HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Ursinus College men's cross country team turned in its best showing at the Centennial Conference championship meet in five years, placing eighth overall behind an efficient pack mentality at Haverford.
The host Fords captured their 21st team title in 24 seasons, with all five of their runners placing inside the top 11 individually. Johns Hopkins, with four top-10 entrants, was a close second. Dickinson placed third, followed by Muhlenberg, Swarthmore, Gettysburg, Franklin & Marshall, Ursinus, and McDaniel.
Junior Joseph Iuliucci ran well up front for the Bears, logging a 26:47.1 over the 8-kilometer course to post his second consecutive sub-27-minute performance. Freshman Logan Mazullo provided important support at the top of the lineup, finishing the course in 27:25.3 to take 38th overall.
Freshman John Haase (27:51.3), sophomore Andrew Voyack (27:51.6), freshman Craig Lauer (27:55.8), and freshman James McDaid (27:57.6) all ran in a pack separated by just over six seconds, moving up the field aggressively over the final 600 meters to solidify Ursinus' placing over the Green Terror.
Sophomore Jonny Cope crossed the line in 29:41.9 for the Bears, whose top five runners averaged an impressive 27:34.
The cross country season continues in earnest with the NCAA Mideast Regional, set for Saturday, November 12 at DeSales.