SALEM, Va.- The EMU Cross Country teams headed south down I-81 on Saturday for one final tune-up before the ODAC Championships, competing in the South Region Showdown at Green Hill Park in Salem, Va.
On the men's side, the Royals put forth a solid effort against a deep, competitive field that included D1 and elite DIII programs. Three of EMU's athletes ran personal record times for the 8k (4.97 miles). East Tennessee St. won the team title with 34 points, led by individual champion Jason Bowers, who broke the tape with a time of 23:19.2.
Highlights
- Team Score: 481 points (16th of 21)
- As he has done all season, Luke Buckwalter led the way for the Royal men, finishing 110th overall with a new 8k PR of 28:24.8. With that performance, Buckwalter moves up to 23rd on EMU's all-time 8k list.
- Nick Porcaro ran his first sub-30 minute 8k, crossing the finish line in a time of 28:58.8 to place 137th overall.
- Sam Myers was the third Royal to set a new 8k personal standard on the day, traversing the course in a time of 31:14.4.
- Ethan Kanagy (30:16.9), Ben Huyard (32:49.4), Alex Belisle (33:14) and Logan Boyd (33:46.4) completed the lineup of EMU men competing in Salem.
What's Next
The EMU cross country teams will vie for conference supremacy at the ODAC Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Bridgewater College. The meet gets underway with the men's 8k at 10 a.m., followed by the women's 6k at 11 a.m.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the EMU cross country program this year, follow EMU Athletics on Instagram, like EMU Athletics on Facebook or visit our website.
