The Tribe is rounding into form to hit its stride this Saturday, after dominating the CAA Championship two weeks ago while resting three of its top runners in preparation for the Regional. Six All-CAA performers from 2004 will appear on the team's Regional lineup, including the Tribe quartet that swept the top-four at the CAA meet. CAA individual champion and former all-region harrier Matt Keally (Virginia Beach, VA) leads those on the Regional squad who tuned up two weeks ago by leading the Tribe to its fifth-straight, and 12th overall, CAA crown. Also coming into the Regional off a strong effort at the CAA Championship are freshman Christo Landry (Falls Church, VA), former all-region honoree Jeff Hedley (Virginia Beach, VA) and senior Pat Comstock (Portsmouth, VA), who claimed second, third and fourth, respectively, at the championship. Junior Sean Anastasia-Murphy (Gloucester, MA), eighth at the CAA meet, and two-time All-Southeast performer Charlie Hurt (Charlottesville, VA), 11th at the CAA meet, will also travel to Greenville carrying all-conference honors, while freshman Ian Fitzgerald (Glenshaw, PA), who was in line for a top-five finish at the CAA Championship before retiring from the race late with a Tribe victory already assured, will aim for another strong effort.
The Green and Gold's formidable lineup which dominated the CAA Championship will only be strengthened by the return of sophomore Keith Bechtol (Alexandria, VA), junior Jason Schoener (Grand Blanc, MI) and sophomore Adam Tenerowicz (Blackstone, MA), all of whom were held out of the CAA Championship. With the added rest, the trio, already having a strong year of running, should make an impact at the Regional as both Bechtol and Tenerowicz have earned CAA Runner of the Week honors this season for their strong national performances while Schoener is a proven all-conference runner.
Last year at the Regional, W&M finished in third place, one spot shy of an automatic bid but high enough to merit an at-large selection. Three-time All-American Ed Moran led the Tribe's effort with his third-place performance (racing the last 300 meters on a broken foot in an amazing display of determination), while Keally turned in a strong effort for the first All-Southeast honors of his career by claiming 16th. Hedley and Hurt also had solid races to net all-region accolades as the duo finished 23rd and 25th, respectively. Schoener, the only other returning Tribe harrier from 2003's race, finished 34th in his Regional debut.
W&M is currently ranked 30th in the MONDO National poll and second in the Southeast Region. N. C. State is ranked first in the region and 11th nationally, the only other team in the region to be ranked in the national poll. Virginia is ranked third in the Southeast, ahead of Clemson (fourth) and Duke (fifth). Of the three, only Duke has cracked the top-30 vote getters to be ranked nationally at any point during the season.