BLUFFTON, SC-As a freshman in 2007, Katie Mock was one of three USCB student athletes on the school's first ever cross country team. Now a senior, she will lead the Sand Shark harriers as they travel to Columbia for the Gamecock Invitational on Friday night. The men will toe the line first at 6:30 and the women will follow at 7:00. Both races will be five kilometers.
 
A far cry from that first squad as the lone woman runner, Mock will have twelve women teammates accompany her to the first meet. “Katie has grown into a fine runner for us,” said Head Coach Larry Kimball. “She is in as great shape for the first of September and I expect her to have an outstanding senior season.” Mock was USCB's first women NAIA National Championship qualifier as she represented the Sand Sharks last November in Vancouver, WA. 

Junior Selena Hutson is also a top returnee. Hutson missed qualifying for the nationals by one place a year ago. “Selena has improved by leaps and bounds since her freshman season,” said Kimball. She placed in four events at the outdoor Sun Conference Track and Field Championships and is the school record holder at 1500 meters.
 
Kristine Grannan, senior, will return for her final campaign. Grannan is also a three year veteran, returning this season healthy after battling knee problems for much of the 2009 season. Jessica Brown and Caitlin Brady both ran in the Sand Sharks top five last season. Junior Rachel Ford and sophomore Samatha Willcutt are also veterans, back this season.
 
The incoming crop of freshman can help make the Sand Sharks contenders for a top spot in the conference. Vannica Williams from Bluffton ran 19:55 in the South Carolina State meet in 2009. Kari Lavoie was a mainstay for the state runner-up team from Stratford and has a best five kilometer time of 20:06. Sarah Turrubiate was also an All Region performer from Wade Hampton. Caitlin Howe from Beaufort has been the surprise of the preseason running many of the early work-outs with Hutson and Mock. Alaina Nunn, a junior college transfer from Tawas, MI, adds to a talented group of newcomers along with first year student Cassie Starr from Bluffton.
 
The men's squad will return four of their top six runners from 2009. Junior Frank Tinsley is the lone national qualifier returnee. Tinsley placed ninth at the Sun Conference Championships a year to earn a trip to the national meet. Tinsley is also a two time All Conference performer on the track and was a member of the 2009 All Conference All Academic team.
 
Marshall Meyer, also a junior, returns for his third campaign. A two time qualifier in the NAIA National T &F Championships in the marathons, Meyer has been running up to 100 miles per week during most of the summer. Tommy Reeves, who was the Sand Sharks top runner at the Citadel meet in late September a year ago before missing over a month with the flu, also returns. John Critchlow, a national qualifier in 2008 is also back.
 
“One through four, we should be pretty solid, “said Kimball. He added “We lost two national qualifiers one to transfer and one to academics and two top recruits. But this will give our younger kids a chance to step up and help the team.” 

Juniors Ian Evans and John Stanas both made drastic improvement over the spring track season and will be looked at to fill the void. Senior Jay Stier, sophomore Evan Szankowski and freshman Jacob Schoecraft round out the roster.
 
After Friday, the team will travel to Coastal Carolina for a meet on September 17th. The Sand Sharks will host three meets this fall including the Sand Shark Invitational on October 16th. The USCB men will face off against Armstrong Atlantic in a dual meet on October 28th and will then play host to the Sun Conference Championships on November 6th. All home meets will be run at Jasper Park in Hardeeville.