Track and field is undoubtedly a tough sport for casual fans to follow, and thus for casual bloggers to write about.  The teams are large, the events are diverse, events are long, and strategy is lost on non die-hards.  

Thus, the fact that a moment like the one Robby Andrews had in his NCAA Championship-winning 800m race broke through these barriers makes it all the more impressive.  It wasn't just a great race won, but one of the great comebacks in recent UVA sports memory.  If you haven't seen the race, do yourself a favor and watch the video here - Andrews goes from last to first to take the title for the Hoos.  

Andrews was the face of a successful season, but not its only ingredient.  Nine All-Americans, 9 All-ACC Performers, and 2 ACC Champs were Cavaliers.   The strong finish meant the team finished the season ranked in the final NCAA top 25, after not appearing all season.  Anthony Kostelac was named both Indoor and Outdoor Men's ACC Track and Field Freshman of the Year.

The successful finish bodes well for the future of Virginia track.  Not only are champions like Andrews returning next year...but they'll be excited to race on some new digs, as a much needed facilities renovation is underway.  The project will include expanded seating, lights, a scoreboard, and locker rooms.  Not only should we expect a recruiting boost (as if high-schoolers needed another reason to pick UVA...), but also hope for an expansion of fan interest, especially ahead of the 2012 ACC Championships.  I don't think it's too bold to look out for this program to be the next to bump itself up among its sport's elite.

Here's a quick capsule on the year for the UVA cross country team.

Women: 2nd ACC, 21st NCAAs
Men: 4th ACC, 17th NCAAs

Successful year overall for the cross country program. Both the men's and women's team were consistently ranked between 10th and 20th in the nation, picking up right where they left off in the previous year's campaign. The team also notched a couple tournament victories - the women won the Lou Onesty Open (with a perfect score), and the men won the Paul Short Invitational, both tournaments hosted by UVA. Virginia holds its meets at Panorama Farms, which is located about 6 miles from grounds.

In postseason competition, the women notched their best finish in ACC history and went on to win the NCAA Southeast Region Championship. The men also made a strong NCAA showing, led by their two-time All-American Emil Heineking. The Cavaliers have a strong team, which always tends to be in mix for top 25 NCAA finishes. Looking forward to seeing how planned upgrades to the track program affect recruiting and results in the future.

Virginia's 4x800 relay team defended its Championship of America title at the 117th prestigious Penn Relays yesterday thanks in large part to sophomore Robby Andrews' speedy anchor leg. The 2010 NCAA Indoor Champion in the 800m was named the College Men's Athlete of the Meet for Relay Events. The Cavaliers won with a time of 7:12.15, which stands as the second fastest time in the history of the event.

"We came in here on a mission," Andrews said following the meet. "We were not going to lose this race."

By the time Andrews received the baton for the final leg, he and Penn State's Cas Laxsom were neck and neck at the final exchange. While Laxsom led pack for most of the last lap, Andrews "kicked" it into high gear with 150m to go. The 7:12.15 time shatters Virginia's 30-year record of 7:14.59, set in 1981, and stands as the top NCAA time this season.

"We have tremendous faith in each other," sophomore Brett Johnson, who ran the first leg, said. "It was an amazing feeling to win."

"As soon as Robby gets the stick, it's over. It's amazing what this kid can do. If we were unsure about his kick, by this point we should be sure. As a teammate, I have the most confidence in him."

"There's no other meet in the country or even in the world that is so exciting," coach Jason Vigilante said following the meet. "We got the best out of ourselves today because of the teams that pushed us this far. I feel very proud to coach these guys."

Virginia's Anthony Kostelac was honored as the Men's Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year, ACC Commissioner John Swofford announced today.

Kostelac is the second straight Cavalier to be named freshman of the year, following teammate Robby Andrews. The Charlottesville, Va., native was the ACC champion in the 800-meter run, where he remained undefeated on the indoor season, posting what was then a conference-leading time of 1:49.24. His time was a personal best and also tied him for fifth all-time at Virginia. Additionally, the mark was a season best among the nation's freshmen. Kostelac was also part of Virginia's 4x400 relay squad, which finished fourth at the league meet with a mark of 3:14.53.

Kostelac won 800m titles at the VT Invite (Jan. 14), Saturday Night at the Armory III (Feb. 12, when he was also named the meet's Most Outstanding Performer) and the ACC Championships (Feb. 26).He was also a member of the 4x800m relay team, which won at the Millrose Games

He was also a member of the Cavaliers' 4x800m relay team that was victorious at the Millrose Games (Jan. 28) and ran the 800m leg of UVa's DMR squad that won the VT Elite Meet (Feb. 5).

The Virginia track and field team defended their title at the college section of the 4x800m relay at the 104th Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. Sophomores Brett Johnson, TJ Hobart and Zach Vrhovac and freshman Anthony Kostelac posted a time of 7:36:27, to edge the UConn team's time of 7:36:38.

Last year, the Cavaliers' squad of All-American Lance Roller, Vrhovac, John Minen and NCAA Champion Robby Andrews won the event with a time of 7:32.49.

The Millrose is the most famous indoor track meet in the world and is MSG's longest-running sporting event. The event is the first event of USA Track & Field’s 2011 Indoor Visa Championship Series.

Virginia will next travel back to Blacksburg -- for the third time in four weeks -- to compete in the VT Elite Meet.

Virginia senior Adams Abdulrazaaq registered nation-leading time in the 60-meter hurdles at the Hokie Invitational en route to being recognized as the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Indoor Track & Field Co-Performer of the Week, alon gwith Floriday State's Brandon Byram. Duke senior Kate Van Buskirk set a collegiate record in the 1000 meters at the same meet and has been selected the league's Women's Performer of the Week.

Abdulrazaaq, a senior from Highland Springs, Va., won his fifth- and sixth-straight 60-meter hurdles to remain undefeated in the event this season. His personal best time of 7.75 in the finals bettered his own school record for a second consecutive time this season and currently ranks fourth in the nation. He is only five-hundredths of a second off from the NCAA qualifying mark of 7.70.

Before the 2010 NCAA Championships, Flotrack counted down the top tailgating moments. The 2009 UVa Track Shack came in at Number 1. After the jump is a Flotrack video giving you the exclusive tour of the RV, taken at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, IN, US.

Continue reading this post »