The next challenge for the Cavalier cross country teams comes at the ACC Championships, to be held this Saturday in Charlottesville. The Cavalier men are coming off an excellent performance at the NCAA Pre-Nationals last weekend in Terre Haute, Ind.?. The team finished fourth overall, upsetting 10 ranked teams, including ACC rival Florida State. Junior Andy Biladeau was the Cavaliers' highest finisher at 21st overall. Close behind was freshman Emil Heineking, who finished 33rd overall. Senior Jan Foerster came back to finish a solid 40th after sitting out the previous races. The team jumped 17 places in the national rankings thanks to these performances, rising all the way to No. 11.
"The men did very, very well," coach Jason Dunn said. "That was one of the better races we've run in recent memory. Andy Biladeau really had a breakout performance. Emil Heineking has been our most pleasant surprise on the men's side. He showed at that race that he's one of the best freshmen in the country."
The women's team also did well at Pre-Nationals, taking 18th overall despite the absence of two of the Cavaliers' best runners, senior Kara Scanlin and junior Katie Read. Senior Emily Harrison ran like her usual self, finishing fourth with a time of 20:05. The only other Cavalier to finish in the top 100 was freshman Stephanie Garcia, who ran the race in 21:23.
"The women's team didn't finish as high as we would have liked, but it's still a good stepping stone. Emily did well, and Stephanie Garcia ran a good race," Dunn said. "The experience these girls gained in this race will help them be better prepared for the ACC Championships."
The ACC Championships will feature some stiff competition for Virginia, mostly coming from N.C. State, currently seventh in the national rankings.
"N.C. State will definitely be our stiffest competition," Biladeau said. "The two of us will be in a dogfight for the ACC title. Most cross country meets are usually decided by 15 to 20 points. I think this one will be decided by five."
The Cavaliers cannot count out Florida State either, as it has a strong team led by senior Mark Buckingham, who finished 28th at Pre-Nationals.
For his part, Biladeau is confident that the Cavaliers are well-prepared for the meet.
"Each of us have been running 80-110 miles a week for the past three months or so," Biladeau said. "We were very confident coming off our 14th-place finish at nationals last year, so we've all been putting in a lot of hard work that is now starting to pay off."
On the women's side, Florida State is considered the favorite in the race, as it is ranked third in the country. Although Virginia will still be without its injured runners, the Cavaliers are determined to maintain the same intensity as before.
"The injuries are on our minds," Harrison said. "But we know we're still a strong team. We have the same goals as we've always had. We hope to have all of our players back for the regional meet, which is one of the most important meets of the year."
The ACC Championships will be held at Panorama Farms, located at the end of Panorama Road about six miles from Grounds.
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