Hokie ClubLed by a top-50 finish from standout runner Peter Seufer, the Virginia Tech men’s cross country team notched a 20th-place finish in the team competition at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships held Saturday morning at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky.
The 20th-place finish out of 31 teams marked the best for the Tech men’s program since the Hokies came in fourth to end the 1987 NCAA meet. This year’s appearance at the NCAA meet marked the Hokies’ seventh as a program, and their finish was the third-best in program history – Tech came in fourth in 1987 and 14th in 1982. This year’s finish also marked Tech’s best since the school joined the ACC, which includes appearances in 2012 and 2015.
The Hokies finished with 481 points. Northern Arizona won the men’s national title with 74, followed by Portland, BYU, Stanford and Arkansas.
“We just didn’t have the total team race that we needed to crack the top 15,” Tech distance coach Ben Thomas said. “It wasn’t for lack of effort, though. We were 12th at the 4K mark and 15th at the 8K and just couldn’t hold on.
“But I’m super proud of our season as a whole. I love this senior group of guys and have really enjoyed this final cross country season with them. They’ve put in some good work this summer and fall, and each of them have had their best cross country season ever. That should bode well for track season, and I know they can’t wait to go after another ACC championship in indoor track.”
Seufer, a redshirt sophomore from Lynchburg, Virginia, came in 45th overall with a time of 30 minutes, 8.58 seconds in the 10K race. He was the Hokies’ top finisher.
Redshirt senior Patrick Joseph nearly broke into the top 50, as he finished 52nd overall with a time of 30:12.41. Joseph moved up 10 spots in the final 2,000 meters.
Redshirt senior Daniel Jaskowak was 119th overall with a time of 30:53.96, while Jack Joyce came in 163rd with a time of 31:14.76. Vincent Ciattei (190), Diego Zarate (202), and Neil Gourley (207) rounded out the Hokies’ lineup.
The race concludes the cross country portion of the academic year for the track and field and cross country programs. Tech resumes competition when the indoor track season starts Jan. 12 at the Nittany Lion Challenge in State College, Pennsylvania.