Hokie ClubChapel Hill, N.C. - It was a historic day in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Saturday, as the Virginia Tech men’s cross country squad placed third with 75 points, its highest finish in the conference meet since joining the ACC, at the ACC Championships on the Ranson-Hamrick Cross Country Course. The women’s squad placed seventh, racking up 150 points at the meet.
Junior Devin Cornwall led the way for the men, capturing third place in the 103-runner field and finishing the 8,000-meter race in 24:30.8. Not far behind, senior Billy Berlin earned 11th overall, followed by freshman Michael Hammond in 15th, freshman Will Mulherin in 20th and senior Phil Padilla in 26th to round out Tech’s team scoring.
The men’s squad racked up 75 points and defeated Florida State, who ranks 15th in the country in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association [USTFCCCA] national poll, for the top-three posting. Virginia won the men’s competition with 40 points, while NC State finished runner-up with 56 points.
“I could not be happier with the men as a group,” Tech head coach Ben Thomas said. “They ran our game plan very well. If we can get in the top three at the regional meet we should be able to make the NCAA Championships.”
On the women’s side, 2007 All-American Tasmin Fanning finished second in the 107-athlete field. The Charlottesville, Va., native led the 6,000-meter race with 50 meters to go when Susan Kuijken of Florida State caught up to her. Fanning, a senior, stayed neck-and-neck with the Seminole, but Kuijken just edged out the Western Albemarle alum by less than a tenth of a second. Fanning crossed the line at 20:11.6 to Kuijken’s 20:11.0.
Senior Erin Reddan was the second Hokie runner across the line for the women, placing 21st. Fanning’s sister, Jessica Fanning, took 34th, while junior Natalie Kretzer and freshman Sammy Dow placed 41st and 59th respectively.
The Hokie women finished with 150 points and earned seventh place. Florida State captured the title with 58 points, and Boston College took the silver medal with 106 points. Wake Forest tallied 112 points for third, while Duke and Virginia tied for fourth, earning 124 points each.
Both Tech squads will compete at the Hokie Open at the Tech Cross Country Course on Nov. 8. The Hokies will then head to Winston-Salem, N.C., for the NCAA Southeast Regional on Nov. 15. Results for the races will be posted on hokiesports.com following the meet.
Men’s Results
1, Ryan Foster, Virginia, 24:27.7, 2, Tim Ritchie, Boston College, 24:30, 3, Devin Cornwall, Virginia Tech, 24:30.8, 4, Bobby Mack, NC State, 24:30.9, 5, John Martinez, NC State, 24:33
Women’s Results
1, Susan Kuijken, Florida State, 20:11.0, 2, Tasmin Fanning, Virginia Tech, 20:11.6, 3, Bris Felnagle, North Carolina, 20:23, 4, Lesley Van Miert, Florida State, 20:32, 5, Lauren Holesh, North Carolina, 20:36