University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Friday, November 11
University Park, Pa.
12:00 PM
Pitt
vs
NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals
Panthers Prosper at NCAA Cross Country Mid-Atlantic Regional
11/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
MEN'S RESULTS | WOMEN'S RESULTS
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Pitt cross country sophomore Gillian Schriever qualified for the NCAA National Championship meet with a fifth-place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional at the Blue & White Course Friday.
"Gillian Schriever has been outstanding all season and rewarded herself with a trip to the NCAA Cross Country National Championship next week," Pitt head coach Alonzo Webb said. "It's been 12 years since we've had one of our cross country women make the meet. Gillian and Melanie Vlasic both earned All-Region honors by finishing in the top 25. Melanie has really come on cross country this year and is another reason for our success."
Schriever finished with a time of 20:30 in the 6K race, becoming the second Pitt cross country student-athlete ever to qualify for the national meet, and the first since Maureen McCandless in 2004.
"I'm proud of the way our teams competed this weekend," Webb said. "They both outperformed their preseason rankings. Our men's team improved three places from last year and our women repeated their seventh-place performance from last year."
As a team, the women took seventh, repeating last year's placement and matching the program's best finish at the regional meet.
The men's team placed 11th in the 10K race, marking their best score at the meet since taking a program-record sixth place in 2006. The Panthers also finished ahead of higher-ranked La Salle, as the Explorers finished 13th.
"Michael Runco ran his last race in a Pitt uniform and although he just missed making All-Region, it definitely wasn't for lack of effort," Webb said. "I'm really going to miss his businesslike approach. Four miles into the race, he, Aaron Lauer and Ryan Hughes were all with the lead pack battling for our team as they've been doing all season."
AT THE FINISH LINE
Schriever and teammate Melanie Vlasic each earned All-Region honors by placing within the top 25. Vlasic finished 23rd at 21:16.
The men's top finisher was redshirt senior Michael Runco at 31st with a time of 31:28, followed by junior Aaron Lauer in 51st at 31:48.
No. 9 Penn State took first in the women's race with 36 points, and No. 22 Georgetown won the men's race with 75 points.
COACHES' CORNER
"Today was a historic day for our program," Pitt women's coach Adam Bray "Gillian Schriever qualified for the NCAA Championships as an individual. Gillian and Melanie Vlasic also earned All-Region honors, and our team tied a program-best finish of seventh. I think our team has improved a lot this season and I honestly feel that next year we can qualify as a team to the NCAA Championships. I'm really proud of the young women in our program. They are great athletes and even better people. I'm really lucky to have the opportunity to coach them."
"I am proud of the progress that the men have shown throughout the 2016 cross country season," Pitt men's coach Bryan Jackson "I look forward to what the future holds for them."
LOOKING AHEAD
As the men's and women's cross country teams end their regular seasons, Schriever will compete at her first NCAA National Championship meet as an individual competitor Saturday, Nov. 19, in Terre Haute, Ind.
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Pitt cross country sophomore Gillian Schriever qualified for the NCAA National Championship meet with a fifth-place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional at the Blue & White Course Friday.
"Gillian Schriever has been outstanding all season and rewarded herself with a trip to the NCAA Cross Country National Championship next week," Pitt head coach Alonzo Webb said. "It's been 12 years since we've had one of our cross country women make the meet. Gillian and Melanie Vlasic both earned All-Region honors by finishing in the top 25. Melanie has really come on cross country this year and is another reason for our success."
Schriever finished with a time of 20:30 in the 6K race, becoming the second Pitt cross country student-athlete ever to qualify for the national meet, and the first since Maureen McCandless in 2004.
"I'm proud of the way our teams competed this weekend," Webb said. "They both outperformed their preseason rankings. Our men's team improved three places from last year and our women repeated their seventh-place performance from last year."
As a team, the women took seventh, repeating last year's placement and matching the program's best finish at the regional meet.
The men's team placed 11th in the 10K race, marking their best score at the meet since taking a program-record sixth place in 2006. The Panthers also finished ahead of higher-ranked La Salle, as the Explorers finished 13th.
"Michael Runco ran his last race in a Pitt uniform and although he just missed making All-Region, it definitely wasn't for lack of effort," Webb said. "I'm really going to miss his businesslike approach. Four miles into the race, he, Aaron Lauer and Ryan Hughes were all with the lead pack battling for our team as they've been doing all season."
AT THE FINISH LINE
Schriever and teammate Melanie Vlasic each earned All-Region honors by placing within the top 25. Vlasic finished 23rd at 21:16.
The men's top finisher was redshirt senior Michael Runco at 31st with a time of 31:28, followed by junior Aaron Lauer in 51st at 31:48.
No. 9 Penn State took first in the women's race with 36 points, and No. 22 Georgetown won the men's race with 75 points.
COACHES' CORNER
"Today was a historic day for our program," Pitt women's coach Adam Bray "Gillian Schriever qualified for the NCAA Championships as an individual. Gillian and Melanie Vlasic also earned All-Region honors, and our team tied a program-best finish of seventh. I think our team has improved a lot this season and I honestly feel that next year we can qualify as a team to the NCAA Championships. I'm really proud of the young women in our program. They are great athletes and even better people. I'm really lucky to have the opportunity to coach them."
"I am proud of the progress that the men have shown throughout the 2016 cross country season," Pitt men's coach Bryan Jackson "I look forward to what the future holds for them."
LOOKING AHEAD
As the men's and women's cross country teams end their regular seasons, Schriever will compete at her first NCAA National Championship meet as an individual competitor Saturday, Nov. 19, in Terre Haute, Ind.
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Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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