season. The course has two loops, one that is 2k and the other is 1k. The course was designed specifically for viewers to use the small loop, where it is ensured that runners have to pass the same point at least three times in a race.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://utsports.com/facilities/cherokee-farm-cross-country-course/23 | title=Facilities|website=Utsports.com }}</ref>
==Yearly record==
{{refbegin}}
:''*Through February 2023''
: Information Source: [https://utsports.com/documents/2023/1/18/XC_Record_Book_2023.pdf 2023 Tennessee Cross Country Record Book – Women's Year-by-Year records]
{{refend}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Year-by-year results
|-align="center"
! style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|Year
! style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|Head Coach
! style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|Season<br />Record
! style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|Win
%
! style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|Conference<br />Meet
! style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|NCAA<br />Regional
! style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|NCAA<br />Meet
|-style="background: #ffffdd;"
| colspan="7" style="text-align:center;" | '''Independent'''
|-
| 1974 || Terry Crawford || 3–1 || .750 || –
| –|| –
|-
| 1975 || Terry Crawford || 12–5 || .706 || –
| –|| –
|-
| 1976 ||  Terry Crawford || 27–3 || .900 || –
| –|| –
|-
| 1977 ||  Terry Crawford || 47–11–1 || .805 || –
|style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''[[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championships#Cross Country|(AIAW)]]''||[[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championships#Cross Country|8th ''(AIAW)'']]
|-
| 1978 || Terry Crawford || 15–3 || .833 || –
| 3rd ''[[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women|(AIAW)]]''|| –
|-
| 1979 ||  Terry Crawford || 24–18 || .571 || –
| 3rd ''[[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championships#Cross Country|(AIAW)]]''|| [[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championships#Cross Country|14th ''(AIAW)'']]
|-
| 1980 || Terry Crawford || 42–10 || .808 || –
| 3rd [[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championships#Cross Country|''(AIAW)'']]|| [[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championships#Cross Country|6th ''(AIAW)'']]
|-
| 1981 || Terry Crawford || 39–7 || .848 || –
| 4th ''(97)''|| –
|-
| 1982 || Terry Crawford || 52–14 || .788 || –
| 3rd ''(80)''|| [[1982 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|11th ''(262)'']]
|-style="background: #ffffdd;"
| colspan="7" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[Southeastern Conference]]'''
|-
| 1983 || Terry Crawford || 42–4 || .913 ||style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''(24)''
|style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''(47)''|| [[1983 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|4th ''(103)'']]
|-
| 1984 || Gary Schwartz || 30–22 || .577 || 3rd ''(67)''
| 8th ''(189)''|| –
|-
| 1985 || Gary Schwartz || 58–31–1 || .650 || 3rd ''(104)''
| 8th ''(224)''|| –
|-
| 1986 || Gary Schwartz || 20–18 || .526 || 6th ''(170)''
| –|| –
|-
| 1987 || Gary Schwartz || 51–31 || .622 || 4th ''(96)''
| 9th ''(302)''|| –
|-
| 1988 || Missy Kane || 49–19 || .721 || 4th ''(115)''
| 11th ''(230)''|| –
|-
| 1989 || Missy Kane || 85–9 || .904 || 2nd ''(66)''
| 4th ''(152)''|| [[1989 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|6th ''(227)'']]
|-
| 1990 || Missy Kane || 74–17 || .813 ||style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''(41)''
| 4th ''(103)''|| [[1990 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|12th ''(303)'']]
|-
| 1991 || Missy Kane || 61–15 || .803 ||7th ''(167)''
|8th ''(278)''|| –
|-
| 1992 || Ann Bertucci || 88–16 || .846 ||5th ''(126)''
|9th ''(270)''|| –
|-
| 1993 || Ann Bertucci || 77–29 || .726 ||5th ''(137)''
|10th ''(318)''|| –
|-
| 1994 || Ann Bertucci || 28–33–1 || .456 ||8th ''(199)''
|27th ''(600)''|| –
|-
| 1995 || [[Dorothy Doolittle]]|| 25–37 || .403 || 9th ''(267)''
| –|| –
|-
| 1996 || Brenda Webb || 38–64 || .373 || 9th ''(216)''
| 24th ''(627)''|| –
|-
| 1997 || Brenda Webb || 68–23 || .747 ||  6th ''(180)''
| 9th ''(279)''|| –
|-
| 1998 || Brenda Webb || 74–34–1 || .683 || 3rd ''(73)''
| 3rd ''(86)''|| [[1998 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|31st ''(640)'']]
|-
