The William and Mary men's cross country team looks to extend its run at the top of the Colonial Athletic Association Saturday, hosting the 30th edition of the conference championships on Homecoming. The men's 8K race out at Eastern State Hospital will get underway at 11 a.m. following the women's race, and will be followed in turn by an awards ceremony at 12 p.m.
Event Schedule
9:45 a.m. - National Anthem
10:00 a.m. - Women's 6K Race
11:00 a.m. - Men's 8K Race
12:00 p.m. - Awards Ceremony
Helpful Links
Course Maps and Directions to the Course
CAA Championships Official Site
Scouting the Tribe
William and Mary will be looking to win its 20th CAA title, and 13th in a row, when it steps to the line on Saturday morning. The Tribe had a very impressive second-place showing at the Paul Short Invitational one month ago, beating numerous ranked teams in the process and ascending to No. 23 in the national polls. The Pre-National Invitational two weeks ago saw a 14th-place finish against a deeper field, with several runners turning in their best times of the season. W&M has also had good showings at the season-opening Spider Alumni Open and at the W&M Invitational, winning the later. Overall, the team is 70-16 on the year.
Individually, the Tribe has been led by its veterans once again. Senior Alex McGrath (Marlborough, N.H.) was named CAA Runner of the Week twice, first after winning the W&M Invitational and again after he led three teammates across the line at Paul Short in the space of seven seconds. Redshirt-junior Josh Hardin (Sterling, Va.), the 2010 Rookie of the Year, was also named CAA Runner of the Week following Pre-Nationals, where he finished 26th overall to lead the Tribe. Last year's Rookie of the Year, Rad Gunzenhauser (Pittsburgh, Pa.), won the season-opening Spider Alumni Open to be named the first Runner of the Week for 2012, and has been a fixture in the varsity seven for W&M ever since.
Also of note, senior John Muller (LaGrangeville, N.Y.) has quietly but steadily pulled into the scoring five this season, breaking 24 minutes out at Pre-Nationals and finishing second for W&M in that race. Grad student Joe LoRusso (Oak Hill, Va.) joined the Tribe this after four years at Villanova, and has been a steady presence in the A-team line-up, while redshirt-sophomore and defending CAA 10,000m champion Joshua Mercado (Citrus Heights, Calif.) looks to gain a larger role as the post-season begins. Finally, freshmen Ryan Gousse (Apopka, Fla.) and Nathan Thomas (Brentwood, Tenn.) are looking for a strong showing to help become the first true freshmen since Christo Landry '08 in 2004 to run for the Tribe at the regional meet.
Previewing the Field
Six of the 12 All-CAA runners return from last year, with George Mason, Northeastern, and W&M each returning a pair. Eric Jenkins is the defending champion for the Huskies, who also return last year's third-place finisher in Brian Doyle. The Patriots bring back Michael Conway and Philip Blankenship, ninth and 12th last year, respectively. In the latest USTFCCCA region polls, the College is ranked fifth in the Southeast region, ahead of No. 11 George Mason.
W&M Conference Championships
Combined between the Southern Conference (15) and the CAA (19), W&M's men's cross country team has won 34 conference championships in its storied history. That total ranks third all-time in Division I, behind only Wisconsin and Arkansas. The Tribe's current 12-title winning streak is tied for the eighth-longest ever in the NCAA's highest division, and is the fourth-longest active streak in the nation. Iona has won 20 in a row in the MAAC, while Butler has won 14 in the Horizon League (this year, the Bulldogs have moved to the Atlantic 10) and Wisconsin is at 13 in the Big Ten.
The CAAs at W&M
- This is the 14th time that the CAA Championships have been held in Williamsburg, more than any other site. However, this is the first time since 2001 that W&M has hosted.
- The championship record at Dunbar Farms for 8K is held by Olympian Brian Hyde '96, who won the 1993 title in 24:12.
- The last time that the host school has won the CAA title was in 2001, by William and Mary.
- Tribe runners have won the individual championship seven times in the past 13 runnings at W&M. Of the other six races, George Mason and James Madison each won three.
- W&M has also won the team title in seven of the 13 races at Eastern State. Navy won the first five in a row, and James Madison was the only other team to win in Williamsburg (in 1992).
-The CAA meet record (all courses) for 8K is 23:46.01, set by Matt Lane '01 in 1999.
- Ever since taking second (to Navy) in 1988, W&M has finished either first or second at every CAA Championship, and has won 19 of those 24 races.
- 23 Tribe harriers have won 34 individual conference titles in either the Southern Conference or the CAA. No current W&M runner has ever won the conference championship.
Event Schedule
9:45 a.m. - National Anthem
10:00 a.m. - Women's 6K Race
11:00 a.m. - Men's 8K Race
12:00 p.m. - Awards Ceremony
Helpful Links
Course Maps and Directions to the Course
CAA Championships Official Site
Scouting the Tribe
William and Mary will be looking to win its 20th CAA title, and 13th in a row, when it steps to the line on Saturday morning. The Tribe had a very impressive second-place showing at the Paul Short Invitational one month ago, beating numerous ranked teams in the process and ascending to No. 23 in the national polls. The Pre-National Invitational two weeks ago saw a 14th-place finish against a deeper field, with several runners turning in their best times of the season. W&M has also had good showings at the season-opening Spider Alumni Open and at the W&M Invitational, winning the later. Overall, the team is 70-16 on the year.
