VMI head cross country coach, 29 year old Paul Spangler, finished runner-up in the race behind Clay Schwabe from Ft. Carson, Colorado (4:09.6) in a sizzling time of 4:14.2. Wife, 26 year old Cynthia Spangler, also had an impressive run with a time of 4:57.9 as she was the second finishing female in the race. Cynthia Spangler is entering her second year at the helm coaching at Rockbridge County High School.
The first finishing female runner happened to be Virginia Tech assistant distance coach Mary Jane Harrelson, who recently competed in the 1500 meter finals at the Olympic Trials last month. Harrelson, 26 years of age, beat most of the male runners in the field as she finished eighth overall in an amazing time of 4:37.6.
The only high school runner who did happen to finish ahead of Harrelson was Christiansburg\'s John Horst who ran a personal best mile time of 4:30.4. Horst got plenty of push not only from Harrelson, but his own coach, 23 year old Shane Guynn, who finish with a soild time of 4:40.7.
Kris Hoey, a 28 year old former coach at Rockbridge High School and currently now coaching at Washington & Lee University, finished third among females behind Harrelson and Spangler with an admirable time of 5:14.3.
The runners at VMI, Virginia Tech, Christiansburg, Rockbridge, and Washington & Lee better be doing their training over the summer because their coaches sure are!