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EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – Virginia Tech freshman Thomas Curtin (Leesburg, Va.) represented the United States and finished eighth overall today for the USA junior cross country team at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge at Holyrood Park.

Curtin finished the six kilometer course in a time of 20:21, good for eighth place overall in the men’s junior race. Teams from the United States, Great Britain and Northern Ireland and a select European team competed in men’s and women’s junior and senior races. Curtin’s USA teammate, Kirubel Erassa of Oklahoma State, was the individual winner in the men’s junior division in 19:56.

In the team races, the USA junior men and women each won their divisions, while Great Britain won the senior’s women’s race and Team Europe took the senior men’s. In the overall team standings, combined from all four races, Great Britain (144 points) was first, followed by the United States (196 points) and Europe (215 points).

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.

After returning to the states, Curtin will rejoin his Hokie teammates for the 2012 indoor track & field season. Tech’s first meet is on Jan. 13-14 as it hosts the VT Invitational. All home indoor track meets are held at Rector Field House on campus in Blacksburg.

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