Junior, Matt Llano made his mark this season breaking onto the USA national distance scene running a stellar 10K time of 28:51.69. He achieved his current lifetime best at Stanford's Cardinal Invitational in Palo Alto, CA this past March. Under nearly ideal conditions he cranked off 4:37 miles for 6.2 miles (10K) to secure a spot at the first round of the NCAA Championships...the NCAA Super Regional. His most recent race was the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships where he won the 10K, establishing a new A-10 Meet record and a UMASS Facility Record of 29:43.12 covering his 2nd half of the race in 14:35...He also earned All-Conference honors in the 5K... Llano, who earned the 2008 A-10 Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Year honors and is a NCAA Academic All-American, redshirted last spring providing an opportunity to return to the Spiders line-up next year. During his redshirt season he ran 29:06.21 in the 10K at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays (Mt. SAC) in Los Angeles.
Junior, Amy Van Alstine ran her personal and season best time in the 5K of 16:38.58 at the 2010 Mt. San Antonio College Relays (Mt. SAC Relays) in Los Angeles this April. She returned to place 2nd and earn All-Conference honors at the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships under hot and humid conditions...The next week she easily won the Swarthmore Invitational in Philadelphia attempting to improve her season best mark and move up the NCAA Ranking List in the 5K. Her time of 16:47.21 was nearly 30 seconds ahead of 2nd place but not enough to improve her NCAA ranking. In the end it wasn't needed...She is ranked #38 out of the 195 DI programs that comprise the NCAA East Region.
Junior, Julie Rechel, who is one of the top triathletes within the NCAA, had a great 10K race at the 2010 Atlantic 10 Conference Championships placing 2nd (narrowly missing the win) to earn All-Conference honors with a huge personal best time of 36:00.17. Two weeks later she fought through an 11:20PM start time and multiple rain delays at the NC A&T Invite to improve her personal best time in the 10K to 35:50.18. That was enough to earn her a spot into the 1st round of the NCAA Track & Field Championships. Rechel was also honored this spring as the University of Richmond Junior Female Student-Athlete with the highest cumulative GPA with nearly a 4.0. 
Sophomore, Meaghan McGovern had her best ever series of throws in the Hammer at the 2010 A-10 Championships a few weeks ago...including her mark of 54.43M which has earned her a spot at the NCAA East Super Regional. After placing 12th at the 2009 USATF Junior National Championships last spring in Eugene, Oregon as a freshman she elevated her throwing this season.
Freshman, Dana Guglielmo holds the 2nd and 3rd fastest times ever run by a Spider athlete in the women's 3K steeple. Her time of 10:36.11 at the A-10 Conference Championships secured her spot in the 1st round of the NCAA Championships. At the A-10 Championships she finished 2nd in the 3K steeple to earn All-Conference honors in a photo finish with the 1st place runner. Most recently she set a personal best in the 1500M of 4:35.25 at the NC A&T Invitational last Sunday.______________________________________________
Five Spiders Headed To NCAA East Region Track & Field Championship
The NCAA East Region Championship is set for May 27-29 in Greensboro, N.C.
By Mike DeGeorge
Richmond SID
May 21, 2010
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - Five University of Richmond track & field standouts have earned berths in the NCAA East Region Championship, which is set for Memorial Day weekend in Greensboro, N.C. The news came from the NCAA Friday, marking the eighth-consecutive season the Spiders have had NCAA postseason representation.
The Spiders set to run in Greensboro are juniors Matt Llano (10,000m), junior Amy Van Alstine (5,000m), junior Julie Rechel (10,000m), sophomore Meaghan McGovern (hammer throw) and freshman Dana Guglielmo (3,00m steeplechase).
For the 2010 season, the NCAA adjusted its qualifying format from past seasons. As opposed to setting a qualifying standard that had to be met, the NCAA now only takes the top 48 season-best times/marks in each event to one of two Regionals this year - East and West. Then, only the top performers at the Regionals in each event advance to the National Championship.
"I'm so excited for these athletes," said women's head coach Lori Taylor. "They have worked hard to earn a place within the First Round of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. We were pretty sure Dana would get in, and I'm thrilled for Amy, Julie and Meaghan. They were right on the bubble and secured a spot. Again, I couldn't be happier."
"It has been a good day," said men's head coach Steve Taylor. "We knew Matt was in since he ran such a fast 10,000m of 28:51 at Stanford. And I'm excited, especially for Amy, Julie Rechel and Meaghan. They've had a long week of waiting for the NCAA to make the announcement of the fields for each event. Again, it is a great day for our program!"
Llano heads to Greensboro highly-ranked in the East Region, putting down the East's fifth-fastest time of 28:51.69. The 2009 NCAA Cross Country Champion Sam Chelenga of Liberty owns the region's top time (27:08) in what will be a loaded 10k event in Greensboro.
Guglielmo's season-best 3,000m steeplechase time of 10:36.11 puts her 36th in the event, Van Alstine posted a season-best time of 16:38.58 in the 5,000m to rank 38th, Rechel snuck into the final 48th spot thanks to her season-best 10,000m time of 35:50.18 and McGovern's season-best hammer mark of 54.43m also ranks 48th.
The East Region Championship commences Thursday, May 27 at the Irwin Belk Track on the North Carolina A&T campus and runs through Saturday, May 29.
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