WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Nov. 15) – Carnegie Mellon and Allegheny finished one and two at Saturday’s NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Men’s Cross Country meet, which was hosted by Waynesburg University, to earn automatic bids to this year’s national championships.
Dickinson, Haverford and Elizabethtown rounded out the top five team spots, with the host Yellow Jackets finished 38th out of the 43 teams that competed in rainy, muddy conditions at the Greene County Airport.
On the individual side, Carnegie Mellon senior Brian Harvey took top honors at the event by finishing the 8K race with a time of 25:10, which gave him a 5:04 per mile pace. Cabrini sophomore Eddie Penatar completed the course in 25:18 (5:06 per mile) to place second, and Dickinson junior Greg Leak crossed the finish line in third with a time of 25:22 (5:07 per mile).
All members of the Carnegie Mellon and Allegheny men’s teams have automatically qualified for the individual finals. Also going to the finals from Saturday’s meet are Penatar, Leak, Messiah senior Francis Eanes, Muhlenberg senior Frances Tim Van Syckle, Haverford senior Taylor Burmeister, Susquehanna junior Paul Thistle and Scranton sophomore Chris Wasnetsky.
However, if a third men’s team from the region is selected to receive an at-large bid to the championships, that list is subject to change.
For the hosting Yellow Jackets, first-year runner Bill Moder led the charge with a time of 29:46, good for 204th place out of the 306 runner competing. Another first-year runner, Adam Swingle, finished 215th with a time of 29:57.
The 2008 Division III National Championship meet will be held at Hanover (Ind.) College on Saturday, Nov. 22. The final team and individual selections are scheduled to be made by the NCAA tomorrow.
For a complete run-down of the meet, click here.