| 1999 || Brenda Webb || 43–37–1 || .537 || 9th ''(191)''
| 9th ''(199)''|| –
|-
| 2000 || Rodney Rothoff || 65–30 || .684 || 8th ''(196)''
| –|| –
|-
| 2001 || Rodney Rothoff || 95–35 || .731 || 2nd ''(71)''
| 6th ''(162)''|| –
|-
| 2002 || J.J. Clark || 59–34–1 || .633 || 3rd ''(86)''
|style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''(72)''|| [[2002 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|T-28th ''(657)'']]
|-
| 2003 || J.J. Clark || 99–31 || .762 ||style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''(57)''
|style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''(71)''|| [[2003 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|24th ''(513)'']]
|-
| 2004 || J.J. Clark || 121–25 || .829 ||style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''(55)''
|style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''(78)''|| [[2004 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|21st ''(488)'']]
|-
| 2005 || J.J. Clark || 125–32 || .796 ||style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''(48)''
|style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''(76)''|| [[2005 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|28th ''(641)'']]
|-
| 2006 || J.J. Clark || 114–40 || .740 || 3rd ''(66)''
| 3rd ''(80)''|| [[2006 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|28th ''(565)'']]
|-
| 2007 || J.J. Clark || 104–19 || .846 || 2nd ''(84)''
| 4th ''(152)''||  –
|-
| 2008 || J.J. Clark || 101–14 || .878 || 3rd ''(107)''
| 3rd ''(116)''|| –
|-
| 2009 || J.J. Clark || 70–19 || .787 ||  2nd ''(80)''
| 3rd ''(102)''|| –
|-
| 2010 || J.J. Clark || 38–79 || .325 ||  12th ''(326)''
| 18th ''(489)''|| –
|-
|2011
|J.J. Clark
|56–56
|.500
|7th ''(184)''
|13th ''(384)''
|–
|-
|2012
|J.J. Clark
|68–55–1
|.548
|12th ''(285)''
|10th ''(333)''
|–
|-
|2013
|J.J. Clark
|70–24–1
|.737
|8th ''(179)''
|9th ''(231)''
|–
|-
|2014
|Beth Alford-Sullivan
|37–46
|.446
|11th ''(274)''
|19th ''(510)''
|–
|-
|2015
|Beth Alford-Sullivan
|35–57
|.380
|11th ''(296)''
|19th ''(512)''
|–
|-
|2016
|Beth Alford-Sullivan
|16–50
|.242
|14th ''(393)''
|–
|–
|-
|2017
|Beth Alford-Sullivan
|55–78
|.414
|10th ''(231)''
|10th ''(303)''
|–
|-
|2018
|Beth Alford-Sullivan
|60–14
|.811
|7th ''(197)''
|7th ''(221)''
|–
|-
|2019
|Beth Alford-Sullivan
|87–10
|.897
|4th ''(170)''
|3rd ''(144)''
|–
|-
|2020
|Beth Alford-Sullivan
|16–16
|.500
|–
|N/A
|–
|-
|2021
|Beth Alford-Sullivan
|96–18
|.843
|5th ''(136)''
|4th ''(121)''
|–
|-
|2022
|Sean Carlson
|72-15
|.828
|6th ''(159)''
|5th ''(144)''
|–
|-
|2023
|Sean Carlson
|109-20
|.845
|3rd ''(59)''
|style="background: #FF8200; color:#FFFFFF;"|1st ''(68)''
|[[2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships|6th ''(294)'']]
|- style="background: #FF8200; color:white"
| colspan="2" align="right" | Total||2807–1328–8||.679||5||7
|[[NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship|0]]
|}
Note: The Lady Vols did not compete in the 2020 SEC Championships due to high [[COVID-19]] cases on the team. In 2020, the season was shortened, and NCAA regionals were not held, as teams advanced straight to the championships.
==All-Americans==
<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/tenn/sports/m-xc/auto_pdf/2010CrossCountryMediaGuide.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=July 9, 2011 |archive-date=November 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112194950/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/tenn/sports/m-xc/auto_pdf/2010CrossCountryMediaGuide.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The Lady Volunteers have a total of 11 women's cross country [[AIAW]]/[[NCAA]] [[All-Americans]]
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
*Valerie Bertrand – 1989
*Chelsea Blaase - 2014, 2015
*Sarah Bowman – 2008
*Kathy Bryant-Hadler – 1980, 1981, 1982
*Sharon Dickie – 2000
*Jasmin Jones – 1989
*Liz Natale – 1983
*Linda Portasik – 1980
*Alison Quelch – 1983
*Brenda Webb – 1977, 1978
*Patty Wiegand – 1989
{{div col end}}
== See also ==
*[[Tennessee Volunteers women's track and field|Tennessee women's track and field]]
*[[Tennessee Volunteers track and field|Tennessee men's track and field]]
*[[Tennessee Volunteers men's cross country|Tennessee men's cross country]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{Official website|https://utsports.com/sports/cross-country}}
{{University of Tennessee, Knoxville}}
{{Southeastern Conference navbox}}
[[Category:Tennessee Volunteers cross country|Women]]
[[Category:Women's sports in Tennessee]]