65 Spiders on 2012 Spring A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll

University of Richmond Student-Athletes continue to be impressive
off the field of competition and were well represented on the
2012 A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll.

A few stats:

65 Spiders named to 2012 A10 Commissioner's Honor Roll (GPA above 3.5). Richmond 1 of 7 league schools to have all its sports represented. 

16 Richmond Track & Field/XC athletes (10 Women/6 Men) on 2012 Spring A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll (Above 3.5GPA)...

Rechel earns Gold at 2012 World University Games Triathlon

Richmond's Julie Rechel (UR'11) and U.S. Teammates
(Kaitlin Shiver and Jessica Broderick)
earned FIRST EVER GOLD for the USA at
2012 World University Games Triathlon in Taipei, Taiwan
Photo: Steve Kelley/USA Triathlon

Julie Rechel graduated last year (2011) from the University of Richmond where she was a standout both on the track and in the classroom.  On June 30, 2012 she and her U.S. teammates won the U.S. teams first ever Gold Medal at the World University Games Triathlon Championships in Taipei, Taiwan.

Spider Alum Rechel Set to Compete in 2012 World University Games Triathlon

Julie Rechel (UR '11), showing her record setting 10K form
while competing for the Richmond Spiders,
 is in Taiwan for the 2012 World University Games Triathlon

Follow former Richmond distance star, Julie Rechel (UR'11) as she competes in the World University Games Triathlon in Taipei, Taiwan. The Spider 10K record holder is 1 of 3 athletes representing the U.S. Follow here as she updates us through her daily blog...

Richmond's Traynor Concludes Career in NCAA National Semifinals

Traynor Concludes Career in National Semifinals

Courtesy:Richmond Athletics
Release:06/06/2012

Nicol Traynor

DES MOINES, Iowa - Senior Nicol Traynor capped off her illustrious collegiate career on Wednesday in the Semifinal Round of the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship in Des Moines, Iowa.

Coming off an ankle injury suffered in May's NCAA Preliminary Round, Traynor (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) clocked a time of 10:36.16 to finish 11th in her heat and 21st overall.

After earning Second Team All-America honors with her 11th-place showing in the 3k Steeple a year ago, she now concludes her career having qualified for two consecutive National Semifinals and having made three overall NCAA Championship appearances in her four outdoor seasons as a Spider.

McGovern & Traynor at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships

Meaghan McGovern (Hammer Throw) and Nicol Traynor (3K Steeplechase)
will compete in the first round of the NCAA Championships this weekend. 

Track & Field Tandem Set for Final NCAA Prelims

Courtesy:Richmond Athletics 

Release:05/23/2012

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Seniors Meaghan McGovern and Nicol Traynor have arrived with the Richmond Track & Field coaching staff in sunny Jacksonville, Fla., where they will make the final NCAA East Preliminary Round appearances of their decorated careers this weekend. The meet is scheduled to run from Thursday through Saturday at the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium.

Richmond Spiders at the 2012 Virginia Outdoor Classic

Senior Meaghan McGovern

Spiders Conclude Saturday's Virginia Classic

Courtesy:Richmond Athletics
Release:05/12/2012

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Senior Meaghan McGovern's third-place performance highlighted Spider Track & Field's finishes at Saturday's Virginia Classic in Charlottesville.

Richmond's McGovern Places 2nd in 2012 Penn Relays Hammer...Recognized by A-10

Spider Senior Meaghan McGovern set a personal best
in the hammer throw at the 2012 Penn Relays.

McGovern Caps Regular Season with Conference Nod

Courtesy:Richmond Athletics
Release:04/30/2012

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Following a near school-record performance at last week's Penn Relays, senior Meaghan McGovern was selected as Women's Outdoor Track & Field Performer of the Week for the first time on Monday.

McGovern (North Kingston, R.I./North Kingston) saved her best hurl for last in Thursday's College section of the hammer, posting a personal-best toss of 56.24 meters (184-6) on her sixth and final toss to finish second in the event. Her PR, which was just .18 meters off Beth Crocus' 2006 school-record of 56.42 meters, was two full meters further than her winning throw at last year's Penn Relays.

The senior standout's toss currently ranks 31st in the NCAA East Region, with it thus likely to land her a spot in May's NCAA East Region Championship for a third-consecutive season.

Spiders Busy Weekend at 2012 Mt SAC Relays, Princeton and CNU

VIDEO PLAYLIST from 2012 Mt SAC Relays


Our teams were split this past weekend between the Mt SAC Relays in Walnut, CA...the Princeton Invitational in Princeton, NJ and the CNU Invitational in Newport News, VA...Here are our results:

Jason Skipper (JR) and Liz Schinski (SO) were victorious this weekend
for the Spiders.

Underclassmen Strong as Spiders Wrap up Weekend

Richmond's Gibson Sets New School Mark at 2012 George Mason Invite

VIDEO PLAYLIST
Courtesy:Richmond Athletics 
Release:04/14/2012

FAIRFAX, Va. - The Richmond track & field squads turned in a number of strong showings, including a school-record performance by sophomore Grace Gibson, at Saturday's Mason Invitational in Fairfax, Va.

