After a big win last weekend, Virginia’s top runners will be getting some well-deserved rest.
The Cavalier Open will take place today in Charlottesville at Panorama Farms, but everyone who competed in last week’s ACC Championships will be sitting out.
“We will send a JV squad to the Cavalier Open to give the younger runners a chance to develop and race,” coach Jason Vigilante said. “None of the individuals who ran at the ACC [Championships] or who will be running the regional championships next Saturday will be competing.”
The runners earned this chance to take a weekend off with an impressive performance. Last Saturday, the men’s team won their second-consecutive ACC title. With these back-to-back victories, Vigilante has reason to be optimistic.
“We did really well a year ago, and Saturday came together perfectly for us,” he said. “I don’t ever want to lose, so we are going to continue to recruit and develop athletes with the intention of winning the ACC every year.”
Senior Ryan Foster also expressed hope for the future.
“I wouldn’t call it a dynasty yet,” he said. “This is definitely a trend I hope we will continue as long as Virginia is running cross-country. I’d like to think that my class started a tradition. The younger guys will make it a dynasty.”
Foster led the way for the Cavaliers at the ACC Championships, bringing home the individual title. He was followed by sophomore Ryan Collins in sixth, senior Andy Biladeau in eighth, sophomore Emil Heineking in ninth and junior Graham Tribble in 16th.
“It was a lot of fun to take the individual title,” Foster said. “I couldn’t be more thankful for the chance to race one more time in a Virginia uniform and win.”
Vigilante noted that Foster’s success — and the Cavaliers’ success overall — was a product of the depth at the top of his lineup.
“We have four individuals who on any given day would have an opportunity to win overall,” he said. “I said to each of them that if the opportunity arises you need to be certain to seize it. Unfortunately we have four, and only one can come out on top.”
This depth should serve the team well when it takes on other top Southeastern schools next weekend to qualify for the NCAA Championship meet.
“We expect to win the regional meet in another tight battle with N.C. State and [Colonial Athletic Association champion] William & Mary,” Foster said. “At the NCAA [Championships] I think that we would like to place in the top 10. On a really great day, maybe in the top five.”
The extra rest this weekend is part of preparation, but the team isn’t getting lazy.
“The NCAA regional meet is a week from Saturday, and we need to finish in the top two to go to the national championships,” Vigilante said. “Being healthy physically and emotionally comes first. Second, we have to maintain our fitness by continuing to work hard and remain focused on the ultimate competition of the season.”
Foster also stressed preparation for the NCAA Regional Championships.
“What the team will do now is rest and focus on the next race,” he said. “We will maintain our current fitness with a few small workouts and try to sharpen up for the longer 10K races.”
Last weekend also showed dramatic progress for the women’s team, which improved four slots from last year’s ACC finish, moving from eighth up to fourth. Junior Stephanie Garcia, who is also a Cavalier Daily tableau editor, was Virginia’s highest finisher, checking in at eighth place.
“The girls are working really well with one another and when they go out to compete, they compete collectively to represent their university,” Vigilante said. “A year ago it wasn’t quite the same; they didn’t have the same attitude. They have really come together as a group, and I am proud of them.”
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