2010 College Signings: Stevens twins heading separate ways

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Complete List of College Signings (Class of 2010)

A good portion of the state's top cross country runners have either already made verbal college commitments or close to making a decision prior to the February 3rd signing period including Virginia's top two female recruits in the Stevens twins of Blacksburg. Kathleen Stevens has verbally committed to the University of Virginia, while twin sister Joanna Stevens has opted to go a different path and attend Georgetown University. The two sisters who have been virtually inseparable in races together both on the track and on the cross country, will no longer be a tandem next year when they head off to different colleges.

Kathleen will be joining a banner recruiting class so far for UVA head coach Vigilante and assistant coach Brad Hunt, who have already received verbal commitments from in-state talent Ariel Karabinus of Osbourn Park and Katherine Walker of Brooke Point as well as Foot Locker All-American Chelsea of New Jersey. Karabinus and Walker both had stellar races this fall on the home course for the Lady Cavaliers at Panorama Farms with Karabinus setting the course record at the Albemarle Invite, while Walker won the Northwest Region title over Karabinus and eventual AAA state champ Kaitlyn Davis on the same course.

Georgetown University has not landed a top female runner from Virginia in years, but last year was able to recruit two Virginia boys in VA 3A state indoor 1600 meter record holder Bobby Peavey of Kellam and Joanna's former Blacksburg teammate and 800 meter specialist Brian Hencke.

The Stevens twins recently started off their season in a big way with their US #1 and US #2 performances last week in the 3200 meter run at the Liberty Invitational. Kathleen and Joanna Stevens both recorded significant personal best times of 10:26 in the race. Their plans this indoor season include a potential trip to the Reebook Boston Indoor Games mile.

Two of Virginia's top girls from Northern Virginia also apparently excel just as well in the classroom and will be attending Ivy League schools. Liana Epstein, the leader of the AAA state cross country champions Lake Braddock and one of the state's top returning milers, has verbally commited to Yale University. Meanwhile, two-time private school state cross country champion Anneka Wilson of The Potomac School is headed to Columbia University.

The William & Mary men's cross country team boasts arguably the nation's best collegiate team without a single Foot Locker finalist or foreign born athlete (5th at NCAA's this fall), which might have been the unintentional result for their top in-state recruit Ted Richardson of James River. Richardson was the top ranked runner in Virginia after winning the AAA state title over a strong field with the fastest time of the day, but struggled in his Foot Locker South regional race and failed to reach his goal of qualifying for Foot Locker finals. Despite not having the title of a Foot Locker finalist, W&M coach Alex Gibby may have landed yet another athlete under the radar from national high school spotlight but ready to emerge at the next level in college in the AAA state champ Richardson.

The William & Mary team had a strong Northern Region flavor for many years infused with its out-of-state runners, but appears to bringing in a lot more of its top in-state talent from the Central Region with its initial verbal commitments this year. Including Richardson, the Tribe will also be bringing in the Lautzenheiser twins of Midlothian and Clarissa Schick of Maggie Walker. Kathleen Lautzenheiser has been one of the state's top runners all 4 years of high school and qualified to compete in four national cross country meets (3 NXN/NTN appearances, 1 Foot Locker appearances). Clarissa Schick did not hurt her cause in impressing the William & Mary coaches by winning their high school invitational earlier in the season and ended her season adding another All-State honor to her resume as well as a USATF Junior Olympic All-American honor.

The UVA men have amassed a lot more big names over recent years in their recruiting class, especially from out of the state of Virginia, but two of Virginia's top finishers behind Richardson from the AAA state race have decided to join that deep talent pool in Charlottesville with Ocean Lakes senior Drew Paisley and Chantilly senior Foley. Paisley won the Eastern Region title this fall and was the state's second highest finisher in the seeded race at Foot Locker South with his 15th place PR effort of 15:06. Foley did not compete at Foot Locker South due to illness in between the state meet and Foot Locker regional, but joined elite company with his sub 15 minute win at Burke Lake in the Northern Regional race.

Before the Stevens twins stepped up to the national level this fall, Glenvar's Megan Marsico was carrying the banner as not only the top runner in the Roanoke Valley area, but the entire state of Virginia after setting the state meet course record and qualifying for Foot Locker Nationals last fall as a junior. Marsico was never able to attempt to follow up those performances this year as she has hade to miss the entire season due to consecutive stress fracture and broken bone injuries. Marsico hopes to get back on her feet sometime this track season to build toward her collegiate career at Virginia Tech.