WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary cross country opens the 2024 fall season at the Spider Alumni Open at Pole Green Park in Richmond, Va., on Saturday, Aug. 31. The men's college 6K begins at 9:15 a.m. with the women's college 4K to follow at 9:50 a.m.
 

Tribe News and Notes
- It marks the second year in a row and seventh time in the last nine years that the Tribe has competed in the Spider Alumni Open to kick off the season. Last season, the Tribe finished second on the women's side and fourth in the men's race.

- Last season at Richmond, juniors Sofia Istnick (fourth at 13:43.2) and Arianna DeBoer (ninth at 14:01.8) both finished in the top 10. Istnick earned CAA Runner of the Week honors for her performance. On the men's side, Nate Jennings (18:26.1) and Zack Ericksen (18:34.7) led the Tribe, placing 14th and 19th, respectively.

- The Tribe men program returns five of its top six runners from last season's third-place CAA Championship finish. A trio of All-CAA performers return in Hayes Trapp, Jennings and Peyton Golden.

- For the women's team, eight of the Tribe's top nine runners returns from its fourth-place showing at the CAA Championships. Istnick, DeBoer and Catherine Garrison earned All-CAA honors a season ago.

- Istnick capped last season by finishing 19th at the NCAA Southeast Region Championship to earn All-Region honors. She is the Tribe's first all-region honoree since 2016.

- A total of 10 newcomers join the Tribe on the women's side. Along with Layna Capritta, who transferred from Virginia Tech, the Green and Gold welcomes nine true freshmen in Celia Dawson (Fairfax, Va.), Molly Ellison (Manchester, N.H.), Nya Folk (Raleigh, N.C.), Maddie Gypson (Charlottesville, Va.), Abby Lane (Fort Defiance, Va.), Allison McDonald (Blacksburg, Va.), Anne McSweeney (Peachtree Corners, Ga.), Chloe Miller (Springfield, Va.), and Molly Weithman (Vienna, Va.).

- The Tribe men's program has a trio of newcomers in true freshmen Collin Walsh (New Milford, Conn.), Caleb Wilcox (Midlothian, Va.), and Travis Wolfe-Thompson (Brooklyn, N.Y.).

- This week, Rick Platt '72 made a game-changing gift of $6.5 million to the Tribe men's and women's track & field and cross country programs just six months after he gave $2.3 million during the All In campaign toward the total renovation of the TF/XC locker rooms in Zable Stadium. The Rick Platt Cross Country and Track Excellence Fund will fund sweeping changes over 10 years to raise the profile of the programs, including additional scholarship support, preseason cross country training camps, travel funds to provide opportunities at the most competitive track and cross country meets, and other social events to enhance team bonding and camaraderie.