Cross Country: Cavalier squads finish 11th at Nuttycombe Invitational

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Posted on Friday, Sep. 27, 2024, 4:25 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photos: UVA Athletics

The No. 15 and No. 16 ranked Virginia men’s and women’s cross country programs both notched an 11th-place team finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational at the Thomas Zimmer Championships Cross Country Course in Madison, Wisc. on Friday.

The Cavaliers were led by three top-20 finishers in Jenny Schilling, Will Anthony and Gary Martin in the women’s 6k and men’s 8k races.
Jenny Schilling and Gillian Bushee led the way for the Cavalier women in the women’s championship “A” race earning spots in the top 30 finishers in a field of nearly 200 participants.
Virginia’s only cross country All-American from last season, Schilling continues to shine in her junior season, finishing 20th with her time of 20:33.4. The Leesburg native was not too far off her personal best for 6k of 19:56.5 set at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships last season.

The second Cavalier across the line was none other than Bushee, who has led the Cavaliers all season long winning her season opener at the Spider Alumni Open before earning a third-place finish at the Virginia Invitational.

Bushee navigated her way through the pack of runners in route to a 26th-place finish in a time of 20:39.1. The Herdon native recorded a new personal best for 6k lowering her previous record of 20:45.7 from the 2023 ACC Cross Country Championships.
Rounding out the scoring positions for the women was Camryn Menninger (21:18.9, 82nd), Mary Ellen Eudaly (21:19.7, 84th) and Cate DeSousa (21:22.9, 92nd). The Cavaliers finished 11th in the team standings with a total of 304 points. Though just outside the top 10 teams, Virginia was the second ACC team to finish behind UNC in seventh place with 235 points.
Virginia’s top finisher at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships, Will Anthony, led the way for the Cavaliers in the men’s 8k race in Madison, Wis. Anthony positioned himself in the top 20 runners from the gun and strategically moved up in the pack throughout the race.
The New Zealand native crossed the line in 23:45.7 to secure 15th place. Not far behind was his teammate Gary Martin in 18th place with his time of 23:49.8. Martin was not far off his personal best of 23:24.7 from the ACC Cross Country Championships last season.

Rounding out the scoring positions for the men was Justin Wachtel (24:35.7, 87th), Jack Eliason (24:38.0, 95th) and Adam Balewicz (24:38.9, 98th). The Cavaliers finished 11th in the team standings, tallying a total of 313 points.

In the women’s “B” race, freshman Stella Kermes led the way for Virginia with her top-10 finish. Kermes completed the 6k course in 21:31.6 to finish sixth in the field. Also in the “B” race were fellow Cavaliers in Tatum Olesen (22:15.3, 31st) and Luci Ilnicki-Lambert (22:18.2, 33rd).
On the men’s side, the duo of Scott Sikorski and Jimmy Wischusen took on the competition in the men’s “B” race. Sikorski completed the 8k course in 25:29.9 to finish 20th while his freshman teammate in Wischusen crossed the line in 26:06.0 to finish just inside the top 30 finishers in 29th place.

FROM DIRECTOR OF CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD VIN LANANNA:
“Overall it was a solid effort for the men and women. . We will get back to work and be ready for our next home meet.”
Nuttycombe Invitational
Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course
Madison, Wisc.

Women’s Championship “A” Race Team Results (6k)
  1. Washington — 110
  2. Utah — 139
  3. Georgetown — 145
  4. Providence — 180
  5. Wisconsin — 182
  6. Furman — 209
  7. North Carolina — 235
  8. Gonzaga — 260
  9. Oregon — 264
  10. Penn State — 273
  11. Virginia — 304
  12. Syracuse — 315
  13. Villanova — 323
  14. Boston College — 349
  15. Lipscomb — 378
  16. Florida State — 409
  17. Wake Forest — 416
  18. Northwestern — 422
  19. Michigan — 458
  20. Iowa State — 471
  21. Oregon State — 479
  22. Portland — 493
  23. Illinois — 602
  24. Texas A&M — 650
  25. Columbia — 659
Men’s Championship “A” Race Team Results (8k)
  1. BYU — 44
  2. Iowa State — 108
  3. Wake Forest — 150
  4. North Carolina — 196
  5. Washington — 246
  6. Michigan — 262
  7. Eastern Kentucky — 264
  8. Colorado — 274
  9. Princeton — 275
  10. Villanova — 312
  11. Virginia — 313
  12. Syracuse — 325
  13. Georgetown — 342
  14. Portland — 349
  15. Florida State — 356
  16. Air Force — 372
  17. Gonzaga — 389
  18. Montana State — 397
  19. Tulsa — 412
  20. Iona — 419
  21. Furman — 455
  22. Illinois — 562
  23. Texas A&M — 616
  24. Providence — 654
UP NEXT
The Virginia men’s and women’s cross country teams will host the second of two meets this season, the Panorama Farms Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 19th. The men’s 8k race is set to take place at 8:45 a.m. just before the women line up for the 5k race at 9:30 a.m.