RAMS RUN 23RD AT NCAA SOUTHEAST REGIONALS
11-11-06
results
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Senior Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) (pictured) and junior Jay Wyss (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) were the top runners for Virginia Commonwealth University as the Rams finished 23rd out of 32 teams at the 2006 NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park.
Chaffee completed the 10K course in 32:27.00 to finish 56th in the individual standings. Wyss was close behind at 32:38.50 to place 65th. Senior Lukasz Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland/No. 7 in Warsaw) was 149th in 33:48.75. Sophomore Joey Wingo (Richmond, Va./Lee-Davis) was 157th in 34:05.65. Senior Adam Canning (Williamsburg, Va./Bruton) finished 162th in 34:18.50. Senior Riad Ouled (Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin) was 173rd in 34:36.30. Sophomore Ben Rickey (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) was 185th in 34:51.55.
North Carolina State won the team title with 64 points, followed by CAA Champion William & Mary with 70 points. Jacob Korir of Eastern Kentucky won took individual honors in 30:03.10.
2006 NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships
1. North Carolina State 64. 2. William & Mary 70. 3. Louisville 80. 4. Virginia 131. 5. Clemson 201. 6. Virginia Tech 235. 7. Liberty 237. 8. Eastern Kentucky 257. 9. Duke 309. 10. Wake Forest 335. 11. North Carolina 342. 12. James Madison 346. 13. Charlotte 363. 14. Appalachian State 417. 15. George Mason 428. 16. Kentucky 459. 17. High Point 468. 18. Coastal Carolina 474. 19. Richmond 512. 20. UNC Greensboro 519. 21. Norfolk State 545. 22. Furman 548. 23. VCU 574. 24. Davidson 614. 25. Radford 634. 26. Gardner-Webb 665. 27. UNC Wilmington 681. 28. Western Kentucky 734. 29. Morehead State 759. 30. College of Charleston 838. 31. Elon 889. 32. Wofford 975.
RAMS PLACE TWO ON ALL-CAA MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM
10-30-06
RICHMOND, Va. – The local duo of senior Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) and junior Jay Wyss (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) teamed up to accomplish a feat that had not been done in over seven years. Chaffee and Wyss was the first pair of VCU men’s harriers to capture All-CAA honors since 1999.
Chaffee, who became a key veteran leader to the Rams this season, dedicated countless hours throughout the summer and improved to become one of the Black and Gold’s top runners this year and topped it off with an eighth place finish at this past weekend’s 2006 Colonial Athletic Association Cross Country Championships, which were held at White Clay Creek State Park in Newark, Delaware. He broke the tape with a time of 25:27.06.
Wyss emerged as a standout harrier this season for the Rams as he finished right behind Chaffee in ninth position. He finished the eight-kilometer course just three seconds behind Chaffee and stopped the clock in 25:30.15.
It marks the first time since 1999 that two or more VCU runners were named to the All-CAA team. The pair of Alberto Vicente and Joe Reid finished in fourth and ninth respectively.
The local pair led the VCU men’s cross country team to a fifth-place finish overall at the meet. The Black and Gold will have two weeks to prepare for the NCAA Southeast Regional meet, which will be held on Saturday, November 11 in Louisville, Kentucky.
CHAFFEE, WYSS LEAD VCU TO FIFTH-PLACE FINISH AT CAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
10-27-06
Results
NEWARK, Del. – Senior Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) and junior Jay Wyss (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) each finished in the Top Ten to help Virginia Commonwealth University to a fifth-place finish at the 2006 Colonial Athletic Association Cross Country Championships at the White Clay Creek State Park.
Chaffee completed the 8K course in 25:27.06 to finish eighth in the individual standings. Wyss was right behind at 25:30.15 to place ninth. Senior Adam Canning (Williamsburg, Va./Bruton) finished 26th in 26:23.02. Senior Lukasz Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland/No. 7 in Warsaw) was 31st in 26:37.38. Sophomore Joey Wingo (Richmond, Va./Lee-Davis) was 37th in 26:54.38.
William & Mary won the team title with 32 points. James Madison placed second with 63, followed by George Mason (98), Georgia State (104) and VCU (111).
C.W. Moran of James Madison was the top individual, setting a course record of 24:33.39.
The NCAA Southeast Regional will be held on Saturday, Nov. 11, in Louisville, Ky.
