Sophomore Walton Kingsbery emerged as the University of Virginia’s top cross country runner in 2001. The Red Bank Regional graduate was the only Cavalier to qualify for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I cross country championships.
Kingsbery ran on a consistently high level for the Cavs all fall. Starting with the pre-NCAA meet held at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., Kingsbery was No. 1 for UV. At the pre-NCAA, he was 60th, clocking 25:47 over the 5-mile course.
At the Atlantic Coast Conference championships, Kingsbery led the Cavs to fourth place, finishing in 13th place, posting a 25:04.4 for the 5-mile run. Last year at the same meet he was 45th.
Andrew Filachek, who ran against Kingsbery in high school at Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, and is now his college teammate, was UV’s No. 2 at the ACC in 16th place (25:10.9).
Kingsbery earned All-Region honors after running 13th at the NCAA Southeast Regional held back at Furman. The Cav sophomore ran a 30:52 over the 10K course. That 13th place reserved a place at the NCAA Division I Championships for the Cav. He was the only Virginia runner to go on to the national championships.
Furman hosted the NCAA meet, and Kingsbery improved on his time at the 10K college course with a 30:36, which put him in 68th place.
It is now on to the indoor track season for Kingsbery, who should benefit from his cross country success. Last year, he scored for Virginia in the mile at the ACC championships. He ran a personal record 3:51.26 for the 1,500 meters (a 4:09 mile) and also posted times of 1:53.62 for 800 meters, 2:27.89 for 1,000 and 8:33.45 for the 3,000.
At Red Bank Regional, Kingsbery was the state champion in the 1,600 meters and earned All-American recognition for his third place in the mile at the indoor scholastic national championships.
Kingsbery won Group III state titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. He capped his season with his 1,600-meter victory at the Outdoor New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Meet of Champions.
— Tim Morris