9.5.2011

FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood University opened its 2011 men's and women's cross country campaigns this past week. The Lancers ran in the VMI Relays on September 2 at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington as the men placed fifth among five teams, and the women finished sixth among six teams. Longwood, coached by fifth-year head coach Catherine Hanson, will participate in the JMU Open Invitational on Saturday morning, Sept. 10 at the New Market Battlefield near Harrisonburg at 10 a.m.

A Look Back At The VMI Relays
VMI hosted a non-traditional style relay event at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington. The University of Cincinnati won the men's relay with six points, followed by VMI (23), Concord (34), Radford (47), and Longwood (72). Bearcat Eric Finan took first place individually with his time of 18:47, while the Lancers were led by sophomore Kyle Moller|Gainesville (Battlefield) with his time of 22:52 over four miles. Moller and senior Robert Webb|Williamsburg (Lafayette) (23:58) finished 24th with their combined time of 46:50 over approximately eight miles, followed by freshmen Ryan Canoy|Williamsburg (Bruton) (22:58) and Matt Wallace|Lynchburg (Brookville) (23:53) (46:51, 25th), along with seniors Anthony Caldwell| Charlottesville (Manchester) (23:02) and Alex Strittmater|Haymarket (Battlefield) (24:02) (47:04, 26th).

James Madison University won the women's relay with 14 points, followed by Cincinnati (16), VMI (21), Concord (34), Radford (47), and Longwood (58). Cincinnati's Alison Zukowski took first place individually with her time of 17:34, while the Lancers were led by senior Jessica Alley|New Castle (Craig County) with her time of 19:07 over three miles. Alley and freshman Elisabeth Drake|Hayes (Gloucester) (20:54) placed 14th with their combined time of 40:01 over approximately six miles, followed by junior Jenna Sprinkle|Buchanan (James River) (22:11) and sophomore Crystal Baxley|Virginia Beach (First Colonial) (22:42) (44:53, 21st), along with sophomore Emberli McGann|Stuarts Draft (Stuarts Draft) (23:30) and junior Rebecca Denny|Virginia Beach (Kempsville) (24:40) (48:10, 23rd).

Head Coach Catherine Hanson
"The weather (hot and humid) was a challenge for all runners. I was very pleased at how well the girls executed the 1.5 mile repeats. The girls pulled together and supported each other well, and I am glad that they had a chance to run with girls from JMU and Cincinnati. The men ran a two mile effort on a very large mile loop in which they had to repeat twice. The men had trouble holding back from racing, rather they were eager to race. This offered me a glance at determining who my seventh runner will be at JMU."

A Look Ahead At The JMU Open Invitational
James Madison University will host its races at the New Market Battlefield near Harrisonburg. The men's 8K race is scheduled for 10 a.m., while the women's 5K race is scheduled for 11 a.m. Last year, George Mason won the six-team men's event, while Duke won the five-team women's competition. Junior Sean Flynn|Goodview (Roanoke Catholic) is expected to make his 2011 debut for the men, while freshmen Nick Reed|Fairfax (Robinson), Russell Reed|Onemo (Mathews), and Trey Thomas|Stafford (Mountain View) are expected to run their first races as Lancers too. Junior Alisha Royal|Vinton (William Byrd) is expected to make her 2011 debut for the women, while junior Megan Short|Sicklerville, N.J. (Timber Creek) and freshman Brittany Foote|Goshen, N.Y. (Goshen) are expected to race as well.

Head Coach Catherine Hanson
"This will be the first meet in which the whole teams will compete. The course at JMU is similar to that at VMI; open fields that are mowed, full sun and rolling hills. Hopefully, the fair amount of long efforts on hills we have put in will put us in a position to post some good times that show that we are gaining strength and moving in the right direction. Moreover, I am excited to see my kids work together as a team, as I have seen at practice."

2011 Captains
Senior Justin Cooke|Chesterfield (Manchester) will serve as the men's team captain for the first time, while senior Jessica Alley|New Castle (Craig County) is serving as the women's team captain for the second consecutive season.

Injury-Free, Ready To Run
Longwood junior Alisha Royal|Vinton (William Byrd) has battled nagging injuries during her first two years. This year, however, she is injury-free as the season begins, and expectations are high for the third-year team member. Royal was a two-time All-State honoree in high school and Region Champion as a senior.

Up Next
Longwood will participate in the Adidas Cross Country Challenge on Sept. 16 in Cary, North Carolina at 5:15 p.m.