2010 Richmond Cross Country Preseason Camp (Day 3)

The Spiders Cross Country team headed to Rockbridge County today to their preseason training camp...

The following pictures are from Day #3...

Our home for preseason…The Holiday Inn Express in Lexington, VA…

(L-R) Freshmen Adam Owens (Clarke County HS, VA) and Ryan Lee (Archmere Academy, DE) headed to the vans for our drive into the mountains and workout.

Loading the vans for practice...

Rockbridge County countryside...

More of Rockbridge County...

The Spiders Women's Cross Country Team getting final instructions on the workout from Coach Lori Taylor...

NCAA Track & Field Championship qualifiers Nicol Traynor and Amy Van Alstine...

Jenn Ennis with sophomore, Dana Guglielmo and freshman, Roxanne Henningson (Greenwich HS, NY) in the background...

The Spider Men...

(L-R) Tim Quinn, Matt Llano, Andrew Benford and Coach Jon Molz...

(L-R) Chris York, Levi Grandt, Adam Owens, Conor Phelan, Ryan Lee and Jason Skipper...

(L-R) Erin Lunny, Beth Kelly, Jenn Ennis, Nicol Traynor, Dana Guglielmo, Amy Van Alstine finishing their run...

Coach Taylor (White Shirt) speaks with a few of the team members...

(L-R) Andrew Benford speaks with Levi Grandt, Ryan Lee, Adam Spatacco, Chris York and Kyle Ragan...

Can anyone say, "Italian Dinner Buffet"?

The buffet line at Salerno's in downtown Lexington...

Downtown Lexington looking East...

Downtown Lexington looking West...

The Presbyterian Church on the corner of Main and Nelson Street's in Lexington...

Hopkins Green...A small park in the middle of Lexington...

(L-R) Coach Molz, Andrew Benford, freshmen Katrina Jueng (Shadyside Academy, PA) and Amanda Lineberry (Lee Davis HS, VA) in Hopkins Green Park...

(L-R) Dana Guglielmo, Jill Prentice (Montgomery HS, NJ) and Molly Parsons (The Tatnall School, DE) sit in Hopkins Green Park...

(L-R) Adam Spatacco, Ryan Lee, Chris York, Adam Owens and Kyle Ragan...in Hopkins Green Park...

Luke and Nicol Traynor in Hopkins Green Park...

Richmond Cross Country Preseason Camp Begins (Day 1 & 2)

The Spiders begin the 2010 Cross Country season...

The University of Richmond Men's and Women's Cross Country Teams arrived on campus for preseason training camp on Saturday...

Follow our teams first two days of preseason through these photos...Monday we will head to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for the miles of trails within the George Washington National Forest of Rockbridge County...

Maura Bolger and Mike Sheridan, who work within our NCAA Compliance Offices, presented an educational seminar to our cross country teams ensuring all appropriate paperwork and documentation was covered.

Our compliance meeting took place after team members moved into their apartments and dormitory rooms…

Mike Sheridan from our NCAA Rules Compliance office speaks with the 2010 Spider Cross Country Teams...

(L-R) Matt Llano (2010 NCAA 10,000M All-American) and Andrew Benford (12th place over-all and top USA finisher at the 2009 IAAF World Mountain Running Championships) talk with Coach Kunle Lawson following the compliance meeting.

2010 Cross Country Team members talk in the Hall-Of-Fame Room following the compliance meeting.

Following the compliance meeting our team members met with our Sports Medicine and medical staff for preseason screenings…

Medical staff members started with the basics…heart rate, blood pressure...

Adam Smith (blue shirt), who is one of our athletic trainers, provides instructions to freshmen team members…

Pocahontas State Park is the largest state park in Virginia and is only 20 minutes from campus. The park provides 8,000 acres of state park land with miles of trails for our team to run…

Fendley Station Trail is one of many well marked, dirt trails within Pocahontas State Park…

(L-R) Andrew Benford (12th place finisher at the 2009 IAAF World Mountain Running Championships), Ryan Lee (Delaware State Record Holder in the 3200M), Tim Quinn (A-10 All-Conference academically and athletically) and Chris York (2010 USA World Mountain Running Team Member) finishing their long run…

Levi Grandt (13th place at the 2008 IAAF World Junior Mountain Running Championships) during his long run…

(L-R) Andrew Benford, Tim Quinn and Matt Llano picking up the pace…

Fendley Station Trail marker within Pocahontas State Park which is 20 minutes from the University of Richmond campus.

(L-R) Katrina Jueng (Shadyside Academy, PA), Lydia Morton (sophomore from Lebanon HS, NH) and Alli Mannon (Warwick HS, PA) finishing their long run at Pocahontas State Park.

The 2010 University of Richmond Women’s Cross Country Team paused for a team photo at the Swift Creek Fire Road entrance to Pocahontas State Park.

A few of the men’s team discuss the long run...

Tim Quinn is coming off a summer of training in various parts of France…

Women’s team members share a laugh following their long run…

(L-R) Amy Van Alstine (2010 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships Semi-Finalist in the 5,000M), Stephanie Paradis, Jason Skipper and Nicol Traynor (2008 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships Qualifier and school record holder in the 5,000M) share a few stories from the summer.

