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cavalier profile HARRY MONROE Graduate Student • Cross Country/Track Now a graduate student at Virginia, distance runner Harry Monroe looks back to the fall when he joined the cross coun- try/track program in 2018 and professes that he was probably one of the slowest runners on the team. "Yeah, like it was not even close," Monroe admitted with a laugh. "I couldn't even hang for a regular training run." Now, Monroe is one of the leaders of those sessions. Last spring, the Alexandria, Va., native qualified for the 10,000 me- ters at the NCAA East Preliminary Round after clocking his per- sonal-best time (29:16.26) at the ACC Championships, where he also set a personal record in the 5,000 meters (14:04.71). He was 13th at the 2020 ACC Cross Country Championships, posting a career-best time to earn All-ACC honors. Monroe was headed to the University out of high school for academic reasons when he had a particularly successful day during a high school track meet with former UVA coach Bryan Fetzer on site to watch another participant. After several conver- sations, Fetzer told Monroe he would have a spot on the team as a walk-on. Since those days of being near the back of the pack, Monroe has blossomed into a reliable and consistent performer in cross country and track. He realized one bucket list item when he ran with teammate Peter Morris during the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships, which took place in March due to the pandemic. His goal is to get back this year with a lot more Cavaliers joining him. "It was really cool to experience running and competing at the highest level," Monroe said. "I didn't have the race that I wanted personally, but it was just an amazing all-around experience. "I remember being on the plane ride home and thinking to myself that I want to come back here next year, and I want to have a full men's and women's team with me next year. So far it looks like we're headed in the right direction, which is really, really exciting." Monroe feels there are several factors that have contributed to his development as a collegiate runner. One of those is Vin Lananna who took over as the director of the Cavalier program in 2019. During a one-on-one meeting, Lananna expressed to Monroe he felt he could run under 29 minutes in the 10,000 meters. "It completely blew my mind," Monroe said. "Last season he got me pretty darn close. He certainly knows what he's doing. He really knows how to maximize every athlete's potential." With an undergraduate degree in global studies in hand, Mon- roe is now enrolled in graduate school. He is serving an internship that concentrates on environmental sustainability, specifically re- garding industrial laundry services. He helps with the certification process regarding water consumption and energy use. Through educational outreach opportunities, the internship is allowing Monroe to teach others the value sustainability can have. It is allowing him to maximize his potential in more areas than just on the track or cross country course. — Jim Daves • Photo by Matt Riley/courtesy UVA 32 CAVALIER CORNER