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Spiders Set For NCAA Regional Cross Country Championship Saturday
Nov. 14, 2008
RICHMOND - Fresh off impressive finishes at the Atlantic 10 Championships, the Richmond men's and women's cross country teams are making final preparations for the 2008 NCAA Southeast Regional Championship in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Saturday. The women's 6K race begins at 11 a.m. ET at Wake Forest University's Tanglewood Park, followed by the men's 10K race at 12 p.m. ET. Complete meet coverage will be available at RichmondSpiders.com following the races. Sophomore Nicol Traynor and freshman Katrina Spratford lead the women, who captured the program's second A-10 title two weeks prior. Traynor finished third overall in the 5K race, while Spratford was named the A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer as the meet's highest-placed freshman. Traynor, Spratford junior Amy Van Alstine and senior Mary Bertram all earned All-Conference honors for their top-15 finishes. The women are ranked sixth in the NCAA Regional poll heading into the weekend. "We are looking forward to racing the top teams in our region and taking advantage of the opportunity," said women's head coach Lori Taylor, who named the 2008 A-10 Coach of the Year. "Based on the way our team has pulled together and raced this fall. we feel our team is ready." "We have pointed to this competition and our goal from the beginning of the season has been to finish in the top-six and be ready for the intensity that comes with NCAA postseason competition." On the men's side, juniors Matt Llano and Andrew Benford lead the Spiders into Winston-Salem. Llano was runner-up at the 2008 A-10 Championship and Benford also garnered A-10 All-Conference honors. The men are ranked 10th in the NCAA Regional poll heading into the weekend. "Our men set the team goal of finishing in the top-seven," said head men's coach Steve Taylor. "And we feel they are prepared and ready for the competition. We have traveled to a number of great meets this fall and know the start will be a key in this competition even though we move up to the 10K (6.2 miles) distance and have a longer race to work with."
"The longer distance will benefit our upper classmen," said Taylor said. "Our freshmen just need to follow their lead and be mentally and physically tough throughout the race. Both Llano and Benford have been running extremely well and their level of racing puts them in position to be considered a threat for one of the individual qualifying spots to the NCAA National Championships." USTFCCCA SOUTHEAST REGIONAL RANKINGS (as of Nov. 10, 2008) Women
1. Wake Forest Men |
 
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