NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- The EMU Cross Country teams boarded a bus for the eastern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia on Friday to participate in the CNU Invitational at Lee Hall Mansion in Newport News. The Royals toed the start line against a strong field that included Division I programs VCU and Hampton, Division III powerhouses CNU and Salisbury, and ODAC rivals Bridgewater and Virginia Wesleyan.
For the men's team,
Luke Buckwalter, a sophomore from Christiansburg, Va., continued his strong start to the fall, running a personal best 8k (4.97 miles) time of 28:55.95, a 34-second improvement from his prior 8k PR at last year's ODAC XC Championships.
Highlights
- Team Score: 168 points (6th of 9)
- Luke Buckwalter led the Royal men for the second time in as many meets this season, placing 32nd overall.
- A pair of first-year runners, Nick Porcaro and Logan Boyd, were the second and third Royal men across the finish line, respectively. Porcaro clocked in at 31:01.75 to place 53rd in his first college 8k with Boyd not far behind in 56th place at a time of 31:27.21.
- Ethan Kanagy (57th/31:35.23) and Sam Myers (59th/31:57.31) completed the scoring five for EMU. Ben Huyard (60th/32:41.34), Alex Belisle (63rd/33:28.38) and Noah Buckwalter (65th/33:59.80) also laced up their running shoes for the Royals.
What's Next
The EMU cross country teams will stay close to home for their next meet, competing in the Bridgewater Invitational at Bridgewater College on Saturday, Sept. 20. The men's 8k will go off at 10 a.m., followed by the women's 6k at 10:50 a.m. For the Royals, the meet will also serve as a preview for the ODAC Championships at Bridgewater later this fall.
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.
