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34 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier profile YASIN SADO Fourth-Year • Cross Country Cavalier fourth-year cross country runner Yasin Sado is ready to take to Panorama Farms for the 2023 campaign in a historic season for the Virginia cross country program. The Cavaliers will host the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1987, and continuity will be key for Virginia. The Cavaliers finished second in the Southeast region in 2022 and placed 22nd at the national meet. They bring back an impressive group from that successful season. Among the returners, Sado is a prominent figure. An accomplished and versatile runner on both the track as well as the cross country course, Sado is no stranger to success in a Virginia uniform. The dis- tance runner enjoyed a breakout season in the spring of 2022 when he broke the four-minute barrier in the mile and placed second at the ACC Championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase before capping the season with a second-team All-America finish in the steeplechase. Since then, Sado has established himself as a leader on the team, collecting All-ACC honors in both track and field as well as cross country. He started the 2023 campaign in excellent form on his way to his first-ever individual win on the cross country course, leading the Cavaliers to a runaway victory at the Spider Alumni Open in Richmond. Virginia will feature an incredibly deep roster of talented run- ners this season, any of whom could end up leading the team on their day. The level of competition will only increase as the season progresses, and pack running will be important to their approach. Leaning on a stable of experienced returners like Sado will be a key advantage to the Cavaliers in addition to running on familiar turf at Panorama Farms for the three biggest meets of the 2023 cross country season. — Quinn Hull • Photo courtesy UVA Athletics