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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Virginia Tech freshman Thomas Curtin (Leesburg, Va.) has been selected by USA Track & Field (USATF) to represent the United States in the second annual Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge at Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, Scotland on Jan. 7, 2012. Curtin will be one of 12 American runners (six male, six female) to compete for the USA junior cross country team (under age 20).

“Thomas’ selection to the USA junior cross country team for the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge is an outstanding achievement,” said Tech head cross country and distance Coach Ben Thomas. “It is a great reward for his outstanding freshman season this fall in cross country. He is the second Virginia Tech freshman in the last three years to make a USA junior team, so it is also speaks to the job we are doing in developing the talent in our program.“

Tech’s Jared Berman also competed for the USA junior outdoor track & field team in the summer of 2010 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Curtin competed in five cross country meets as a true freshman this fall for the Hokies. He ran fifth on the team at the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet, finishing 54th in 31:33.7 for the 10k and posted a season-best 8k time of 24:20.3 at the ACC Championship to place 30th overall and third on the team. He also led the team at the Appalachian State Blue Ridge Open by finishing eighth overall in 25:18.5 for the 8k.

The 2012 Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge is an international team event, featuring teams from the United States, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as a select European team, who will compete in men’s and women’s junior and senior races. After only a senior men’s race was held last year at the event, the 2012 edition of the competition has been expanded to include team races in the senior women’s and men’s and women’s junior divisions as well.

Each country competing in the International Team Challenge will consist of nine athletes per team (six on the junior teams) with the first six athletes per team (first four on the junior teams) scoring. The junior men will run a six kilometer race, while the senior men will run an 8k. The women’s distances are 6k for the senior race and 4k for the juniors.

Curtin will be joined on the USA junior men’s team by Eddie Owens of Princeton, Michael Bradjic of Ohio State, Kirubel Erassa of Oklahoma State and the high school duo of Nathan Weitz and Andrew Gardner, who are both natives of Spokane, Wash.

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