At the moment, Signal Mountain senior Matthew Marshall is enjoying life as a member of the Eagle soccer team. Upon completion, though, he’ll be back to the sport that he desires the most — cross-country.
Marshall recently signed to continue his running career at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and head coach Bill Gautier. He was a three-time Best of Preps member and two-time Class A/AA all-state runner, helping his team to a pair of top-five finishes in the state meet in Nashville.
“Being on a cross-country team just keeps me going,” he said. “I think that coach Gautier is the right guy to push me harder than I’ve been pushed before. UTC is a great running program, and I think I can fit in there.”
The Mocs finished ninth in the NCAA South Region Championships this past season, with senior Chris Berry qualifying for the national championships.
The decision for Marshall to play soccer this season has been a touchy one. Marshall recently pulled a quadricep during a match, but admitted that he loved the spring sport — just not as much as cross country.