(Posted October 28, 2006)

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - For the second-consecutive season, the Juniata College men\'s and women\'s cross country teams proved they are among the best teams in the Middle Atlantic Conference as both Juniata squads posted third-place team finishes at the 2006 MAC Championships held at DeSales on Saturday. It is the second-straight season both the Juniata men and women\'s teams have placed third at the conference championship meet. On the men\'s side the Eagles had each of their top-five runners finish 28th or better as the team accumulated 106 points, 36 points behind second-place Messiah. Elizabethtown claimed the men\'s title with 57 points. On the women\'s side the Eagles finished with 116 points, which was 57 behind runner-up Elizabethtown. Messiah claimed the title on the women\'s side with 54 points. For the Juniata men the Eagles produced a strong pack of runners that helped the team take the third-place finish. Juniata claimed spots 18-through-21 and then got their fifth runner in the 28th spot. Shawn Rumery (Thornton Academy/Dayton, Maine) was the top finisher as he placed 18th with a time of 28:39.63. One spot back was Mike Chirdon (Riverview/Verona) who covered the 8K course in a time of 28:40.18. Just a few seconds behind him in 20th place was Matt Bailey (Hempfield/East Petersburg) who ran a time of 28:41.22. And then Juniata\'s fourth runner in the pack was Eric Hoover (Brandywine/Wilmington, Del.) who posted a time of 28:45.49 to place 21st. Juniata\'s fifth runner on the men\'s side was Sam Williams (Central/Roaring Spring) who ran a time of 29:15.38, good for his 28th-place finish. The overall winner in the men\'s race was Macharia Yuot who ran a time of 26:53.13. The Juniata women had the highest overall finisher of the day as senior Elena Amata (Notre Dame Prep./Baltimore, Md.) ran to an 11th-place finish. She posted a time of 26:24.31 over the 6K course. Juniata\'s second runner was Meghan Jones (Meadville/Meadville) who gave Juniata a pair of All-Conference performances with her 18th-place finish. She ran a time of 26:51.72. Lia Bella (Morris Catholic/Rockaway, N.J.) was the third Eagle across the line as her time of 27:28.14 was good enough to place 26th in the race. Kristen Gochnauer (Warwick/Lititz) also snuck into the top-30 as she claimed a 29-place finish with her time of 27:35.50. Rounding out Juniata\'s top-five was Aubrey Cyphert (Seneca/North East) who placed 32nd and covered the course in 27:44.28. Erin Fisher of Elizabethtown was the top overall finisher on the women\'s side as she posted a time of 25:05.61. Juniata\'s teams will now prepare for the NCAA Mid-East Regional Championship which will be held at Waynesburg College Nov. 11. ###

Our readers respond...

Be the first to provide a response.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.