No. 7 Cross Country Set for NCAA Regional
November 13, 2014 10:00 AM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 7 West Virginia University cross country team travels to University Park, Pennsylvania, for the 2014 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional on Friday, Nov. 14, at noon.
The Mountaineers will be looking for a top-two finish to earn an automatic qualification to the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championships.
“We’ve got primarily a very healthy team going in, but I think everyone has something going on late in the season,” said coach Sean Cleary. “We’re just looking to recapture what we’ve been doing for the last month.”
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| Two-time All-Mid-Atlantic Regional runner Katie Gillespie, left, is coming off a top-five finish at the 2014 Big 12 Championships. |
West Virginia finished fourth at the event a year ago, ultimately earning an at-large bid into the NCAA Championships. WVU has qualified for the championship meet six times in seven seasons under Cleary.
The Mountaineers are coming off a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championship in Lawrence, Kansas, in their most recent competition on Nov. 1.
“Katie Gillespie and Jillian Forsey are a commanding one-two punch at the front of our group,” Cleary said. “We’ve got a lot of depth and of experience, but the biggest thing is they’re confident and having a lot of fun. I expect that to continue.”
Four current members of the Mountaineer squad have garnered NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors in their careers - Jillian Forsey 2013, Kelly Williams 2012 & 2013, Sydney Scott 2012 and Kaitlyn Gillespie 2010 & 2011.
West Virginia currently holds its highest ranking in the USTFCCA national poll since 2009 and enters the meet ranked No. 2 in the Mid-Atlantic Region rankings. WVU last won the regional meet in 2008 – the same year Cleary earned Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year honors.
Video produced by DJ Jamiel.
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