Individually, the Tribe has been led by its veterans once again. Senior Alex McGrath (Marlborough, N.H.) was named CAA Runner of the Week twice, first after winning the W&M Invitational and again after he led three teammates across the line at Paul Short in the space of seven seconds. Redshirt-junior Josh Hardin (Sterling, Va.), the 2010 Rookie of the Year, was also named CAA Runner of the Week following Pre-Nationals, where he finished 26th overall to lead the Tribe. Last year's Rookie of the Year, Rad Gunzenhauser (Pittsburgh, Pa.), won the season-opening Spider Alumni Open to be named the first Runner of the Week for 2012, and has been a fixture in the varsity seven for W&M ever since.
Also of note, senior John Muller (LaGrangeville, N.Y.) has quietly but steadily pulled into the scoring five this season, breaking 24 minutes out at Pre-Nationals and finishing second for W&M in that race. Grad student Joe LoRusso (Oak Hill, Va.) joined the Tribe this after four years at Villanova, and has been a steady presence in the A-team line-up, while redshirt-sophomore and defending CAA 10,000m champion Joshua Mercado (Citrus Heights, Calif.) looks to gain a larger role as the post-season begins. Finally, freshmen Ryan Gousse (Apopka, Fla.) and Nathan Thomas (Brentwood, Tenn.) are looking for a strong showing to help become the first true freshmen since Christo Landry '08 in 2004 to run for the Tribe at the regional meet.
Previewing the Field
Six of the 12 All-CAA runners return from last year, with George Mason, Northeastern, and W&M each returning a pair. Eric Jenkins is the defending champion for the Huskies, who also return last year's third-place finisher in Brian Doyle. The Patriots bring back Michael Conway and Philip Blankenship, ninth and 12th last year, respectively. In the latest USTFCCCA region polls, the College is ranked fifth in the Southeast region, ahead of No. 11 George Mason.
W&M Conference Championships
Combined between the Southern Conference (15) and the CAA (19), W&M's men's cross country team has won 34 conference championships in its storied history. That total ranks third all-time in Division I, behind only Wisconsin and Arkansas. The Tribe's current 12-title winning streak is tied for the eighth-longest ever in the NCAA's highest division, and is the fourth-longest active streak in the nation. Iona has won 20 in a row in the MAAC, while Butler has won 14 in the Horizon League (this year, the Bulldogs have moved to the Atlantic 10) and Wisconsin is at 13 in the Big Ten.
| Most Conference Titles in Division I | |||
| Team | Conference(s) | Number | |
| 1. | Wisconsin | Big Ten Conference |
45 |
| 2. | Arkansas | Southwest Conference, Southeast Conference |
41 |
| 3. | William and Mary |
Southern Conference, Colonial Athletic Association |
34 |
| 4. | Texas | Southwest Conference, Big 12 |
33 |
| 5. | Portland | West Coast Conference |
32 |
| Longest Consecutive Winning Streak | ||||
| Team | Conference(s) | Titles | Years | |
| 1. | Arkansas | SWC/SEC | 33 | 1975-2007 |
| 2. | Portland | WCC | 32 | 1979-2010 |
| 3. | Iona | MAAC | 20 | 1991-Present |
| 4. | Texas | SWC | 17 | 1931-47 |
| 5. | Butler | Horizon | 14 | 1998-Present |
| T6. | Wisconsin | Big Ten | 13 | 1999-Present |
| T6. | Kansas | Big Eight | 13 | 1947-59 |
| T8. | William and Mary | CAA | 12 | 2000-Present |
| T8. | Colorado | Big 12 | 12 | 1996-2007 |
The CAAs at W&M
- This is the 14th time that the CAA Championships have been held in Williamsburg, more than any other site. However, this is the first time since 2001 that W&M has hosted.
- The championship record at Dunbar Farms for 8K is held by Olympian Brian Hyde '96, who won the 1993 title in 24:12.
- The last time that the host school has won the CAA title was in 2001, by William and Mary.
- Tribe runners have won the individual championship seven times in the past 13 runnings at W&M. Of the other six races, George Mason and James Madison each won three.
- W&M has also won the team title in seven of the 13 races at Eastern State. Navy won the first five in a row, and James Madison was the only other team to win in Williamsburg (in 1992).
-The CAA meet record (all courses) for 8K is 23:46.01, set by Matt Lane '01 in 1999.
- Ever since taking second (to Navy) in 1988, W&M has finished either first or second at every CAA Championship, and has won 19 of those 24 races.
- 23 Tribe harriers have won 34 individual conference titles in either the Southern Conference or the CAA. No current W&M runner has ever won the conference championship.
