The 2009 Virginia Tech men's and women's cross country teams both earned first place honors in their first competition at the Virginia Tech Cross Country Relays Friday.
The wins were important for both teams, who have varying hopes for the upcoming season.
Expectations are on two different levels this year for the Hokies. The men are trying to put it all together and take the next step into the NCAA elite while the women are looking for answers after losing All-American Tasmin Fanning.
If the men do take that next step in 2009, it will be because of a unique mix of experience and youth. Two seniors, Devin Cornwall and Paul LaPenna, who both have established themselves as top runners in the ACC, will captain a group of up-and-coming Hokies who impressed in flashes last year.
The maturation of the younger guys has the elder statesmen on the team excited.
"I realistically think that we should and that we will qualify for the NCAA meet," LaPenna predicts. "I think if everyone's healthy, we can have a top-15 program in the nation. We finally have all the pieces together."
Head cross country and distance coach Ben Thomas echoes that sentiment.
"This team can be as good as expected, but the key is keeping everyone healthy," he said.
The NCAA Cross Country Championships are Nov. 23 in Terra Haute, Ind. and the men's team expects to be there, this would be quite an accomplishment, since the team has not been to an NCAA Championship in 22 years and has only gone four times in the program's history.
"The atmosphere on the team is completely different this year. Now we think we should make it to NCAAs. We should do well. There's a lot confidence on the team this year," LaPenna said.
LaPenna, an All-Atlantic Coast Conference runner in 2007, comes back after medically redshirting last year. Cornwall, the 2007 ACC Freshman of the Year, took another step in 2008 with a third place finish at the ACC Championships. If both can stay healthy in 2009, they will be battling the top runners in the ACC and the country.
Enter the supporting cast, a band of exciting young runners who are looking to take Tech to the next level. Sophomore Michael Hammond, a highly touted recruit out of Midlothian, Va., made a statement at the end of last year with a 15th place finish at ACCs.
Sophomores Will Mulherin and Brian Welch come back along with Hammond after successful freshman campaigns. Mulherin also had an impressive finish at ACCs in 2008, coming in behind Hammond finishing 20th.
"Will should carry over from the success he had as last year went on," Thomas said. "He had that great finish at the ACCs in cross country in the fall and then in the spring he won the 5,000-meter ACC Championship outdoor race. That's a hard thing to do as a freshman."
Mulherin and Hammond's ACC success helped the team finish third overall at the 2008 ACC Cross Country Meet, improving from its fifth place finish in 2007. If the trend continues, an ACC crown could be in the cards in 2009.
"We can be one of the better teams (at the ACCs) this year," Thomas said. "If we are healthy we should do well. And if we can be one of the top teams there, we should be able to compete nationally as well."
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