After equaling her own program mark in the pole vault at the Fred Hardy Invitational two weeks ago, Gibson (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) completed the feat with a new school-record jump of 3.45 meters to tie for seventh in the event.

Senior Meaghan McGovern (North Kingston, R.I./North Kingston) had another fine finish in the hammer throw, turning in a season-best toss of 55.70 meters to conclude the event as the top collegian and in second overall.

Richmond's McGovern, Mannon Make Away with Wins at 2012 Colonial Relays

VIDEO PLAYLIST
Courtesy:Richmond Athletics

Release:04/07/2012

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Senior Meaghan McGovern and sophomore Alli Mannon each came away with wins to highlight action for the Spiders at William and Mary's Colonial Relays this weekend.

McGovern (North Kingston, R.I./North Kingston) opened the meet with a top finish in the women's hammer throw on Thursday. The senior, who is just one week removed from setting a new meet and facility record at the Fred Hardy Invitational, turned in a toss of 51.82 meters (170') to win the event by more than two meters over Delaware's second-place finisher.

Mannon (Litiz, Pa./Warwick) followed McGovern's lead in the 3,000 meters, which she won with a time of 9:57.84 as one of two runners to record sub-10 minute times. Classmate Elizabeth Schinski (Geneseo, N.Y./Geneseo) crossed the line in 10:14.80 to secure a seventh-place finish.

Also earning a top-three finish this weekend was senior Nicol Traynor (Basking Ridge, N.J./Basking Ridge), who captured third in the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase with a time of 10:17.88. Newcomer Alli Stapleton (Commack, N.Y./Commack) finished 17th in 11:25.00.

Richmond's 2012 Fred Hardy Invitational (March 29-30)

Both days of the 2012 Fred Hardy Invitational were streamed live on SpiderTV. Links to both day's video streams along with a complete timeline detailing each event's and interview's start time in relation to the video stream can be found below

Friday's Full-Length Video Stream

Spiders Wrap Up Rainy Day in Williamsburg

Spiders Wrap Up Rainy Day in Williamsburg

Courtesy:Richmond Athletics
Release:03/24/2012

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The Richmond men's and women's track & field squads completed their second meet of the outdoor season on Saturday with what was a consistently rainy affair at William and Mary's Tribe Invite in Williamsburg.

Sophomore Sean Livesey (Philadelphia, Pa./Devon Preparatory School) locked up his first-ever top finish in the javelin, recording a toss of 45.68 meters (149'10") to capture the event.

Senior Meaghan McGovern (North Kingston, R.I./North Kingston) continued her strong start to the season in the hammer throw, hurling the hammer a distance of 46.90 meters (153'10") to take third in the event.

READ MORE

Spider SR Cassels Collects Academic All-Conference Honors

Cassels Collects Academic All-Conference Honors

Courtesy:Richmond Athletics
Release:03/13/2012

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Senior Devin Cassels was one of ten men selected to the Atlantic 10 Indoor Track & Field Academic All-Conference team by the conference office on Tuesday. Cassels' selection is his first, and with it he becomes the fourth Spider in three years to earn the illustrious league honor.

"Devin is an exceptional student-athlete who works hard each day to achieve the goals he's set for himself," said head men's coach Steve Taylor. "He excels in both areas and is equally impressive in both. He holds the second-highest pole vault mark in school history and with his academic performance led our men's team to the highest track & field team GPA in the nation last year. He's very deserving of this honor and a great ambassador for our program."

READ MORE

Logan Venderlic's “Jerkwater Town” 2012 Music Video Debut

Logan Vinderlic's "Jerkwater Town"
music video debut was yesterday.

I find it really exciting that one of my former high school teachers (Denny & Kristi Venderlic) in St. Marys, West Virginia has a son who has a new music album coming out next month (April 2012).  In my opinion Logan's distinct voice and sound, somewhat similar to Mumford and Sons, are excellent and I look forward to the full release of his album. 

Our hometown is small but as he states the mountains always pull you home.  That's hard to explain unless you've lived there for a length of time or grown up there.  I've actually spent more of my life living in Virginia than West Virginia, yet my veins still run with the blood from the mountains and all they represent.  From the coal mine wars in the early 1900's that molded our state to the consistent fight West Virginian's are known for, it's unique and not found anywhere else that I've lived.  

Richmond's Traynor Sets Program Record at Notre Dame (3-2-12)

Nicol Traynor set a Spider program record of 16:35.38
in the indoor 5,000M at Notre Dame's Alex Wilson Invitational.

Traynor concludes the indoor season ranked
in the top 2 in 5 different events
within the Atlantic 10 Conference rankings:

5000M-16:35.38 (#2 Rank)
3000M-9:29.20# (#1 Rank)
Mile-4:46.57 (#1 Rank)
1000M- 2:51.43 (#2 Rank)
Distance Medley Relay-11:35.13# (#1 Rank)



Traynor stopped by the IHOP in South Bend
for a prerace meal on Dr Seuss' birthday.