Tweet

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Virginia Tech men's and women's cross country teams are both ranked in the Southeast Region to start the 2011 season, as announced by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Hokie men were tabbed seventh and the women were ranked eighth.

Last season, the Hokie women finished fifth at the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet, while the men were 14th. The top two teams in each region will earn automatic berths to the 2011 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., where they will be joined by 13 at-large teams from across the nation on Nov. 21. This year's NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championship will be contested in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 12.

The Tech women return six of their top-seven runners from last year, including an All-Region performer in sophomore Paige Kvartunas. The men return five of their seven runners from the regional line-up last year and welcome back four upperclassmen who redshirted in 2010, including track All-Americans Will Mulherin and Michael Hammond.

The Hokies open the season on Friday, Sept. 2 as they host the VT Alumni Invitational at the Tech Cross Country Course. The women’s 4k starts at 6:00 p.m., with the men’s 6k to follow at 6:45 p.m.

For updates on Virginia Tech cross country, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Track).