CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW)- Legendary track & field and cross-country coach Vic Lananna stepped down as the leader of both programs at the University of Virginia last week to accept a post as the Chief Executive Office of the United States Track and Field Foundation. Lananna named his associate head coach, Trevor Dunbar, to take his place ahead of the 2026-27 season.   

Lananna has served as the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at UVA for seven seasons, taking over in 2019.  While in the post, Lananna’s squads have won three outdoor track conference titles in the ACC, one ACC cross country title, and Lananna himself has been named ACC Outdoor Coach of the Year three times, once with the women’s squad in 2025, and twice with the men’s squad in 2024, and 2026. During his tenure, Lananna coached 49 individual all-Americans, 32 acc champions, and 3 NCAA champions from Virginia.  

In his seventh and final season with the Hoos, Lananna went out on a high note, taking home the 2026 ACC title in outdoor track.   

He already has a history with the USATF, winning their 2025 Legend Coach Award.  Lananna also served as President of USATF while at Oregon and coached the U.S. Track Team at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro.  

Dunbar has been with the UVA Program since 2021, serving primarily with cross country and the distance runners in both indoor and outdoor track. His service was instrumental in earning the Hoos’ first ever outdoor team title in the ACC in 2024. 

“He has been an important part of the program’s success, and his expertise will be vital during this period of transition.” said Athletic Director Carla Williams of the transition. 

The cross country season will begin Sept. 11 at the Virginia Invitational in Charlottesville. 

Swimming  

The Virginia swimming program showed well at the U.S. National Championships last week, as well as at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. In Irvine, at the U.S. National meet, the Hoos took home 13 national titles.

Junior David King took gold in the 200m breaststroke, and standout sophomore Maximus Williamson earned his the 200m individual medley.   

Isabelle Stadden, who trains in Charlottesville under the Cavalier Swim umbrella, took three gold medals, leading the way on the Women’s side.  The backstroke specialist won the 50, 100, and 200m backstroke events at the meet. Distance specialist Katie Grimes took gold in both the 400m IM and the 1500m freestyle, and Anna Moesch won the 100m freestyle with an American record time of 51.94, as well as another gold in the 200m freestyle.  Gretchen Walsh won the 50m freestyle, missing her world record mark by .05 seconds. 

Meanwhile in Glasgow, two Wahoo stars representing South Africa put up a medal total of seven between the two of them. Alumna Aimee Canny won three silver medals and a pair of bronzes, while incoming first year Jessica Thompson added two of her own, both bronze. 

Tennis 

After a dramatic performance Saturday, UVA third year Keegan Rice debuted in the singles draw for the ATP 1000 Masters-level Nations Bank Open in Montreal.  On Centre Court at IGA Stadium, Rice was taken down by the current world No. 51, Stefanos Tsitsipas, in straight sets to qualify for the main draw.  The experience was a sort of homecoming for Rice, who trained at the National Tennis Centre in Montreal.  The match was his ATP debut. 

Soccer 

Both Cavalier soccer teams will begin exhibition play this week, as the Men’s team faces VMI this Saturday, August 8, at Klockner Stadium, and the Women’s squad will take on the Maryland Wednesday at 7 p.m., and will welcome DC Power Saturday night at 8 p.m. 

The keeper for Steve Swanson’s Cavalier Women’s side, Victoria Safradin, was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Goalkeepers to Watch List. Safradin posted a 13-3-5 mark last season, in a campaign that saw the Hoos reach the NCAA tournament.