GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Virginia Tech women's cross country team was picked to finish fourth in the ACC, while the men's team was picked to finish fifth in a preseason vote conducted among the league's head coaches and released Thursday afternoon.
Kayla Richardson, a junior who earned All-ACC and All-Southeast Region honors in 2017, anchors the Tech women's team, which finished third at the ACC Championships last fall and enters this season receiving votes in the preseason United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll. The Hokies return all but one of their primary runners from a year ago (Katie Kennedy), including Sarah Edwards, who earned All-Southeast Region recognition after finishing 24th at the NCAA regional meet.
The coaches picked two-time defending champion NC State to win again on the women's side for the third straight preseason. Notre Dame finished second in the voting, followed by Louisville, the Hokies, and Syracuse.
On the men's side, Tech finds itself reloading after losing four prominent seniors, including All-ACC and All-Southeast Region choice Daniel Jaskowak and All-ACC choices Neil Gourley and Vincent Ciattei. But the Hokies do return standout Peter Seufer, an All-ACC selection who finished seventh at the league meet a year ago and ninth at the regional meet.
Tech, which enters this season also receiving votes in the USTFCCCA poll, came in second at the ACC Championships last fall and second at the NCAA regional, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships – its third appearance in the past six years.
The coaches picked Syracuse to win the men's title again this season – the Orange have won five straight league crowns. Virginia finished second in the voting, followed by NC State, Notre Dame and the Irish.
The 2018 NCAA cross country season gets underway this weekend, with 13 of the ACC's 15 schools slated to see action. Seven meets involving ACC programs are scheduled for Friday, followed by an additional five on Saturday.
This year's ACC Cross Country Championships are set for Friday, Oct. 26 at Franklin Park in Boston. Regionals are set for Nov. 9, followed by the NCAA Championships on Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in Verona, Wisconsin.
Both Virginia Tech squads open the season Friday at the Virginia Tech Invitational. The women's 4K race starts at 6 p.m., with the men's 6K race starting at approximately 6:30 p.m.