(L-R) Freshmen Alli Mannon (Warwick HS, PA), Roxanne Henningson (Greenwich HS, NY) and Jill Prentice (Montgomery HS, NY) after their long run…

A few of the men share their thoughts with me…

Coach Jon Molz getting fluids back in after the long run…

Coach Luke finishing up travel plans to the Blue Ridge Mountains for tomorrow…and answering e-mails after his bike ride to try to catch the "racers".

Latest Robins Stadium/Fred Hardy Track Photos

Check out the latest (August 10) photos of the University of Richmond's Robins Stadium at the Fred Hardy Track...It's almost finished...

Go Here for August 10 photos of Robins Stadium Construction...

Go Here for archived photos of Robins Stadium Construction...

We're already looking forward to the 2011 Fred Hardy Invitational next March 25-26!!

Richmond's Julie Rechel Wins Columbus Trek Women's Triathlon at Buckeye Lake (OH)

...by more than six minutes.

Below is an article written by Scott Rawden (The Buckeye Lake Beacon) on Richmond cross country and track standout junior, Julie Rechel (photo left) who recently won the 2010 Columbus Trek Women's Triathlon at Buckeye Lake, Ohio on July 31st...

Rechel is one of the top triathletes within the NCAA...She had a great spring track season for the Spiders where she qualified for the NCAA DI Championship East Semi-Finals in the 10,000M with a time of 35:50.18...She also placed 2nd in the 10,000M at the 2010 Atlantic 10 Conference Championships (narrowly missing the win) with a time of 36:00.17...Rechel was also honored this spring as Richmond's Junior Female Student-Athlete with the highest cumulative GPA (nearly a 4.0) and was recently named to the NCAA All-Academic team...

Congratulations to Julie on her win!!

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Women’s triathlete appreciates support

By Scott Rawdon

July 31, 2010

MILLERSPORT (OH) – Julie Rechel (photos below) admits to becoming a little lost during the swimming event of last weekend’s Columbus Trek Women Triathlon Series event at Buckeye Lake, but that didn’t stop her from winning with a time of one hour, six minutes and 33 seconds, more than six minutes ahead of the second place contender, Kat Briggs.

“I get lost on courses pretty easily,” said Rechel, who commented that Sunday’s triathlon course was well marked and planned. She also appreciated all the support from the people on the sidelines who were encouraging the athletes to do their best.

Rechel defeated more than 250 other women to win the triathlon July 25, undaunted by stormy weather. The event brought together women from all around Central Ohio, including Rechel, who lives in Westerville but attends the University of Richmond where she majors in Interdisciplinary Studies and will soon apply for pharmacy school.

The triathlon included a halfmile swim, which preceded a 12- mile bicycle race and a 3.1-mile run. Although Rechel participates in longer events, she found the Buckeye Lake race challenging and its atmosphere uplifting. “People are so serious at the (longer events),” she said.

Rechel said she trains roughly 15 to 20 hours per week to stay in shape for this event and others similar to it, but most triathletes’ training isn’t as rigorous. “The majority of people don’t train 20 hours per week,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to get out there and try it.”

“We couldn’t be happier with the turnout of this year’s race in (Buckeye Lake) said Trek Women Triathlon Series Director Maggie Sullivan in a press release. She is also a member of Xxtra Mile, LLC, a women’s and girls’ active lifestyle company and owner of the Trek Women Triathlon Series. “It was a pleasure to see all the happy and smiling faces as those brave women crossed the finish line,” said Sullivan.

“It went really well, except for the rain,” said Lancaster resident Joyce Guenther who participated with her 19-year-old daughter Catherine and Guenther’s best friend from high school, Cheryl Craver. Guenther said it rained really hard while she was cycling, but it didn’t stop her or her daughter and friend from finishing the triathlon. She was happy with the triathlon’s logistics and particularly all the people who volunteered from Millersport. “They were excellent,” she said, “standing out in the rain for three hours.”

Like Rechel, Guenther said the open water was tough to navigate because the water was dark and her goggles would fog as soon as she lifter her head out of the water. Still, “It was fun,” she said. “As soon as we got home we looked online for another one.”

“The Trek series triathlon was one of the best events I’ve seen at the lake in several years,” said J-me Braig, Buckeye Lake Museum director. She attended the race to support the athletes and the museum was a local sponsor. “I strongly believe that’s an important community event.” She said there were women from all over the state and several from out of state. “This event allows us to showcase our beautiful lake and to allow many women to accomplish a goal for themselves. Just to see the faces of so many women that are not ‘super athletes’ finish this was truly inspiring,” said Braig.

Braig said she understands that the triathlon will return next year. “I’ve spoken with (Sullivan) and she’s confident this will be an annual event,” she said. Braig believes building on the event year after year will attract hundreds of women and their families to the area to patronize hotels, restaurants, and local shops. “The boost to our local economy will be enormous and we can showcase one of Ohio’s prettiest lakes,” she said. “The museum was thrilled to be a local sponsor and we’ll do so again next year.”

The triathlon benefited the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the National Association of Team Survivor, a non-profit organization for women who have a past or present cancer diagnosis. Locally, the event partnered with the Food Pantry Network and the Center for New Beginnings Shelter & Services.