Saucony Flo50 XC Countdown: #8 Virginia Men
Saucony Flo50 XC Countdown: #8 Virginia Men
Probable Top Four:
5th Man Battle:
Impact Freshmen/Transfers:
Analysis:
Virginia Head Coach Pete Watson admitted last year that his team’s 21st place finish was a "disappointment." However, this year’s Virginia team has an even better roster and holds all the ingredients for a top ten finish in 2015. The Cavaliers will be led by senior Kyle King. While King only finished just inside the top 90 at NCAAs last year he does have the ability to be a top 20 runner. In 2013 he was 18th overall, which was not a fluke when you look at his track credentials, notably his 8:39 steeplechase personal best. King will be joined by a trio of strong distance runners with championship experience and great track performances. Junior Zach Herriott has flirted with breaking 29:00 in the 10K and was 81st at last year’s NCAA Cross Country Championships. Sophomore Connor Rog has run 8:09/14:15 and was 84th at NCAAs as a freshman. And, junior Adam Visokay has run 8:43 in the steeple, a 7:57 3K, and 29:11 in the 10K.
The Cavaliers have a strong front four, but more importantly, they have the depth on the back end of their roster to develop a very good fifth man. Five guys stand out who could be the potential fifth man for Virginia this fall. Junior Thomas Madden and redshirt freshman Brent Demarest have had strong track seasons. Also, mid-distance sophomores Mike Marsella and Henry Wynne could sneak into the top seven with their miler speed. However, the one man to look out for who could be the sleeper on this year's Virginia squad is incoming transfer Will Gray from England. Gray has run 8:47 in the steeplechase along with an 8:14 3K and 14:13 5K.
This Virginia team is no joke. They are ready to make a statement at NCAAs. With only one true senior in Kyle King, they should be a top ten team for the next couple years. Virginia will also make the ACC Conference Championships very interesting. Syracuse (ranking TBA) will have their hands full with the Cavaliers as they try and defend their ACC title. Last year, Syracuse scored 32 points and UVA was fourth with 121 points. This year the score will most certainly be much closer.