University of Richmond Athletics
Spider Trio Selected to 2011 USA Mountain Running Team
07/28/2011 | Cross Country
July 28, 2011
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - Three University of Richmond cross country runners in sophomore Ryan Lee (Wilmington, Del./Archmere Academy), freshman Billy Fayette (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Hinsdale) and freshman Clare Moretz (Madison, Va./Madison) have been selected to compete as part of the 2011 USA Junior Mountain Running Team. The three Spiders will travel with team USA to compete in the 2011 IAAF World Mountain Running Championships in Tirana, Albania, on September 11.
The trio is the latest in a long line of Spider distance runners to represent the United States at the World Championships, with Clare Moretz qualifying as the first women's runner in program history on the team. The race will include athletes from 36 countries and be held in the mountains outside of Tirana, the capitol city of Albania.
"Lori and I couldn't be happier for Ryan, Billy and Clare," said head cross country and track & field coach Steve Taylor. "They are all three coming off great respective track seasons and have worked hard over the past year to elevate their running to the level it takes to be selected to represent the USA at the World Championships of Mountain Running."
"I'm really excited about this year's junior team," added Paul Kirsch, Team Manager of the Juniors. "The course in Tirana is a fast one and the combination of strength and speed that our juniors have this year gives them a good shot at being on the podium."
The race course of the World Mountain Running Championships alternates between up only and up/down courses every other year, with 2011 being an up/down year. This year's course is a 4.5K loop with inclines reaching 40% in places with an average incline on the ascent of 12.4% and 11.7% on the descent. The junior women will race one 4.5km up/down lap while the junior men and senior women will race two 4.5km laps (9K). The senior men's race is three laps (13.5K).
Taylor on Lee
Lee is coming off a strong spring season highlighted by his 14:33 effort in the 5K, 8:25 in the 3K and 3:54 in the 1500M and 12th place finish in the 5K at the USATF National Junior Championships. Said Taylor, "During the past year he listened to our team leaders while trying to emulate their footsteps by making sacrifices required to excel at the highest level of our sport. He has grown as an athlete and recognizes this as a great opportunity for him and the USA Junior team to medal by making the podium (top three teams). That is their goal and always the goal of the USA Team."
Taylor on Fayette and Moretz
Although we have just begun to work with Billy and Clare, they have shown excellent progress over the past year for their high school teams and coaches. Billy ran 9:09.96 for 3200 meters and 4:10.33 in the 1600 meters this spring and Clare is a four-time Virginia Class A state champion on the track (twice in the1600 meters, once in the 800 meters and once in the 3200 meters). This is the biggest running stage there is. It simply doesn't get any more important than representing the USA at the World Championships."
Both Billy and Clare made clear their reasons for choosing our program and University to extend their academic and athletic experiences. This a great opportunity to kick-off their college career and we look forward to providing the support and guidance they need in order to achieve their goals.
Spider fans can follow the team's pursuits this September here on RichmondSpiders.com and via coach Taylor's blog. Additional information and updates can be found on the USA Mountain Running Team (USMRT) site, USMRT on Facebook and Twitter and the official race site for the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships.
Players Mentioned
