Longwood University Athletics

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Longwood cross country senior Leon Beard opened his senior season in nearly record-breaking fashion, clocking the second-fastest 6-kilometer time in school history at the Hokie Invitational Friday afternoon.
 
Running in the first race of his final season in the blue and white, the veteran Beard clocked a team-best 19:38.9 on the rain-soaked 6K Virginia Tech Cross Country Course, coming with two seconds of Darren Simpson's 6K school record of 19:36, set in 2010. The season-opening race saw Beard clock a 5:16.1 mile pace en route to a 6K personal best and a 21st-place finish.
 
"The conditions weren't the best which had some impact on our performance, but it was still a solid first race back," said Beard, a product of Matoaca High School in Chesterfield, Va. "We'll only get better from here."
 
The senior debut follows a strong preseason from Beard, who turned heads this past spring when he broke the four-minute-mile plateau during offseason training. After emerging as Longwood's ace as a junior last season, Beard returns as one of two seniors on a youthful Longwood squad in 2017.
 
"Our team is very young, so getting adjusted to collegiate racing is a big jump," said Beard, who alongside classmate Ian Court and junior John Bapties forms theLancers' veteran core. "This will be a good building block for the season."
 
That youth was on display in the opener as the Lancers deployed three freshmen at Virginia Tech. Newcomer Jon Swartout made a mark in his collegiate debut, coming in as Longwood's No. 2 finisher with a 22:13.8 that earned him a 59th-place finish.
 
Bapties followed in 64th place with a 23:04.5, trailed by freshman classmates Ron Gyamfi (23:47.3) and Crishon Dollard (26:25.0).
 
The race is one of seven meets for the Lancers this season and kicks off a stretch of three consecutive race weeks in September. Longwood follows with the James Madison Invitational next Saturday, Sept. 9, in New Market, Va., and then heads to Lynchburg, Va., for the Big South Pre-Conference Meet on Sept. 16.
 
Hokie Invitational
Sept. 1, 2017
Blacksburg, Va. (Virginia Tech Cross Country Course)

Longwood Results
21. Leon Beard (19:38.9)
59. Jon Swartout (22:13.8)
64. John Bapties (23:04.5)
68. Ron Gyamfi (23:47.3)
70. Crishon Dollard (26:25.0)
 
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