West Virginia University Athletics

Keri Bland earned nine All-America honors in cross country and track from 2006-11, leaving her name in the record books as one of the most decorated athletes in WVU cross country and track and field history. 
           
In 2007, Bland helped guide the Mountaineers to their first Big East title in cross country and the highest team finish (ninth) at the NCAA Championships. At the national meet, she finished 23rd (20:58) to earn first team All-America honors. Bland and Marie-Louise Asselin earned All-America honors, marking the first time WVU’s cross country program had multiple All-Americans in the same year. 

Bland was an essential part of the cross country team in 2008, leading WVU to its most successful season in school history with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. WVU also finished first at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals and second at the Big East Championship. Bland finished 14th at the NCAA Championships with a time of 20:20. During the 2008 indoor track season, Bland was part of the distance medley relay team that set a school record and earned All-America honors with a fourth-place finish. She finished the 2008 outdoor season by earning All-America honors in the 1,500 meters to become the first female in WVU history to earn All-America accolades in three sports in the same year. 
           
The Fairview, West Virginia, native earned All-America honors at the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships by leading WVU to a sixth-place finish and marking the third straight season WVU finished in the nation’s top 10. Bland, along with Asselin, became the only Mountaineers in school history to earn All-America honors for three seasons in cross country. 

In 2009, Bland secured two All-America honors during the indoor track season, placing eighth in the mile and as part of the distance medley relay team. In the outdoor track season, Bland earned her fourth All-America citation of the year in the 1,500 meters, marking the second consecutive year she earned All-America honors in three sports in the same year. 
           
In her final season in 2011, Bland earned third team All-America honors in the 1,500-meter run with an 18th-place (4:24) finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Bland captured NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors in cross country from 2006-09, was the Big East Indoor Outstanding Track Performer in 2009, was the Big East individual indoor champion in 2008 in the 1,000 meters and 2009 in the mile and was an ECAC outdoor champion in 2009. In the classroom, Bland earned CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team honors in 2011. 

Bland, who is married to Ben Richardson and has one son, received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and master’s degree in education. She teaches at North Marion High, where she serves as the mathematics department chair and coaches the girls and boys cross country and track teams.