BURLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont head cross country coach Matt Belfield has announced his captains for the coming 2016 season. Patrick Coppinger, Aaron Lucci and Nick Salamone have been selected to guide the men's team, while Anna Kaplan, Amber Peirsol and Julie Richer will captain the women's squad.
 
Coppinger was second on the team at the 2015 NCAA Northeast Regionals, clocking in at 32:28 in the 10K event. An America East Academic Honor Roll selection a year ago, Lucci posted a 34:03 mark at the Northeast Regionals to round out the top seven for Vermont. With a time of 19:19, Salamone won UVM's home meet against UMass Lowell last season and was UVM's sixth finisher at the Brown Rothenberg Run (26:27).
 
On the women's side, Kaplan was an All-Conference Second Team honoree following the 2015 America East Championship, finishing 14th overall with a time of 19:08.28. Also a captain of the 2014 team, Peirsol ran in all seven events that season and posted her fastest time of 18:19.9 at the Brown Rothenberg Run. Richer is a three-time member of the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll and finished fourth on the team at the 2015 NCAA Northeast Regionals with a time of 23:28.
 
The Catamounts open the 2016 schedule Saturday (Sept. 3), hosting UMass Lowell at Red Rocks Park in South Burlington. Race time is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.