By Kelly Tuckwiller for MSNsportsNET.com
September 14, 2009

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University cross country team is ranked No. 1 preseason in the Mid-Atlantic Conference, announced today by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

"Preseason rankings are flattering," coach Sean Cleary says. "They are a reflection of last year's progress in the program. It is exciting, but I will be much happier in November if we are still at No. 1."

WVU is followed by Villanova, Princeton, Georgetown and Penn State who round out the top five.

In their first race of the 2009 season, the Mountaineers took second at the Lid-Lifter Invitational, hosted by Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. Senior Karly Hamric finished second individually with a time of 18:33.30 to lead the team.

This season the Mountaineers return several top runners including six who raced in last season's fourth-place showing at the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Marie-Louis Asselin and Keri Bland return for their senior seasons, after earning their second-straight All-American honors last year. Bland, Fairview, W.Va., native finished 14th at NCAA's with a time of 20:20, while classmate Asselin, a Sarnia, Ontario, native, finished 17th (20:27).

The Mountaineers are set to return to action on Oct. 2, with the Paul Short Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa.