Cross Country Opens Season at Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational Friday
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| Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational | |
| Date & Time | Fri., Aug. 31, 2012 | 6 p.m. |
| Location | Blacksburg, Va. | Tech Cross Country Course |
| Additional Information | Twitter | Facebook |
| Season Previews | Men’s | Women’s |
Aug. 30, 2012
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—The Virginia men’s and women’s cross country teams open the 2012 season at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational Friday (Aug. 31) in Blacksburg, Va. It will be the first Cavalier cross country race for head men’s cross country coach Pete Watson and head women’s cross country coach Todd Morgan, who were hired in January.
The women’s 4K race is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., while the men’s 6K race is slated for 6:45 p.m. The Tech Cross Country Course will be the site of the 2012 ACC Cross Country Championships, to be held on Oct. 27.
The Cavalier women, ranked No. 18 in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll, return three members that scored at the NCAA Championships, including sophomore Chelsea Ley (Woolwich Township, N.J.), who earned All-Southeast Region honors in 2011, junior Katherine Walker (Stafford, Va.) and sophomore Kathleen Stevens (Blacksburg, Va.). In addition, UVa returns junior Barbara Strehler (Richmond, Va.), who earned All-ACC honors a year ago.
Virginia also sees the return of graduate student Catherine White (Roanoke, Va.), who finished fourth at the 2009 national meet and placed 10th in the 10,000 meters at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The Cavalier men return four of their top five from a year ago, including graduate student Mark Amirault (Walpole, Mass.), who finished 27th at the NCAA Championships, earning All-America honors. Also returning are fifth-year senior Sean Keveren (Brentwood, Tenn.) who placed 18th in the 10,000 meters at the national outdoor track and field meet, junior Chris Foley (Chantilly, Va.), who earned silver in the 5,000 meters at the ACC indoor meet, and sophomore Drew Paisley (Virginia Beach, Va.), who set personal records in three events during the outdoor season.
Virginia will also be boosted by sophomore Kyle King (Yorktown, Va.), who did not compete during the cross country season, but represented the United States at the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships in the 5,000 meters, placing 13th.
Next up the Cavaliers host the Virginia/Panorama Farms Invitational on Sept. 22 at 10 a.m.