The AU men’s cross-country team raced to a third-place finish at the Patriot League Championships Oct. 27 in Hamilton, N.Y., led by a runner-up finish from Mark Allen. Ali Tyburski was the top finisher on the women’s side, which placed eighth in the event.
The men came into the championships with momentum, coming off a first-place finish at the Leopard Invitational two weeks ago. The team has consistently finished in the top two or top three in meets this season against stiff competition. At the PL Championships, AU looked to Allen to lead the team, and he didn’t disappoint. The senior placed second in a field of 76 runners, finishing with a time of 25:28.4. Colgate’s Christopher Johnson crossed the finish line first in 25:11.0 to repeat as champion.
Following Allen for the Eagles was Nick Regan (11th place) and Mark Leininger (13th).
Allen earned All-Patriot League First Team honors for the second straight season, while Regan and Leininger earned a spot on the All-Patriot League second team.
Other finishers for the Eagles included Constantine Matsakis (25th), John Pope (27th) and Tom Woermer (53rd). Ian Lutz rounded out the AU runners, finishing in 68th.
Lehigh was the surprise winner in the team competition, snapping Navy’s reign of four straight league titles. The Mountain Hawks finished with 54 points on the afternoon, while the Midshipmen ended with 56.
Tyburski continued to lead the way for the AU women, placing 15th in a field of 72 runners in 23:36.1. Her performance was just one spot shy of being named to the All-Patriot League Second Team.
Julia Sullivan was the next Eagle to complete the course, coming in 28th, while Carly Birkhold was next, posting a 48th-place finish.
Other AU runners included Krystal Foster (56th), Kelseagh Budris (61st) and Olivia DiBiasio (64th).
Navy won the team title on the women’s side, recording 46 points to dominate the competition and earn its fourth PL championship in the past six seasons. Annie-Norah Beveridge led the way for the Midshipmen, finishing first in 21:45.4 for the individual crown.
Next up for the Eagles is the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Nov. 10 at Penn State.
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