Merlin Joseph Jr., a senior from Binghamton, had an outstanding effort at the Houghton Highlander Invitational. He was able to muster a fifth-place finish out of 187 runners with a time of 25:29.2. At an average of 5:08 per mile, Joseph Jr. earned his personal-best, topping his previous record by 22 seconds.
Emily Maguire, a junior from Oakdale, turned in a strong showing at the Houghton Highlander Invitational. She ran a season best 23:46.2, good for a ninth-place finish out of a 41 runner field. Maguire's performance paced the Blue Devils to a fifth-place finish out of 16 teams at the meet. She missed her personal-record in the 6K by only 7.7 seconds.
Joseph toured Houghton's 8,000-meter Field of Dreams course in a personal-best 25:29.2, an average of 5:08 per mile. He finished 43 seconds behind the race winner and led the Blue Devils to a sixth-place standing out of 16 teams in what is used as a pre-meet for the 2017 NCAA Atlantic Regional, scheduled for Nov. 11 on the same course.
Blue Devil junior Ethan Francis (Dunkirk, N.Y.) was Fredonia's next-best finisher Saturday. He stopped watches in 26:06.0, good for 19th in the field and ahead of Blue Devil freshman Wesley Cruz (Ellenville, N.Y.) in 51st, senior Mitch Loiacano (Lockport, N.Y.) in 60th, and sophomore Aidan Pollard (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) in 65th. Displacement finishers for Fredonia were freshman Ryan Dunning (Syracuse, N.Y.) and sophomore Kyle Egan (Monroe, N.Y.).
RESULTS
HOUGHTON, N.Y. -- A season-best 6,000-meter time by junior Emily Maguire (Oakdale, N.Y.) led Fredonia to fifth place out of 16 teams at the Houghton Highlander Invitational women's cross country meet Saturday.
Maguire covered the 6,000-meter Field of Dreams course in 23:46.2 to finish ninth in the race in a field of 141 finishers.
Two spots back was junior Brenna Donovan (Youngstown, N.Y.) in 23:55.7 followed by senior Kristen Guarino (Bergen, N.Y.) in 33rd place, senior Madison Courtney (Getzville, N.Y.) in 40th, and freshman Sarah Kurbs (Lockport, N.Y.) in 47th. Fredonia's two displacement runners were freshman Sarah Buckley (Mineola, N.Y.) and sophomore Kelly O'Hara(Webster, N.Y.).
The Blue Devils have race at the University of Rochester next Saturday and at home in the Fred Ruterbusch Memorial in two weeks before the SUNYAC championship meet Oct. 28 at Potsdam. The NCAA Atlantic Regional is Nov. 11 on the same Field of Dreams course.
RESULTS
Next meet: University of Rochester Yellowjacket Invitational on Sat., Oct. 14 at Genesee Valley Park.