Cross Country: WVU Opens Season at Preston Relays
August 29, 2008 11:31 AM | General
August 29, 2008
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| Marie-Louise Asselin |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The 2007 BIG EAST champion West Virginia University cross country team opens the 2008 season on Saturday, Aug. 30, when the Mountaineers take part in the Preston Relays held in Kingwood, W.Va. The competition is set to begin at 8 p.m., with the women’s college race expected to start at 11 p.m.
“We’re excited,” says Head Coach Sean Cleary. “It’s a unique format to run in because the meet is at night and they will run under spotlights and tikki torches. This low key introduction to the season gives the parents and friends of our local athletes the opportunity to see them run for West Virginia University.”
The squad returns all seven starting runners from last season’s conference champion team that took ninth place at the NCAA Championships, including the junior All-American pair of Marie-Louise Asselin and Keri Bland. Asselin emerged as one of the league’s top runners as she won the Penn State National Open, took second at the BIG EAST Championship and third at the regional. Asselin clocked in 14th at the national championship, while Bland finished 23rd.
Among the teams participating in the meet will be Alderson Broaddus and West Virginia Wesleyan.
