Cross Country: Cavaliers sweep Spider Alumni Open

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Posted on Tuesday, Sep. 5, 2023, 6:00 am

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

The No. 10 and No. 11 ranked Virginia men’s and women’s cross country programs kicked off the 2023 campaigns with a pair of victories at the Spider Alumni Open on Saturday in Richmond. The Cavaliers were led by individual victories by Caroline Timm and Yasin Sado on the men’s and women’s sides, respectively.

The day began with a men’s 6k race that was dominated by a leading Virginia pack of blue and orange from start to finish. At the finish line, it was Sado who found the extra gear powering to an individual victory marking his first-ever individual win on the cross-country course with his time of 17:59.3.

Will Anthony (18:00.6), Nate Mountain (18:04.8), Wes Porter (18:05.2), and Jacob Hunter (18:06.3) went 3-4-5-7 to round out the scoring positions giving Virginia a total of just 20 points to run away with the team title.

Next up were the Cavalier women, who turned in another emphatic performance in a two-lap 4k race. Leading the pack was the Kennesaw State transfer, Timm, who crossed the finish line in 13:29.5 in her Cavalier debut to secure her first individual win in her collegiate cross country career.

Immediately following Timm was another Cavalier newcomer, Gillian Bushee who finished as the runner-up with her time of 13:32.1. Sophie Atkinson (13:47.6), Anna Workman (13:48.9) and Cate Desousa (14:04.4) went 6-7-13 to put Virginia’s total at 29 winning the race by a margin of 46 points.

FROM DIRECTOR OF TRACK & CROSS COUNTRY VIN LANANNA

“This was a good way for both of our teams to begin the season. We saw a pair of very strong performances from both the men and women. We have more work to do, but we have the makings of two very strong cross country teams.”

PANORAMA FARMS & XC23

Virginia will host the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 18 at Panorama Farms. The 2023 championships will mark just the second time Virginia has hosted the event and the first time since the 1987 championships.

In the build-up to the NCAA Championships, the Cavaliers host a pair of meets at Panorama Farms. The home schedule begins with the Virginia Invitational (Sept. 23) featuring a highly competitive field including many of the qualifying teams from the 2022 championships. Virginia will also host the XC23 Pre-National (Oct. 14) which will serve as an opportunity for NCAA Division I teams from across the country to preview the course for the 2023 NCAA Championships.

Spider Alumni Open
Pole Green Park
Richmond
Women’s Team Results (4k)

  1. Virginia — 29
  2. William & Mary — 75
  3. Georgetown — 76
  4. Richmond — 86
  5. Delaware — 144
  6. George Mason — 165
  7. VCU — 210
  8. American — 214
  9. Longwood — 287
  10. James Madison — 324
  11. VMI — 340
  12. Christopher Newport — 361
  13. Hampton — 364
  14. Mary Washington — 443
  15. St. Mary’s (Md.) — 453
  16. Bowie St — 506

Men’s Team Results (6k)

  1. Virginia — 20
  2. Georgetown — 59
  3. Richmond — 119
  4. William & Mary — 121
  5. American — 124
  6. George Mason — 140
  7. VCU — 192
  8. Washington and Lee — 227
  9. VMI — 234
  10. Longwood — 310
  11. Christopher Newport — 318
  12. Mary Washington — 327
  13. St. Mary’s (Md.) — 433
  14. Bowie State — 446