In his second year at the helm of the Piedmont College cross country programs, head coach Jeff Jenkins has been named USA South Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year as announced by the conference front office earlier Wednesday. Jenkins became the first coach at Piedmont to be named USA South coach of the year in a men's sport.
The men's cross country team has had nine USA South athlete of the week honors this season as they swept both Runner and Rookie of the Week the first four weeks they competed. Jenkins led a pair of freshmen, Jarrod Howell and Clayton Thayer, to sweep both Runner and Rookie of the Week in the same week.
The Lions were selected second in the preseason conference poll after finishing second overall a season ago at the USA South Championship. This season, Piedmont has faced Covenant twice, edging the defending conference champions both times.
Piedmont faced Covenant at the Furman Classic in the first 8k of the season and again at the Berry College Invitational in the regular season finale. At Berry, Piedmont finished just three points ahead of the Scots and with a team average only a single second faster than Covenant.
The Lion and Lady Lion cross country teams compete for the conference championship at the USA South Championship meet this Saturday in Greensboro, N.C. The women race at 11 a.m. while the men compete at noon.