CAA Championships
1. William & Mary 32
2. James Madison 63
3. George Mason 98
4. Georgia State 104
5. VCU 111
6. UNC Wilmington 152
7. Delaware 168
8. Hofstra 243
9. Northeastern 268
RAMS FINISH FIFTH AT TRIBE OPEN
10-14-06
results
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Junior Jay Wyss (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) (pictured) finished sixth in the individual results to help Virginia Commonwealth University to a fifth-place finish at the Tribe Open.
Wyss completed the 8K course in 25:29.8. Senior Riad Ouled (Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin) placed 24th in 26:53.3. Sophomore Ben Rickey (Richmond, Va./J.R.Tucker) ran the course in 27:43.7. Senior Daniel Cancro (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis) finished in 29:18.
Host William & Mary won the team title with 34 points, 10 better than Virginia.
The Rams will compete in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship on Saturday, October 28, in Newark, Del.
Tribe Open
1. William & Mary 34
2. Virginia 44
3. UMBC 77
4. Mount St. Mary’s 82
5. VCU 140
6. Christopher Newport 157
7. Hampden-Sydney 213
8. Hampton 233
RAMS CAPTURE HAGAN STONE PARK CLASSIC
10-7-06
results
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Virginia Commonwealth University men’s cross country team finished first out of 16 teams at the Hagan Stone Park Cross Country Classic on Saturday.
The Rams compiled 49 points, nine better than second-place Duke. VCU also finished ahead of Wake Forest.
Senior Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) paced the Rams and was third overall, finishing the 8K course in 25:23.3. Junior Jay Wyss (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) was sixth overall in 25:54.6. Senior Lukasz Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland/No. 7 in Warsaw) placed seventh in 25:56.7.
The Rams return to action on Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Delaware Invitational in Newark, Del. It will be the final tune-up before the CAA Championships on Saturday, Oct. 28, also in Newark, Del.
Hagan Stone Park Cross Country Classic University Men 8K
1. VCU 49; 2. Duke 58; 3. St. Augustine’s 126; 4. Longwood 135; 5. Wake Forest 142; 6. Wingate 169; 7. New York Tech 180; 8. Queens (Charlotte) 208; 9. North Carolina A&T 231; 10. Guilford 257; 11. UNC Pembroke 296; 12. Pfeiffer 296; 13. Methodist 308; 14. Greensboro 372; 15. Mount Olive 426; 16. Bluefield State 485.
A TEAM PLACES 23RD AT LEHIGH; B TEAM SECOND AT MAYMONT MEET
9-29-06
RICHMOND, Va.- VCU's A Team finished 23rd out of 42 teams at the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh University. Senior Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) was the top finisher for the Rams, placing 40th in a time of 25:10.
VCU's B Team was second at the McDonald's Maymont Cross Country Festival in Richmond, Va. Senior Adam Canning (Williamsburg, Va./Bruton) was second overall in 27:45. Senior Daniel Cancro (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis) Was fourth in 28:17.
The Rams will compete in the Greensboro Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 7, in Greensboro, N.C.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY RANKED SIXTH IN CAA PRESEASON POLL
9-13-06
RICHMOND, Va.- With a roster loaded with returning lettermen and a talented batch of freshman runners, the men’s cross country team will look to make a splash in the CAA this upcoming fall. The squad was recently ranked fifth in the CAA preseason poll, but will look to improve upon that ranking at the conference championships later this fall.
The Rams will be led by a strong group of veterans as junior Steve Walters (Virginia Beach, Va./Green Run) returns after earning All-CAA honors at the CAA Championships last fall. Walters will be joined by seniors Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) and Riad Ouled (Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin) as they look to guide a talented stable of young runners back to top of the CAA.
The Black and Gold finished sixth behind six-time defending champion, William and Mary, who received the top spot in the preseason poll along with Georgia State and James Madison, who tied for second place. Delaware and George Mason finished fourth and fifth, respectively as Hofstra, Northeastern and UNC Wilmington rounded out the nine team poll.
The women’s squad finished ninth in the women’s cross country CAA preseason poll. Junior Danielle Williams(Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) and sophomore Samantha Hendel (Rockville Center, N.Y./Oceanside) return as the Rams’ first and third place finisher at CAA championship last fall as the duo look to lead the Black and Gold this fall.
