By Rick Platt
The William and Mary men's cross country team captured their third consecutive Colonial Athletic Association cross country title last Saturday at Bull Run Park in Centreville. The Tribe took three of the top four spots, including winner Ed Moran, named the CAA's Top Male Athlete for the cross country season.
The W&M women finished second yet again in the CAAs, as James Madison won
their fourth consecutive conference title. However, the Tribe held out one of
their top runners, Cheryl Bauer, saving her for the NCAA Southeast Regional
Championship, Nov. 16, and for an attempt to turn the tables on JMU and qualify
for the NCAA Championships, Nov. 25.
Both the men and women are nationally ranked, the men at 29th, but second in
the Southeast region (behind only North Carolina State, which includes Jamestown
High grad Bryce Ruiz). The top two teams from each of the nine regions automatically
qualify for the NCAAs, with an additional 13 at-large team berths awarded.
The women were ranked 21st in the country before the CAA meet, but were sixth
in the very strong Southeast region (behind ACC powers Wake Forest, N.C. State,
Virginia, Duke and North Carolina). The Tribe dropped to 31st after the CAAs,
with JMU rising to 27th. W&M's season's success essentially rides on beating
JMU at the NCAA regional meet. Because W&M has beaten a number of strong
teams in other regions (including Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, Tennessee
and Florida State) at the October invitational meets, they have a very good
chance of making the NCAAs if they beat JMU's women (which doesn't have a good
invitational record, and therefore could block W&M from an at-large berth).
The W&M men again dominated the CAA meet (they scored a conference record-low
17 points last year). This year a 1-3-4 finish led to a winning 24-point score,
followed by JMU 56, Delaware 68, Virginia Commonwealth 110, Towson 156, UNC-Wilmington
176, Hofstra 190 and George Mason 202.
Ed Moran was as dominant individually as W&M was as a team, winning by 23
seconds in 24:29 for the 8,000 meters. The other W&M runners under 26 minutes
were John O'Connor (2nd, 24:52), Jacob Frey (4th, 24:55), Charlie Hurt (8th,
25:08), West Garrett (9th, 25:13), Michael Keeling (10th, 25:16), Adam Otstot
(12th, 25:21), Brendan Gaffney (14th, 25:32), Trevor Cable (16th, 25:41) and
Tyler Kirk (19th, 25:51). Not running the CAAs (due to illness), but expected
to be in W&M's top four for the NCAA regional is freshman Matt Keally.
Two local runners were in JMU's top seven--York High's Allen Carr (15th, 25:34)
and Lafayette's Barry Rodgers (23rd, 26:14).
The women's CAA meet was essentially a dual meet between W&M and JMU, as
the two rivals took 14 of the top 15 places. The team score had JMU 25, W&M
31, Towson 121, George Mason 137, Virginia Commonwealth 139, Hofstra 139, Delaware
155 and UNC-Wilmington 214.
After JMU's Mollie DeFrancesco was first in 20:46 for the 6,000 meters, the
W&M women in the top 15 were Ali Henderson (2nd, 21:12), Maura McMahon (3rd,
21:29), Tara Guelig (6th, 22:02), Jackie Kosakowski (9th, 22:19), Kristyn Shiring
(11th, 22:28), Lauren Heron (12th, 22:46), Lara Toscani (13th, 23:00) and Erin
Masterson (15th, 23:07). Six W&M women made the all-CAA team by placing
in the top 12.
Had Cheryl Bauer been able to run her usual race (near McMahon), W&M would
have won the CAAs. However she has been hampered by a sore shin in recent weeks,
and women's coach Pat Van Rossum felt it better to save her for the NCAA regional
meet. W&M earlier lost Emily Halm (who was in their strong top four) for
the season, due to strained hip muscles and SI joint, caused when she rolled
her ankle during a run earlier this season.