No. 20 Cross Country Season Preview
August 27, 2014 10:51 AM | General
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| The 2014 Mountaineers are ranked in the USTFCCCA preseason poll for the seventh straight season. |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 20-ranked West Virginia University cross country team opens its 2014 season at the Lehigh Invitational in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this Friday, Aug. 29, at 5:30 p.m.
Veteran Leadership
Coach Sean Cleary enters his eighth year as head coach of the Mountaineers and his 23rd year overall with the program. Cleary has experienced great success at the helm, guiding WVU to six NCAA Cross Country Championships appearances in seven seasons as head coach. The Georgetown, Ontario, native coached West Virginia to a second-place finish at the 2013 Big 12 Cross Country Championships and a fourth place result at the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships. Cleary also serves as President of the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Local Stars
Local high school runners have always seemed to find a way onto the Mountaineer cross country team over the years, and 2014 will be no different. Six West Virginia natives fill the roster, including four from Morgantown. Redshirt freshman Maggie Drazba and freshmen Millie Paladino and Brynn Harshbarger look to make immediate impacts on the squad. The three held many West Virginia high school cross country records prior to attending WVU.
Rising Talent
Many Mountaineer underclassmen look to carry their success from last season into the 2014 campaign. Three freshmen stepped to the line and competed for WVU at the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Amy Cashin, Paige Szabat and Jillian Forsey hope to continue to progress this season. Forsey was the lone Mountaineer freshman to claim All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors a year ago.
Preparing for State College
The 2014 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region meet will be held at the Blue-White Golf Course in University Park, Pa. The Mountaineers will compete at the PSU Spike Shoe Invitational early in the season in order to become familiar with the course and its features. Last season, the Mountaineers competed at Lehigh University twice prior Lehigh’s hosting of the regional meet. This was a strategy that proved successful, as West Virginia placed fourth at the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Regional – a finish which ultimately qualified WVU for its sixth NCAA Championships appearance in the last seven seasons.
International Performers
Coach Cleary’s Canadian roots have led to a large number of Canadians on the West Virginia roster over recent years. Rachel Faulds, Jillian Forsey, Rebecca Wendt and Renee Maisonneuve will represent Canada on the Mountaineer squad in 2014. Sophomore Amy Cashin, a Werribee, Australia, native, will also add some international flavor to the roster this season. Cashin and Forsey competed at the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terra Haute, Ind.
Gold-Blue Spring Festival Fan Recap
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Saturday, April 18
Coach Zac Alley | April 18
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Saturday, April 18
