BLACKSBURG, Va. – Tammy Cheung finished second overall and earned VMI's second consecutive Freshman of the Year laurel, helping lead the Keydets to a third-place finish at the 2010 Big South Cross Country Championships, held Saturday in Blacksburg, Va.

Cheung crossed the line in 18:00, a 26 second improvement over her previous 5K personal best, which had been set just two weeks ago at the Blue Ridge Open. The time also marked a full minute improvement over her best time prior to entering VMI, and as stated above, it marked VMI's second consecutive year earning conference Freshman of the Year, as Jenna Moye won that award in 2009. After running a conservative opening straightaway, the freshman went to the front quickly and stayed in the top handful of runners throughout the event.

Cheung was joined on the All-Big South team by 2009 champion Hannah Granger, who finished sixth in 18:30, a 27-second improvement over her winning time at September's Big South Preview.

The team standings saw Liberty claim the team title with 39 points, as the Lady Flames finished first, second and fourth in the individual placings. Coastal Carolina was second with 64 points, and the Keydets were third with 71 markers, edging High Point by a single point. UNC Asheville was fifth (141 pts.), Gardner-Webb placed sixth (189 pts.) while Winthrop (202), Charleston Southern (215) and Radford (232) rounded out the team results.

“I thought we ran really well. If I had known the times before the race, I would have thought we would have won,” said VMI head coach Paul Spangler. “All you can control in cross country is yourself, and today, Liberty and Coastal deserved to go 1-2. For us, Tammy Cheung was phenomenal to earn Freshman of the Year with a significant PR, and Hannah did a good job, as did Dalton Kuhar and Rebecca Sweeney. In fact, our top five averaged a faster time than Coastal's top five. I know our girls are disappointed, but we have a really strong nucleus of youth and we can contend for awhile.”

Continuing VMI's finishing order, Sweeney finished 16th in 18:50.38, a time that was seven seconds faster than Granger's winning time at September's Preview meet. Moye was 21st with a 18:58.52 time, and Kuhar wrapped up the Keydet scoring five with a 26th-place, personal best effort (19:18). Leah Schubel was 30th in 19:26, while Molly Western finished one spot behind her in 31st, thanks to a 19:33 clocking. Corinne Lariviere, who was named to the All-Academic team after the meet, was 33rd (19:35), Hannah Best was 35th (19:38) and Lindsey Carty finished 41st (19:52).

“I thought the team did a solid job today,” said VMI's Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, Darrin Webb. “Like Coach Spangler, I'm very pleased with the times, as every one of our runners was under the 20-minute mark, something that had not happened all season. We will have an excellent returning group in 2011, and expect to be in contention again for years to come, but right now, I'm proud of Coach Spangler and his team for their efforts today and this season.”

VMI women's cross country will be back in action Saturday, Nov. 13, as the team travels to Louisville, Ky. for the NCAA Regional Championships.