2006 CAA CROSS COUNTRY PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL
MEN
1. William and Mary 63 (7 first-place votes)
2. Georgia State 52 (1 first-place vote)
James Madison 52
4. Delaware 41
5. George Mason 35 (1 first-place vote)
6. VCU 34
7. Hofstra 23
8. Northeastern 13
9. UNC Wilmington 11
WOMEN
1. William and Mary 81 (9 first-place votes)
2. James Madison 73 (1 first-place vote)
3. Georgia State 59
4. Delaware 58
5. Towson 44
6. Hofstra 41
7. Northeastern 39
8. UNC Wilmington 27
9. VCU 15
10. George Mason 13
CHAFFEE LEADS THE WAY AS RAMS FINISH NINTH AT LOU ONESTY
9-9-06
Results
EARLYSVILLE, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University junior Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) placed ninth overall in a field of 115 to lead the Rams to a seventh-place finish Saturday at Panorama Farms in the University of Virginia’s Lou Onesty Invitational.
Chaffee covered the 8-kilometer layout in 25:33.7, while Rams sophomore Jay Wyss (Ricmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) was 22 nd overall in 25.58.7. Chaffee’s time was two seconds off his personal best for 8K and marks nearly a two-minute improvement over his time at the same meet last season.
VCU totaled 177 points and finished 17 behind High Point for sixth in the 12-team field. Liberty, propelled by individual champion Josh McDougal (24:14.5), captured the team title with 41 points. Virginia was second with 88, followed by William & Mary with 94.
Also scoring for the Black and Gold, junior Lukasz Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland/ Warsaw #7) was 52 nd in 26:58.5, freshman Joey Wingo (Richmond, Va./Lee Davis) was 54 th in 27:04.5 and freshman Ben Rickey (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) was 66 th in 27:43.3.
The Rams head to Annapolis, Md. Saturday, Sept. 16 for the Navy Invitational. Race time is 11 a.m.
CHAFFEE LEADS RAMS TO WIN IN RICHMOND ALUMNI OPEN
9-2-06
Results
RICHMOND, Va. – Led by senior Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage), the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s cross country team took first place in the University of Richmond’s Alumni Open.
Four local products helped the Rams, under head coach Julian Spooner, accumulate 30 points in their opening meet to finish ahead of host Richmond at 33 points and Longwood at 68 points.
Chaffee completed the 5k course in 15:30.09. Junior Jay Wyss (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) placed second in 15:47.81, followed by senior Lukasz Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland/No. 7 in Warsaw) in 15:49.93. Sophomore Joey Wingo (Richmond, Va./Lee-Davis) was fourth for the Rams in 16:12.06. Sophomore Ben Rickey (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) placed fifth for VCU in 16:34.75.
The Rams will be back in action on Saturday, Sept. 9, at the University of Virginia’s Lou Onesty Invitational in Charlottesville.
WALTERS EARNS ALL-CAA HONORS AS RAMS FINISH FIFTH AT CAAs
10-29-05
Results
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Sophomore Steve Walters (Virginia Beach, Va./Green Run) finished 11th out of 86 runners to earn All-Colonial Athletic Association honors as Virginia Commonwealth University finished fifth out of nine teams at the CAA Championships.
Walters posted a time of 29:19.91 in the 8k run. He was the top finisher among 12 Rams.
Junior Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) was second for VCU and 21st overall with a time of 25:57.02. Junior Riad Ouled (Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin) was 29th at 26:26.11. Junior Lukasz Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland/No. 7) placed 32nd in 26:33.30. Junior Mariusz Mostrag (Krajnik, Poland/No. 3) was 39th in 26:47.98. Senior Chris White (Fredericksburg, Va./Massaponax) finished 41st in 26:51.79.
Other finishers for the Rams were freshman Joey Wingo (Richmond, Va./Lee-Davis), 54th in 27:24.70; sophomore Jay Wyss (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker), 56th in 27:26.44; junior Adam Canning (Williamsburg, Va./Bruton), 61st in 27:41.55; freshman Brandon Miles (Richmond, Va./Midlothian), 69th in 28:14.61; freshman Ben Rickey (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker), 76th in 28:53.62; and freshman Cody Tucker (Laguna Beach, Calif./St. Margaret’s), 82nd in 29:33.44.
The NCAA Regionals will be held in two weeks on Saturday, Nov. 12, in Greenville, N.C.
2005 CAA Men’s Cross Country Championships
1 William & Mary 26
2 James Madison 46
3 Georgia State 93
4 Delaware 107
5 VCU 111
6 Hofstra 191
7 Northeastern 213
8 UNC Wilmington 229
9 George Mason 250
RAMS HEAD TO CAAs
Richmond, Va. – The Virginia Commonwealth University men’s and women’s cross country teams will head to Wilmington, N.C. this Saturday for the Colonial Athletic Association championships. The men, who will run eight kilometers, have a start time of 10 a.m., while the women are set to run 6 kilometers and begin at 11 a.m. An awards ceremony will follow the meet at approximately noon.
