Head Coach:
Ben Thomas (14th Year)

 

Last Year:

8th ACC

5th Southeast Region

No NCAA 

 

Probable Top Five:

SR Sarah Rapp (9:21 3k; 16:07 5k; 33:32 10k; 55th NCAA XC '13)

SR Courtney Dobbs (9:29 3k; 16:21 5k; 35:06 10k; 11th ACC; 13th SE Region XC '13)

SR Madelyn Nuckols (9:53 3k; 16:55 5k; 35:18 10k)

SR Paige Kvartunas (9:50 3k; 16:37 5k)

SO Abigail Motley (9:46 3k; 16:43 5k; 35:27 10k)

 

Impact Freshman/Recruits:

Katie Kennedy - West Springfield, VA (4:59 1600m)

 

Analysis:
This VT team may be the most senior laden women’s team in the country. Four of the projected top five are seniors, and their leader, Sarah Rapp, of Raleigh, North Carolina, qualified as an individual last year and managed a nice 55th spot. She had a quality track season to add momentum for this upcoming cross country season. Her 33:32 10k marks her as one of the top returning runners for next spring, but this race is 6k, and she will need to be better than her 16:07 5k PR to become an All-American this year. It should be doable for Rapp.

 

Courtney Dobbs was a very good 13th in last year’s SE Region and her 16:21 and 35:06 on the track makes one think she will help Rapp move this team to the big meet in Indiana. There is a not a lot to choose between Madelyn Nuckols, Paige Kvartunas, and sophomore, Abigail Motley, but that is not a bad thing for Coach Ben Thomas. They are strong mid pack runners and will add great depth to this matured team.

The lone recruit that Thomas can look to is Katie Kennedy, who like Kvartunas, is from West Springfield High School in Virginia. She had a good high school career on a very successful team which should add confidence to her first year on the collegiate scene. 

Thomas has been quoted as saying, that like most coaches, he likes to recruit winners. The key now is for Coach Thomas to craft this team into winners. Odds are that he will.

#22 Eastern Kentucky Men
#23 Oklahoma State Women