X

SLU men's cross country team wins first Atlantic Regional title since 2000;

Posted 11/13/11

CANTON -- The St. Lawrence University men's cross country team, ranked 11th in the national standings, captured the program's first Atlantic Regional title since 2000 Saturday afternoon. With the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

SLU men's cross country team wins first Atlantic Regional title since 2000;

Posted

CANTON -- The St. Lawrence University men's cross country team, ranked 11th in the national standings, captured the program's first Atlantic Regional title since 2000 Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, the Scarlet and Brown have earned an automatic berth into the field at the 2011 NCAA Championships next Saturday, November 19 in Winneconne, WI.

The Saints had four runners in the top-11 of Saturday's race and were able to hold off Geneseo State by a mere six points, 89-95. The Blue Knights, who were led by individual champion Lee Berube and third-place runner Eddie Novara finished second and also earn an automatic bid to the national championships.

"I'm exceptionally proud of the team and how they ran according to our plan today. They represented our program at home in front of family, friends and alumni with class and poise," said St. Lawrence head coach John Newman. "(John) Johnston executed his race plan to perfection and ran the fastest time ever for a Saint on the Hoffmann Course, and now has the third-fastest time ever."

Berube, the Hoffmann Course record holder, won the race with a time of 24:41 but was followed by St. Lawrence senior standout John Johnston in second place overall in 24:53. Senior Steve Kiplagat, junior Sam Rakoc and senior Seth Jackson would then put the Saints in great position to win the race, finishing in fourth, seventh and 11th place, respectively.

Though the Blue Knights would close the gap, senior Alex Calderwood's 65th place finish would prove to be the clincher, capping St. Lawrence's point total at the winning score of 89 points.

Sophomore Brendan Courneene (76th) and first-year Scott Smolensky (84th) rounded out the St. Lawrence line-up in the regional race.

New York University, Cortland State and the University of Rochester are also eligible for at-large consideration into the NCAA Championship. Bids will be announced tomorrow. The top seven runners whose teams do not advance to the NCAA race will also be automatically qualified.

Clarkson University Senior Alex Benway (Queensbury, NY) put in a strong showing with a Top 10 finish.

Benway covered the 8,000-meter course in a time of 25:25.4 for an eight-place showing. With his strong showing Benway qualifies for the NCAA Division III Championships in Wisconsin Nov. 19.

The Golden Knight Men finished 16 out of 40 teams with 445 points. Lee Berube of Geneseo State was the regional individual champion with a time of 24:41.3. St. Lawrence won the team title with 89 points.

Benway finished eighth overall out of 272 runners to lead the Knights, but several other runners posted outstanding results as well.

Clarkson Junior Pat Carroll (Queensbury, NY) came in 81st overall in 26:59.5 and classmate Andrew Gelston (White Plains, NY) was 107th overall in 27:30.5. Senior Neal Campbell (Queensbury, NY) ran the event in 27:35.7 to finish in 116th, and sophomore Dan Fritz (Cicero, NY) came in 136th for the Knights to round out the scoring.

The SUNY Potsdam men’s team finished 40th.

Freshman Jonathan Doane (Camden, N.Y./Camden) led the men with an 8k time of 32:52, while senior George DeVita (Evans Mills, N.Y./Indian River) was the Bears’ second finisher in 34:01. Freshman Brett Wunsch (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie) and sophomore Dan Lewis (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) finished in 34:13 and 38:16, respectively. Sophomore John Bressett (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) ran a time of 44:44 and junior Dan Rubino (Lagrangeville, N.Y./Arlington) rounded out the Potsdam men with a 55:13 mark.