Martin Wins Individual ACC Title as Both Teams Finish Fourth

CARY, N.C. – Virginia’s Gary Martin won the 2024 ACC Men’s Cross Country Championship individual title in Championship record fashion in the men’s 8k in Cary, N.C. on Friday (Nov. 1). In a competitive field, both men’s and women’s programs finished fourth in the team standings at WakeMed Soccer Park.

From the gun, Martin and Will Anthony ran with the front pack of runners including North Carolina foes Ethan Strand and Parker Wolfe. At the 6.5K mark, Martin surged pass Strand and Wolfe to finish ahead of the field by nearly 10 seconds. Martin broke the tape and the ACC Championship record crossing the line in 22:17.6. The previous record stood at 22:50.7 set by Justyn Knight of Syracuse in 2016. The Warminster, Pa. native joins Ryan Foster (2008) and Emil Keineking (2009, 2010) as the third Virginia man to win the ACC Cross Country Championships individual title.

Not far behind was Anthony in fifth place clocking a new personal best time of 22:34.2 for 8K. In just his second race this season, Nate Mountain was the third Cavalier to cross the line in a new personal best time of 23:00.2 to finish 19^th overall. The trio garnered All-ACC accolades for their performance in Cary. Rounding out the scoring positions for the Cavaliers was Andrew Jones (23:11.2, 31st) and Jack Eliason (23:18.4, 38th).

The Virginia men finished fourth in the team standings just behind Wake Forest, Stanford and North Carolina accumulating a total 94 points.

On the women’s side, Margot Appleton and Jenny Schilling led the way for the Cavaliers. In her season opener, Appleton finished seventh in a new personal best time of 19:44.0. In a stacked field, Schilling crossed the line in 19:57.2 to finish 14^th overall. Both women earned All-ACC honors for their performance at WakeMed Soccer Park. Rounding out the scoring positions for the Cavaliers was Camryn Menninger (20:22.9, 33rd), Sophie Atkinson (20:31.1, 47th) and Tatum David (20:40.1, 51st). Freshmen Stella Kermes (20:57.9, 77th) and Sarah Peer (20:57.9, 78th) competed in their first ACC Cross Country Championships.

The Cavalier women tallied a total 152 points to finish fourth in the team standings behind Notre Dame, Stanford and North Carolina.

All-ACC
The Atlantic Coast Conference All-Conference Cross Country Teams are comprised of the top 21 finishers in both men’s and women’s Conference Championship.

Men
1. Gary Martin
5. Will Anthony

19. Nate Mountain

Women
7. Margot Appleton
14. Jenny Schilling

 

From Director of Cross Country & Track & Field Vin Lananna:
“Our women did a really great job. In particular, Margot Appleton coming back in her first race this season and to be seventh in the ACC in a really strong competition is a great performance. She is just going to get better every week. I was excited about how the women ran. On the men’s side, I think we are a lot closer, and we just need to be sure we close it out. Obviously, a great performance by Gary Martin. His time and the way he ran it and there are good people in this competition so to win is a phenomenal step up. Our mission now is to get to the NCAAs.”

ACC Cross Country Championships
WakeMed Soccer Park
Cary, N.C.

 

Up Next
The Virginia men’s and women’s cross country teams will gear up for the 2024 NCAA Southeast Regional in Rock Hill, S.C. on Friday, Nov. 15 and the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Madison, Wis. on Saturday, Nov. 23.

The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash
The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, originally called the Commonwealth Challenge (2005-2007), has been a part of the UVA-Virginia Tech rivalry since 2014. It is an all-sports, points-based program with the Commonwealth Clash trophy presented to the winning school each year for its dominance in head-to-head competitions.

In men’s and women’s cross country, the commonwealth clash point is awarded to the team that finishes higher at the ACC Championships. The Cavaliers finished ahead of the Hokies in both men’s and women’s races. Virginia currently leads the overall competition 3-0.