BANEVICUS NAMED SOUTHERN CONFERENCE RUNNER OF THE WEEK

UTC cross country runner Gediminas Banevicus was named the Southern
Conference Runner of the Week for his second place performance Saturday at
the Cardinal Classic in Louisville, Ky., the SoCon office announced Wednesday.

Banevicus, from Kaunas, Lithuania, ran the course in a conference-best
25:11 and took second place just 0.90 seconds behind winner Joey Byrne of
Southern Indiana. The hard-charging Lithuanian fell on the rain-soaked
course, costing him the victory. The young Mocs squad took fourth in the
event featuring teams from 18 schools.

Banevicus is a sophomore transfer from Kennesaw State. In his only season
with the Owls, he won the Peach Belt Conference Championships and earned
Runner of the Year honors. He was named to the All-Region team for his
runner-up finish in the 10,000 meter Southeast Regionals. He capped off an
outstanding freshman season with a 21st place finish at the NCAA Division
II National Championships and named to the All-American team.

Oct. 9, 2002
UTC Sports Information