Sophomore Steve Walters (Virginia Beach, Va./Green Run) holds the fastest time of the season for the men at 24:43.20, while senior Emily Thompson (Crozet, Va./Western Albermarle) leads the women with a time of 23:07.17. In 2004, the men finished third out of seven teams, while the women finished third out of eight.
The NCAA Southeast Regional cross county meet will be held Saturday, November 12, in Greenville, N.C.
RAMS FINISH SECOND AT TRIBE OPEN
10-15-05
Results
Williamsburg, Va. – The Virginia Commonwealth University men’s cross country team finished second at the Tribe Open hosted by William & Mary. Five teams and 71 runners competed in the 8k event.
Junior Cary Chaffee ( Richmond, Va./Hermitage) led the Rams with a time of 26:20.23 to finish eighth. Junior Mariusz Mostrag ( Krajnik, Poland/No. 3 in Krajnik) clocked a time of 26:50.71 to finish 18 th. Chris White ( Fredericksburg, Va./Massaponax) finished in 21 st position at 26:52.18, while Riad Ouled ( Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin) charted at time of 27:05.23 to earn the 27 th spot. Junior Lukasz Matusiewicz ( Warsaw, Poland/No. 7 in Warsaw) became the fifth Ram to finish in the top 30 when he crossed the finish line at 27:17.63 in 29 th position.
The Rams return to action in two weeks when they travel to Wilmington, N.C. for the Colonial Athletic Association championships on October 29.
Also competing:
34 Wingo, Joey 27:35.36
37 Rickey, Ben 27:40.35
42 Canning, Adam 27:52.42
45 Wyss, Jay 28:25.20
49 Tucker, Cody 28:40.80
51 Rusterholz, Tim 28:57.54
56 Bennett, Jonathon 29:33.17
62 Cancro, Daniel 30:32.11
64 White, Christian 30:39.74
Tribe Open Team Standings:
William & Mary 21
VCU 62
George Washington 72
Longwood 104
George Mason 126
RAMS FINISH 37TH AT PAUL SHORT RUN
10-1-05
Results
Bethlehem, Pa. - The Virginia Commonwealth University men’s cross country team finished 37th at the annual Paul Short Run hosted by Lehigh University. There were a total of forty-four teams competing in the 8k event.
VCU junior Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) paced the Rams with a time of 25:35.8 to finish 136th out of 300 runners. Junior Riad Ouled (Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin) finished with a time of 26:02.2, while junior Lukasz Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland/No. 7 in Warsaw) recorded a time of 26:15.6. Freshman Ben Rickey(Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) clocked his fastest 8k time of the season at 26:31.1. Junior Mariusz Mostrag (Krajnik, Poland/No. 3 in Krajnik) finished at 26:32.6, while junior Chris White (Fredericksburg, Va./Massaponax) recorded a time of 26:38.9. Brandon Miles (Williamsburg, Va./Bruton) was close behind with a time of 27:07.8.
VCU’s B team competed at the 2005 Mason Invitational at George Mason University and finished sixth out of eight teams. The Rams were led by freshman Joey Wingo (Richmond, Va./Lee Davis) with a time of 27:35.18.
The men's cross country team will return to action Saturday, October 15, at Penn State University.
RAMS FINISH SIXTH AT GREAT AMERICAN
9-27-05
Results
Cary, N.C. - The Virginia Commonwealth University men’s cross country team finished sixth at the Great American Cross Country Festival this past Saturday. There were a total of fifteen teams competing in the Men’s 8K Cross Country Run Seeded University division.
Ram sophomore Steve Walters (Virginia Beach, Va./Green Run) finished fifth out of 133 runners with a time of 24:43.30. Junior Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage/Christopher Newport) clocked VCU’s second fastest time at 25:25.00 to finish 22nd. Freshman Brandon Miles (Richmond, Va. / Midlothian) finished with a time of 26:25.60. Junior Lukasz Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland/No. 7 in Warsaw) clocked a time of 26:28.50, while senior Chris White (Richmond, Va./Massapanox) finished at 26:45.40. Just 16 seconds behind White was junior Riad Ouled (Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin) with a time of 27:02.20, while freshman Ben Rickey (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) finished at 27:30.10.
The men's cross country team will be back in action Saturday, October 1, at Lehigh. The B team will compete at George Mason.
