Junior Josh Ellis led American University to the finish line for the first time in the past two seasons, placing 51st overall in a field of 389 finishers Saturday at the Lehigh Paul Short Run.
The Eagles placed 28th as a team in a strong field that included three nationally ranked squads and 11 of the 15 schools appearing in the Mid-Atlantic Region rankings of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Ellis covered the 8-kilometer course in 24:49, his first 8K under the 25-minute mark as an Eagle. Senior
Nick Regan was 97th overall in 25:12, senior
Tom Woermer was 125th in 25:27, cutting almost 90 seconds off his mark in this race last year.
Navy won the men's team competition, which featured 42 schools. The Midshipmen put five runners in the top 24 to finish with 95 points. The University of Guelph (Ontario) was second with 123 and Adams State (Colo.) was third with 130 points.
Junior Mike Biwott of American International won the individual title in 23:28, besting Aaron Dinzeo of California, Pa., by seven seconds.
In Leesburg, Va., senior
Corina Velazco led three Eagle women in the top nine with a third-place individual finish at the George Mason Invitational at the Oatlands Plantation.
Velazco went 24:02.1 over the 6K course to finish third, followed closely behind by junior
Kelseagh Budris in seventh (24:24.0) and sophomore
Julienne DeVita in ninth (24:30.5).
The AU women placed fourth as a team with 78 points. The host Patriots won the women's team competition with 44 points, ahead of George Washington with 51.
On the men's side, American was fifth as a team at George Mason, scoring 128 points, while splitting the men's teams between the Lehigh and George Mason meets.
VMI won the men's team competition by one point over George Mason, earning a 28-29 win.
American competes again at the Leopard Invitational at Lafayette on Oct. 18.
