Cross Country/Track & Field Announces Recruiting Class

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The University of Richmond Spiders men's and women's cross country and women's track & field teams will welcome a class of 12 student-athletes to campus this fall to continue their academic and athletic careers.

"We are pleased to welcome a talented group of athletes to our program again this year," commented Richmond Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Lori Taylor. "As a staff we look forward to these student-athletes joining our program and anticipate many of them will impact our team immediately. Leaders are important to every team and the growth of any business. We are looking forward to coaching and guiding these young women and men as we focus on the goals of this program.”

Richmond men's cross country head coach Steve Taylor added, "each year within our program we seek for our student-athletes to compete at the highest level within the NCAA. This includes women's track and field and men's and women's cross country All-Americans, in addition to continuing the tradition of success in the classroom set by those who walked these halls in the years before. Our student-athletes seek to earn NCAA All-Academic honors for the 14^th straight year. As a program, we believe this group of recruits understands the expectations we have as they further their academic and athletic careers. We are pleased and excited by the achievements of this year's incoming class and look for them to continue the advancement of our program in achieving our goals along with helping attract future men and women to our program."

The Spiders will look to build off a strong 2014-2015 campaign that saw the women's team finish third at the Atlantic 10 Championships in cross country, second in indoor track & field, and fifth in outdoor track & field.

Rising senior Janel Francis was a standout performer for the Spiders as she qualified for the First Round of the NCAA Championships after winning the A-10 Championship in the long jump outdoors with a school record mark of 6.15m. The men's cross country team is coming off a sixth place finish at the 2014 A-10 Cross Country Championships and a successful spring season that saw three men finish in the top-8 at the Collegiate 10k Road Race National Championships held in Richmond.

Class of 2019 Recruits

WOMEN
Colleen Carney
Glen Mills, Pa. - Archmere Academy
Numerous time State Champion in Delaware including the 2014 Cross Country State Championships and 2015 Outdoor Track & Field in the 1600m and 3200m … 2014 DE Meet of Champions winner in the 1600m and 2015 Meet of Champions 3200m winner … Won seven of nine competitions in the 1600m and 3200m in the state of Delaware her senior year

Personal Bests:
1600m: 4:59.11
3200m: 10:39.06
5k XC: 18:38.01

Madeline Ustanik
Painted Post, N.Y. - Corning
Multiple time All-American as part of the second place 4xMile relay at the 2015 NB National Championships indoors and fourth place 4xMile relay at the 2015 NB National Championships outdoors … Posted the fourth fastest split in the entire field at Nationals outdoors running 4:59.79 … Enjoyed a great senior track campaign winning the 1000m at the Section I State Qualifying meet indoors and the 800m at the Section I State Qualifying meet outdoors … Went on to place fourth in the 1000m at the NY State Championships indoors … Dropped 10 seconds over 1500m between her junior and senior year running 4:36.32 for 1500m

Personal Bests:
800m: 2:14.36
1000m: 2:55.65
1500m: 4:36.32

Emma Slevin
Pittsburgh, Pa. - Chipping Campden, England (Kingham Hill School, England)
Moved from Pennsylvania to England after her sophomore where she became a standout Cross Country and 1500m runner … Won the 2015 U-19 Oxfordshire Schools Cross Country Championship and was selected to compete in the English Schools Cross Country Championships as a result … Achieved great success on the track running sub 4:40 for 1500m numerous times

Personal Bests:
1500m: 4:36.90

Jordan Angers
Stafford, VA - Mountain View
Finished runner-up at the 2013 VHSL 5A State Championships in Cross Country and seventh in 2014 … Also finished sixth overall in the senior race at the 2014 Foot Locker South Regional in North Carolina … Was a Group 5A Conference Champion in the 1600m and 3200m in the spring of 2015

Personal Bests:
1600m: 5:18.17
5k XC: 18:44.00

Ave Grosenheider
Madison, Wisc. - Madison Edgewood
Enjoyed a strong senior season with large improvements over 1600m, 3200m and cross country … Finished 20th at the 2014 WI Cross Country State Championships and fifth in the 1600m at the state meet outdoors running a personal best of 5:08

Personal Bests:
1600m: 5:08.39
3200m: 11:14.82

Sarah Hipwell
Malvern, Pa. - Great Valley
Named All-American as part of the 4x800m relay that finished fifth at the 2014 NB National championships outdoors running 9:00 … Part of many successful 4x800m relays that included a state championship indoors in 2013 and a school record performance of 8:56 in the spring of 2014 … Began her high school career at Oakton, Va. before moving to Pennsylvania after freshman year

Personal Bests:
800m: 2:14.17

Eryn Mills
Middletown, N.J. - Red Bank Catholic
Led her team to victory at the 2014 NJ Cross Country Meet of Champions after leading them to a close runner-up finish in 2013 … Was also the top finisher for her team that finished fourth at the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional Championships in 2014, finishing 26th overall in the Championship race … Multiple time NJ Meet of Champions qualifier on the track in the 3200m and as part of 4x800m relays

Personal Bests:
1600m: 5:05.13
3200m: 10:59.80
5k XC: 18:03.36

Marshea Robinson
Bloomfield, N.J. - Kent Place
A 400m-800m specialist, she was a three-time Union Conference Champion over 400m and also won the 800m in 2015 … Qualified multiple times in both the 400m and 800m for the NJ Meet of Champions with a career-best ninth place finish in the 400m in 2015 indoors

Personal Bests:
400m: 57.98
600m: 1:38.65
800m: 2:18.63

Abigail Seaberg
Plainville, Mass. - King Phillip Regional
Finished 12th at the 2014 MIAA Eastern States Championships in Cross Country and qualified for the Massachusetts All-State meet … Multiple-time Hockomock League Champion in both the 1600m and 3200m on the track

Personal Bests:
One Mile Run: 5:11.07
5k XC: 18:37.23

Chloe Smith
Portland, Ore. - Jesuit HS
Enjoyed a successful high school career running between 100m – 800m throughout her career … Qualified for the Oregon State Championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in the 400m … Finished fourth in the state championships in both 2013 and 2014 in the 400m.

Personal Bests:
200m: 25.79
400m: 57.73

MEN
The men's program will welcome two student-athletes to the program in 2015; Brett Kramer from Hudson, OH (Western Reserve Academy) and Matthew McKew, a transfer from Mary Washington.

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