RAMS FINISH THIRD AT VIRGINIA TECH INVITATIONAL II
9-16-05
Results
Blacksburg, Va. - The Virginia Commonwealth University men’s cross country team finished third at the Virginia Tech Invitational II on the Meredith Cross Country Course. There were a total of four teams competing at the 7.7 K event.
Ram junior Lukasz Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland/No. 7 in Warsaw) finished 14th out of 46 runners with a time of 26:18.55. Junior Mariusz Mostrag (Krajnik, Poland/No. 3 in Krajnik) clocked VCU’s second fastest time at 26:45.29 to finish 20th. Junior Adam Canning (Williamsburg, Va./Bruton) was close behind with a time of 27:13.51.
The men's cross country team will return to action next Friday, September 23, at The Maymount in Richmond.
Also for VCU:
Joey Wingo 27:22.66
Tim Rusterholz 28:08.75
Cody Tucker 28:30.51
Daniel Cancro 29:12.04
Johnathan Bennett 30:19.34
Christian White 31:23.59
RAMS FINISH SIXTH AT LOU ONESTY INVITATIONAL
9-10-05
Results
The Virginia Commonwealth University men’s cross country team finished sixth at the Lou Onesty Invitational hosted by the University of Virginia. There were a total of nine teams competing at the annual event.
Ram sophomore Steve Walters (Virginia Beach, Va./Green Run) finished ninth out of 113 runners with a time of 24:49.86. Junior Riad Ouled (Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin) clocked VCU’s second fastest time at 26:19.87 to finish 39th.
Brandon Miles (Richmond, Va. / Midlothian) and Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage/Christopher Newport) also had top 50 finishes, 46th and 47th respectively. Miles clocked a time of 26:32.78, while Chaffee finished the 8K event at 26:36.05.
The men's cross country team will be back in action next Friday, September 16, at Virginia Tech University.
RAMS FINISH SECOND AT SPIDER ALUMNI OPEN
9-3-05
The Virginia Commonwealth men’s cross country team finished one point short of first place at the Spider Alumni Open hosted by the University of Richmond. The Rams earned a second place finish with a total of 28 team points in their first meet of the season.
Transfer Jay Wyss (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker/Christopher Newport) paved the way for the Rams with his second place finish in the 5k race. The newcomer, who was named 2004 Christopher Newport Rookie of the Year, finished the race in 15:38.3.
Of 47 competitors, VCU had three top-five finishers. Cary Chaffee (Richmond, Va./Hermitage/Christopher Newport) finished close behind Wyss with a time of 15:48.7, earning third place overall. Junior Mariusz Mostrag (Krajnik, Poland) rounded out the top five when he crossed the finish line at 16:00.21.
Riad Ouled (Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin),Lucas Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland), Christian White (Richmond, Va./Atlee), and Brandon Miles (Richmond, Va. / Midlothian) each finished in the top 20.
The men's cross country team will return to action next Saturday at the University of Virginia Invitational. The race is set to begin at 10 a.m.
WALTERS AND BOIT RECOGNIZED FOR ALL-CAA HONORS
12-8-04
RICHMOND, Va. – Freshmen cross country runners Steve Walters (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) and Elizeba Boit (Eldoret, Kenya/Dry Girl’s) of Virginia Commonwealth University were recognized today by the Colonial Athletic Association for earning All-CAA cross country honors. Walters finished in seventh place at the CAA Cross Country Championships held on October 30th, while Boit earned eighth place during the women’s race. The top 12 finishers were named to the All-CAA team.
Walters was the top finisher for the Rams for all but one of the team’s races during the season. He started off the year on a quick foot, achieving his 8k season-best time of 25:45.00 at the Lou Onesty Invitational, the second meet on the schedule. He led the Rams to a third place overall finish at the CAA Championships.
Boit was the top finisher for the women’s team in all but one of the squad’s races as well. The Kenyan led the Rams to their best team finish at the CAA’s since 2000, third place, behind national powerhouses James Madison and William & Mary.
Both runners will be competing for VCU’s indoor track and field teams this winter. The men and women’s teams will return to competition on January 15th at the Navy Invite in Annapolis, Md.
VCU FINISHES 22ND OUT OF 29 TEAMS AT NCAA REGIONALS
11-13-04
Results
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Virginia Commonwealth men’s cross country team finished 22nd overall out of the 29 squads competing at the NCAA Southeast Regional held at Lake Kristi in Greenville, N.C. Freshman Steve Walters (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) and sophomore Riad Ouled (Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin) paved the way for the Rams as they finished 78th and 79th, respectively.
