Charlottesville, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW): Justin Wachtel set the tone for the UVA Cross Country team with a commanding victory at the Spider Alumni Open on Saturday August 31st.   

He finished in 17:56.2, one of only two runners to finish under the 18-minute mark the other was Andruw Jones of UVA, who finished in 17:59.0.  The Hoos swept the open, finishing in all seven of the Top Seven places in the 162-person race.   As a team they beat second place squad American University by 15 points.   

For his triumph, and his leadership in ensuring a team victory for UVA, Wachtel won the first ACC Men’s Performer of the Week award in the Fall 2024 season.   

UVA Cross Country will run again on September 14th at home in Charlottesville for the Virginia Invitational, at Panorama Farms in Earlysville.  The men’s 8k is set to begin at 8:45 a.m. while the women’s 5k race will begin at 9:30 a.m.