Cross Country Has Impressive Showing at the Meghan Memorial

The SUNY Erie cross country team concluded its regular season schedule at the 14th Annual Meghan Memorial Race. In addition to the host school Hilbert College, Erie was joined by D'Youville University, Medaille University, and Bryant & Stratton College. Between the men and women squads, the Kats brought home four top-10 awards.

 

In the women's 5k race, Lydia Smith led the field from the gun, gaining an early lead and cruising to a 1st place finish in 19:44. Madison Baird had a breakout performance, finishing 6th overall in 21:47. Laura Getman ran a strong race, crossing the line in 30:17 for 22nd place.

 

The men's team dropped down in distance, racing a 5k instead of the typical 8k. Henry Smith from D'Youville University won the individual title. Erie's David Gregoire and Christopher Davis worked together and used a mid-race surge to break away from the chase pack. The two Kats sprinted to the finishing line together, with David securing 2nd place in 18:42 and Christopher 3rd in 18:43. Eugene Bush beat his goal time by nearly a minute, clocking 25:02 for 29th overall place. Sam Vail held off a charging competitor to lock in 32nd place (official time unavailable due to a technical issue). 

 

"We had seven runners toe the line today, and seven excellent performances," said Head Coach Chris Muldoon. "I couldn't be happier with how we competed. Everyone had their best race of the season today, which is just where we want to be going into the championship meets."

 

The Kats get a week off from competition to prepare for the NJCAA Region 3 Championship on October 22, hosted by Finger Lakes Community College.