The two runners were only separated by a mere second, as Walters finished with a time of 32:18.4 and Ouled, who was competing in his second-straight NCAA regional meet, finished with a time of 32:19.4. The 10k race was the first this season for the Rams running that distance. Sophomore Mariusz Mostrag (Krajnik, Poland) finished in 134th, while classmates Lukasz Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland) and Adam Canning (Williamsburg, Va./Bruton) followed in 168th and 173rd, respectively.
The race, which was hosted by East Carolina University, featured six nationally-ranked men and women’s teams. Josh McDougal, a freshman from Liberty University, won the individual race, while NC State captured the overall team victory.
This was the final race of the 2004 season for the Rams. The team competed in numerous national meets including the Lehigh Invitational and the NCAA Pre-
Nationals, and now set their sights on the upcoming indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
RAMS TO SEND FIVE RUNNERS TO NCAA REGIONAL MEET
11-10-04
RICHMOND, Va. - The Virginia Commonwealth men’s cross country team will participate in the NCAA Regionals this Saturday in Greenville, N.C. Head coach Julian Spooner will be sending five members from the squad including freshman Steve Walters (Virginia Beach, Va./Green Run), who was the Rams’ top finisher at the CAA Championships.
Sophomores Adam Canning (Williamsburg, Va./Bruton), Lukasz Matusiewicz (Warsaw, Poland), Mariusz Mostrag (Krajnik, Poland) and Riad Ouled, pictured, (Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin) will also compete for VCU. The veteran of the team, Daniel Ndungu (Nairobi, Kenya/Nanyuki), will not be running due to a recently discovered heart condition. The senior had a spell during the CAA meet, but is now recovering nicely.
The absence of Ndungu’s leadership will be greatly missed. “The loss of Daniel puts an added pressure on the guys,” said Spooner.
In addition, the 10k race will be a first this season for the Rams running that distance. After competing in an opening 5k-race against the University of Richmond, the squad ran in four straight 8k meets including the Pre-National race in Terre Haute, Ind.
Walters has been one of the more consistent performers this season for VCU. The freshman was the team’s top finisher in all but one of its’ meets, the Lehigh Invitational. After struggling during the early part of the year due to injuries, Ouled looks to continue his strong showing at the CAA’s. He finished second on the team and 18th overall.
Even though the Rams may be a little inexperienced, they still look at the Regional competition as a golden opportunity. “We have a young team so it will be a great experience for them,” said Spooner. “It gives them exposure at a national level that will definitely benefit them in the future.”
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY FINISHED THIRD AT CAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
10-30-04
results
NEW MARKET, Va. – The Virginia Commonwealth men’s cross country team earned a solid third-place showing at the CAA Championships held Saturday morning at New Market Battlefield. Freshman Steve Walters (Virginia Beach, Va./Green Run) led the way for the Rams, earning All-CAA honors with his seventh-place finish at the 8k race.
Sophomore Riad Ouled (Fontainebleau, France/Francois Couperin) finished in 18th place with his season-best time of 26:49.40 over the hilly terrain. Sophomore Mariusz Mostrag (Krajnik, Poland/No. 3 in Krajnik) and senior Daniel Ndungu (Nairobi, Kenya/Nanyuki) rounded out the top 25 for VCU finishing in 24th place and 25th place, respectively.
The College of William & Mary claimed it’s fifth consecutive men’s title by taking the top four spots. Junior Matt Keally won the individual crown with a time of 25:54.50. The Tribe scored 18 points followed by James Madison University with 45. Delaware, with 107 points, and UNC Wilmington, with 144 points, rounded out the top five.
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PARTICIPATES IN NCAA PRE-NATIONALS
10-16-04
results
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Freshman Steve Walters (Virginia Beach, Va.) crossed the line first for Virginia Commonwealth at the 2004 NCAA Pre-Nationals held in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday.
The rookie runner finished with a time of 25:59.7 in the 8K race. Walters finished in 166th place out of 242 runners. Daniel Ndungu (Keyna) finished second for VCU with a time of 26:51.7.
Mariusz Mostrag (Poland) followed Ndungu with a time of 26:57.6. Riad Ouled (France) and Adam Canning (Williamsburg, Va.) rounded out the scoring for the Rams.
The Rams finished in 35th place at the NCAA Pre-Nationals.
The Rams will prepare for the Colonial Athletic Association, which will be held at James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va. The championship is scheduled for Oct. 30.
