University of Richmond Athletics
XC Hosting Spider Alumni Open Saturday; Two Racing For Team USA In Italy Sunday
09/03/2009 | Cross Country
Sept. 3, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond cross country teams open their 2009 seasons Saturday, hosting the Spider Alumni Open at St. Catherine's Park in the West End. The women are the reigning A-10 champions, while the men are coming off a third-place A-10 finish in 2008.
Also this weekend, senior Andrew Benford and sophomore Tim Smith will represent the United States at the World Mountain Running Championships in Campodolcino, Italy this Sunday.
At the Spider Alumni Open, the men's 5K race begins at 9:30 a.m., with the women's two-mile event beginning at 10 a.m. St. Catherine's Field is located at 12950 River Road in Richmond.
The Spider women, who return two of their top runners and defending All-Conference selections in junior Nicol Traynor and sophomore Katrina Spratford, captured their second-ever league crown last season as they outdistanced runner-up Charlotte, 48-67.
Traynor, a two-time All-Conference pick, is coming off a banner year which saw her finish third overall (17:48.1) at last year's Championship. She went on to a successful track season that ended with her competing in the NCAA Outdoor Championship. Spratford was the 2008 A-10 Rookie of the Year thanks to her sixth-place finish (18:15.4).
At the World Mountain Running Championship Sunday, Benford -- the 2009 Atlantic 10 Conference Track Athlete of the Year -- and Smith will represent the United States at the 25th World Championships in Italy.
Benford is racing for the second time in three years in the event, running on the Senior Team this season after placing 12th overall as a member of the U.S. Junior Team, which was the highest-ever finish for a U.S. junior at the time.
Benford is also the first U.S. runner to make both the junior team (2006) and senior team (2009).
Smith will compete on the Junior Team, marking the second-consecutive year he has done so. He led the Americans last year in Switzerland to a fourth-place finish -- the United State's best team showing ever at the World Championships. Smith's fifth-place individual finish also ranked as the highest finish in history for a U.S. junior male, besting Benford's 2006 mark.
RichmondSpiders.com will have complete coverage of both events this weekend.
