Golden Eagle cross country, track teams add nine signees

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech cross country and track & field coach Tony Cox has announced the addition of nine student-athletes to his team rosters, inking two runners to the men’s squad and seven for the women’s team.

The two new men’s team members are Matthew Bishop of Morristown, Tenn., and Nathan Snow of Collierville, Tenn.

The seven new members of the women’s squad will be Brittney Brown from Greeneville, Tenn., Rebecca Cline from Spring Hill, Tenn., Brittany Cotto from Sacramento, Calif., Kelli Keck and Amelia McCoy from Crossville, Tenn., Meghan O’Donoghue from Talbott, Tenn., and Peri Winborne from Knoxville, Tenn.

“I think we had a good recruiting year, and the new people coming in will certainly be able to step in and help our teams immediately,” Cox said. “This time around we focused on recruiting within the state, and eight of the nine that we’re announcing are from Tennessee. I think they saw the quality of the school and that was one of the key reasons they decided to come here.”

Matthew Bishop is the son of Thomas and Barb Bishop and a May graduate of Morristown West High School where he ran for coach Raymond Farmer. In addition to four letters in cross country, he also received one letter in track. He earned all-conference honors all four seasons and helped the cross country win four conference championships and three region crowns. At the state meet, he was instrumental in the team’s steady rise from seventh place in his freshman season, to fourth and second the next two years, culminating in a state championship as a senior. He is the younger brother of current Golden Eagle runner Chris Bishop.

Nathan Snow joins the Golden Eagles after a May graduation from Collierville High School.  The son of Sidney and Janet Snow, he claimed a combined seven letters in cross country and track & field for coach Robbie Simmons. He began his career as the team’s Newcomer of the Year in 2007, won Most Improved Runner honors in 2008, and last fall was the Runner of the Year and Region 8AAA champion.

The seven women’s signees include two sprinters, two middle distance runners and three distance runners.

Brittney Brown joins the Golden Eagles after a May graduation from South Greene High School.  The daughter of Eric and Trenna Brown, she lettered all four years at South Greene for coaches Noelle Smith and Scott Phillips. She plans on studying pre-med and will run middle distances events for the Golden Eagles. She was a three-time team MVP and claimed all-conference and all-region honors each of the past three years, qualifying for the state meet as a junior and senior. 

Rebecca Cline is the daughter of Rick Cline and Linda Harris and a 2010 graduate of Columbia Central High School where she claimed nine letters in three sports.  In addition to her four letters in cross country, she also received four letters in basketball and one in track.  A two-time team MVP and twice named All-Mid State, she plans to major in biology and run distance events for the Golden Eagles.

Brittany Cotto comes to Tech from Sacramento, Calif., where she was a May graduate from Inderkum High School. A late starter in the sport, she received one letter in track for coach David Lawrence and had a major impact on the team, winning conference championships in three hurdles events and helping her team claim titles in two relay events. She was part of a 4x400 relay squad that had the fifth-fastest time in the nation. The daughter of Carlos and Danielle Cotto, she plans to major in business management and will compete in sprints and relays.

A three-sport standout from Crossville, Kelli Keck is the daughter of Randy and Abbie Keck and a May graduate of Stone Memorial High School. A speedster, she received 12 total letters in three sports, including four each in basketball, volleyball, and track. Her efforts in track & field came under coach Mark Wattenbarger’s direction, and she helped her squad place fifth in the state as a junior and sixth as a senior. She also helped the basketball and volleyball teams each make two state tourney appearances.

Amelia McCoy is a distance runner from Crossville who joins the Tech squad after recently graduating from Cumberland County High School. As a prep distance runner she claimed seven letters, including four MVP seasons in cross country, for coaches Pat Koehl and Louie DeLorenzo.  She is the daughter of Kibbee and Kimberly McCoy and will major in biology and will run distance races in the track season in addition to her cross country competition. 

Meghan O’Donoghue is a May graduate of Morristown West High School where she received eight letters, claiming four in cross country and four in track for coaches Raymond Farmer and Mac Pickle. She helped her cross country team win the state, conference, and regional championships in 2006, and was a three-time all-conference selection and team MVP in both sports. The daughter of Conor and Susan O’Donoghue, she plans on majoring in political science and will compete in the middle distance races for the Golden Eagles.

Peri Winborne is a distance runner out of Farragut High School and the daughter of Steve and Joanie Winborne. She claimed four letters each in cross country and track under coach Chelsea Jacobs and helped her squad earn two Top Five finishes in the state meet. Individually she was a four-time state qualifier in cross country. She plans to major in exercise science and run cross country in the fall and compete in distance events during the track season.