Cross Country: Mountaineers in the Rankings
August 31, 2010 05:11 PM | General
August 31, 2010
Preseason Rankings
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Following three consecutive top-10 national finishes, the West Virginia University cross country team is again picked to be one of the country’s premier running programs.
Finishing the 2009 season with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, WVU is tabbed No. 15 in the 2010 preseason rankings released by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches of America.
The Mountaineers have also been picked to finish fourth in the Mid-Atlantic region in the USTFCCCA preseason regional rankings.
“Although flattering to still be ranked among the nation’s best in the preseason rankings, these rankings are still, in reality, preseason rankings,” says WVU coach Sean Cleary. “The reality for all of us will start to unfold over the next few months. This group is fired up and ready to start working toward their own destiny. I am excited to watch it unfold.”
National defending women’s champions and BIG EAST foe Villanova swept the board in the poll, receiving all 12 first-place votes to open the season. The Wildcats are scheduled to return four runners that placed in the nation’s top 25 at last year’s championships. Florida State, Washington, Texas Tech and Oregon round up the top five ranked teams.
Traditionally one of the toughest regions to compete in, the Mid-Atlantic region features Villanova (2009 national champions), No. 7 Princeton, No. 11 Georgetown and No. 24 Penn State.
“The Mid-Atlantic Region was the very best region in the country last year with three teams finishing in the top 6 nationally and 5 in the top 20,” Cleary says. “The Mid-Atlantic is every bit as loaded this year with potentially even more depth. For now, it is time to worry about our own training and mental preparation and let the chips fall where they may.”
In the Mid-Atlantic regional rankings, Villanova was picked to repeat as champions, followed by Princeton and Georgetown. West Virginia is followed by Penn State, Maryland, Penn, Bucknell and La Salle.
The regional rankings are a reflection of a team’s strengths entering the year based on returning and new runners on each squad as selected by a representative in each region.
WVU will be led by Kaylyn Christopher, Maria Dalzot, Kate Harrison, Sarah-Anne Brault, Ahna Lewis and Jessica O’Connell to begin the 2010 campaign, which starts with the WVU Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 4, at the WVU Agronomy Farm.
