Sophomores Derek Johnson (Leesburg, Va.) and Peter Morris (Hamilton, Va.) led the No. 23 UVA men’s cross country in its season opener, the Liberty Challenge, on Friday.
Johnson and Morris finished in the top three at the meet, placing second and third, respectively, as both runners recorded a time of 12:29.
Senior Sam Teller (Blacksburg, Va.) crossed the finish line moments later, finishing sixth with a time of 12:39. He was followed by junior Ryan Buscaglia (Richmond, Va.), who ran a time of 13:17 for 15th place.
Sophomore Ryan Lockett (Dickerson, Md.) was the fifth Cavalier to finish during the day’s race. He ran a time of 13:36, placing 20th. Sophomore Grant Summers (Lake Oswego, Ore.) rounded out the day for the Cavaliers, finishing 40th with a time of 14:13.
“Today’s meet served its purpose for us, allowing some of our younger athletes an opportunity to compete, and in most cases, for the first time in a Virginia uniform,” interim director of track and field/head men’s cross country coach Jason Dunn said. “Derek (Johnson) and Peter (Morris) handled themselves well and ran strong races out front for us today. We’re looking forward to getting back to work and racing at home in two weeks.”
Team scores were not kept at the Liberty Challenge. Virginia raced against Liberty, Lynchburg and VMI in the competition.
Up next for the Cavaliers, Virginia will host the Cavalier Classic at Panorama Farms on Sept. 14.
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