(Posted October 30, 2004)

Philadelphia, Pa. ? The Juniata College cross country teams both posted solid performances at the MAC Cross Country Championships at Belmont Plateau Park in Philadelphia Saturday afternoon. The Eagle women placed fifth out of 15 teams at the meet, finishing with 144 points. On the men?s side the Eagles placed seventh overall besting their eighth-place finish from a season ago. The Eagle men recorded 153 points in the meet. Elizabethtown was the winning team on the men?s side with 33 points, and posted a win on the women?s side with 33 points.

WOMEN?S

Junior Nancy Hayes (Westminster/Westminster, Md.) was the top finisher for Juniata, and earned her best-ever finish at the conference championships as she placed eighth overall. Hayes covered the course in a time of 24:05. Katey Glunt (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) was Juniata?s second runner, placing 12th and running a time of 24:23. A season ago the duo placed 16th and 17th respectively in the meet. Juniata?s third runner was Lia Bella (Morris Catholic/Rockaway, N.J.) whose time of 25:59 was good for 39th place. Sarah Bay (Central Dauphin/Harrisburg) and Lauren Gates (Bishop Guilfoyle/Altoona) rounded out Juniata?s top-five as they finished 49th and 50th respectively. The pair was just a second apart, running times of 26:33 and 26:34. Christina Jones (Fallston/Bel Air, Md.) was 57th in the race, while Emily Landis (Christopher Dock/Harleysville) placed 66th.

Gina Lucrezi of DeSales was the top overall finisher on the women?s side, as she posted a time of 22:42.

MEN?S

The Juniata men?s race was highlighted by a pair of Eagles finishing in the top-20. Chris Sheaffer (Central York/York) finished 16th for Juniata, running a time of 27:09 to lead the Juniata team. Sheaffer placed 25th at the MAC meet last season. Justin Fritzius (Central York/York) was also in the top-20 as he placed 19th on the meet and ran a time of 27:17. Fritzius improved by more than 10 places from his finish a season ago. Freshman Shawn Rummery (Thornton Academy/Dayton, Me.) had a strong finish at his first MAC Championship as he ran home in 33rd place. He posted a time of 28:06 to earn his finish. Juniata?s fourth and fifth runners were just a second apart as Mike Vella (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) and Ryan Conrad (Waynesboro/Waynesboro) finished 48th and 49th with times of 28:52 and 28:53 respectively. Eric Hoover (Brandywine/Wilmington, De.) was Juniata?s sixth runner, placing 56th with a time of 29:16. Jason Hoover (Brandywine/Wilmington, De.) ran a time of 30:01 to earn a 73rd-place finish in his first MAC Championship race.

Macharia Yuot of Widener was the individual winner in the men?s race, coming home in a time of 25:11.

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