Hokie cross country teams to compete at NCAA Southeast Regional

Both Tech squads are searching for top-two finishes in hopes of securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships

November 9, 2016

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech cross country teams will be heading to the Charlottesville area Thursday to participate in the NCAA Southeast Regional meet being held at Panorama Farms in Earlysville, Virginia on Friday.

The regional meet features teams from all over the Mid-Atlantic area, including those from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky. There will be 38 teams competing on the women’s side and 36 competing on the men’s side.

The women’s 6K race starts at 11 a.m., while the men’s 10K race begins at noon. For more information on the meet, please click here: http://www.virginiasports.com/sports/c-xctrack/NCAARegional16.html.

RANKED FOES

The Tech men’s squad is receiving votes in the latest United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association national poll. The Hokies are one of four men’s teams in the poll competing in the Southeast Regional – a group that also includes No. 16 Virginia and No. 27 NC State. Like the Hokies, Kentucky is receiving votes

On the women’s side, NC State stands as the premier team, as the Wolfpack come into the regional ranked No. 2 nationally. William & Mary is the only other women’s program in the poll, as the Tribe are receiving votes.

LAST TIME OUT

Both Tech squads participated in the Hokie Open last Friday and both teams easily won. Andrew Goldman and Tessa Riley won individual titles on men’s and women’s sides, respectively, for their first career wins.

Most of Tech’s top runners, though, haven’t run since the ACC Championships. Behind Katie Kennedy’s 11th-place finish, the Tech women’s team finished third – the best finish at the ACC Championships in program history. Andrew Gaiser and Daniel Jaskowak guided the men to a fourth-place finish, with Gaiser coming in 16th and Jaskowak following him in 17th place.

STARTING LINEUPS

Gaiser and Jaskowak, the Hokies’ two most consistent men’s runners and two All-ACC choices, anchor an eight-person crew running in Earlysville. The rest of the men’s team consists of Diego Zarate, Brent Musselman, Jack Joyce, Vincent Ciattei, Daniel Rau and Goldman, who ran his way into the lineup with his win at the Hokie Open. Other than Goldman, the rest of this group ran at the ACC Championships two weeks ago.

On the women’s side, Riley ran her way into the Tech women’s lineup, one anchored by Kennedy and her five top-25 finishes this fall. The other regulars include Lauren Berman, Abigail Motley and Rachel Pocratsky, along with three freshmen – Laurie Barton, Sara Freix and Kayla Richardson. Riley and Pocratsky did not run at the ACC Championships.

UP NEXT

The NCAA regional may or may not be the last meet of the year for the Tech programs. The two teams in each regional receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships behind held Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, Indiana. Thirteen teams on each side receive an at-large bid. The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Selection Committee announces the fields for the NCAA Championships at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

For updates on Virginia Tech cross country, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_Track