Cavaliers Win ACC Championships

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The Virginia men’s cross country team, ranked No. 11 nationally, won the ACC Championships today behind a pack of four in the top six, upsetting No. 7 N. C. State 39-32. Andy Biladeau, the 2007 runner-up, finished just ahead of Ryan Foster and Emil Heineking as Virginia went 2-3-4; Jan Foerster earned his third consecutive All-ACC finish with his sixth-place finish. Taylor Smith rounded out the scoring for the Cavaliers with his 17th place finish. On the women’s side, All-American Emily Harrison finished second overall with her 20:36.6 as the Cavaliers, running without two All-Americans, finished eighth as a team.

The battle on the men’s side between the Wolfpack and the Cavaliers ran throughout the entire race; Virginia had a slight lead after 1K but the Pack surged in front for a slight lead at 4K. Down the stretch, Biladeau, Foster, Heineking and Foerster pushed forward to put four across the line before N. C. State had its second athlete cross. The Pack crossed the next four in seventh, ninth, 10th and 12th to give N. C. State five across before the Cavaliers to make things interesting as NCSU had 39 through five. Smith ran strong to take 17th, providing enough punch to displace the reigning title holders.

Virginia’s Emil Heineking was the first true freshman to cross the line, giving him ACC Freshman of the Year honors; Biladeau won the same award in 2005 when Virginia last won the ACC title.

“Our guys made us proud today,” said Randy Bungard, Virginia’s Director of Track and Field/Cross Country. “They raced tough and knew what they had to do. To win the ACC Championship at home…it doesn’t get much better than that. Coach Dunn and Coach Hunt have done a great job preparing this team for success. It was a good day at Panorama Farms today. I look forward to the next chapter of this season at the Southeast Region meet.”

On the women’s side, Harrison continued her strong season with a best-ever second-place finish at the ACC Championships.

“Our women came into the ACC meet knowing that we were short handed,” said Bungard. “The team we had out there competed. When you go into the meet without your 2-3-4 runners its easy to throw in the towel. These young ladies didn’t do that. Emily ran a great race and showed today that she is one of the best runners in the country. There is still work to do and I believe that this group will keep its focus all the way through.”

The Cavaliers return to action on Saturday, November 10 as they compete at the NCAA Southeast Regional in Louisville.

Men’s Team Results
1. VIRGINIA (11), 32
2. N. C. State (7), 39
3. Florida State, 130
4. Clemson, 137
5. Virginia Tech, 139
6. Duke, 156
7. Wake Forest, 193
8. Boston College, 195
9. Maryland, 206
10. North Carolina, 246
11. Georgia Tech, 271
12. Miami, 381

Men’s Individual Results
2. Andy Biladeau, 24:08.3
3. Ryan Foster, 24:10.6
4. Emil Heineking, 24:12.6
6. Jan Foerster, 24:16.9
17. Taylor Smith, 24:37.0
27. Graham Tribble, 25:00.0
33. Andrew Jesien, 25:13.3
70. Trey Miller, 26:21.6

Women’s Team Results
1. Florida State (3), 64
2. N. C. State, 102
3. Boston College, 106
4. North Carolina, 118
5. Virginia Tech, 121
6. Duke, 123
7. Wake Forest, 127
8. VIRGINIA, 160
9. Maryland, 236
10. Clemson, 257
11. Georgia Tech, 277
12. Miami, 390

Women’s Individual Results
2. Emily Harrison, 20:36.6
20. Stephanie Garcia, 21:59.5
38. Samantha Stafford, 22:40.3
47. Suzanne Ginnow, 23:00.8
54. Diana Burk, 23:11.6
58. Sara Casscells, 23:20.7
59. Susan Brooks, 23:24.7