Cavalier Harriers Take Ninth at NCAA Cross Country Championships

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Nov. 19, 2001

University of Virginia cross country team, ranked #14 in the latest national poll, finished ninth at the NCAA Championships held today in Greenville, SC. The finish is the highest for the Cavaliers since their title runs in 1981 and 1982. The front runner for the Cavaliers was Jennifer Owens (Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle) who finished sixth overall, the highest finish for a Cavalier harrier since Lesley Welch won the title in 1982. Owens was also an All-American in 1999.

Owens, who becomes only the 8th Cavalier in school history to finish in the top-10 at the NCAA national championships, covered the 6K race in 20:43, 19 seconds faster than her time ten days ago at the Southeast regional meet. She was followed by Sarah Folse (Fredicksburg, Va./Chancellor), Dawn Cleary (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge), Meg McGarvey (Arcola, Ill./Charleston), and Ellen Dwyer (Walpole, Ma./Walpole). Cleary’s time of 22:05 was 58 seonds faster than her time on the same course at the regional meet, and McGarvey (6 seconds) and Dwyer (14 seconds) both improved their times from the qualifier.

En route to the top-ten finish, the Cavaliers defeated five teams ranked ahead of them–#7 Michigan State, #10 Arizona State, #11 Providence, #12 Arkansas and #13 Northern Arizona–while not finishing behind any school ranked below them.

Walton Kingsbery (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Regional) represented the men’s team at the NCAA meet and finished 68th overall in a time of 30:36.

6. Jennifer Owens	20:43	1. Brigham Young	6272. Sarah Folse		21:52	2. N. C. State		14892. Dawn Cleary		22:05	3. Georgetown		18096. Meg McGarvey	22:07	4. Arizona		194121. Ellen Dwyer	22:19	5. Stanford		206176. Megan Schwartz	22:51	6. Boston College	232219. Jolene Hampson	23:20	7. North Carolina	239				8. Colorado		240				9. VIRGINIA		303

68. Walton Kingsbery 30:36