WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The VMI men's cross country team finished fourth at Saturday's Big South Cross Country Championships, held at Shady Oaks Kennel in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The team was led by Andrey Dmitriev, who finished 16th in the 8K event. Dmitriev's 26:55 time placed him three spots ahead of VMI's #2 finisher, Felix Kitur, who was 19th in 27:13. Ian McGinn was 21st, just two seconds behind Kitur.
"This was certainly not our best performance," said VMI head coach Paul Spangler, who earned the Big South Coach of the Year award on the women's side of the competition. "Even though Ian and Felix ran quite well, we didn't have our best race, and it showed with our fourth-place finish."
Three straight Keydets came home 25th through 27th, led by Ermin Mujezinovic, who crossed the line in 27:39 to place 25th. Freshman Booth Hornsby was 26th with a 27:34 clocking, and Matt Sagar finished 27th in 27:36.
"Coach Spangler has done an outstanding job this season," said VMI's Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, Darrin Webb. "The efforts by both the men's and women's teams today were strong, and I could not be more pleased with the overall result. He certainly deserved his Women's Coach of the Year award."
VMI's other competitors were Chris Wunsch (32nd/27:55), Noah Hagos (33rd/27:56), Matt Satterwhite (38th/28:04) and Marshall Dalessandro (41st/28:17). Satterwhite was named to the conference's All-Academic team at the conclusion of the meet.
The Keydets earned 107 points to finish fourth, while Liberty won the meet title with 33 points. High Point notched 46 markers, Coastal Carolina had 59 points and finished third, while UNC Asheville (133 pts.) finished behind the Keydets in fifth. Winthrop had 150 points to place sixth, Charleston Southern was seventh (199 pts.) and Gardner-Webb and Radford rounded out the team competition with 225 and 247 points respectively.
VMI cross country will return to action in two weeks, as the squads compete at the NCAA Regional Championships in Louisville, Ky. on Nov. 14.
