MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SECOND AT GOUCHER INVITATIONAL

BALTIMORE, Md. – Despite giving their two top runners the weekend off, the Juniata College men’s cross country still turned in a second-place finish at Goucher College’s Mid-Atlantic Cross Country Classic, Saturday afternoon in Baltimore, Md.

The men’s team finished with 100 points, ahead of five other Landmark Conference schools in the meet, which took place on the same course that will be used in two weeks for the Landmark Conference Cross Country Championship. Rowan University won the event with 27 points, followed by Juniata, University of Scranton (116 pts.), York College (129 pts.), Moravian College (139 pts.), Catholic University (140 pts.), Goucher College (142 pts.), Gloucester Community College (187 pts.), Morgan State University (193 pts.), and Drew University (274 pts.).

Eric Hoover (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) was Juniata’s top individual finisher, completing the 8 km course in 29:03.36 for a ninth-place finish. Tripp Rudolph (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) was 17th overall in a time of 29:34.25, followed by Shawn Rumery (Dayton, Maine/Thornton Academy) in 19th place with a time of 29:37.19. Jason Hoover (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) finished 21st overall in a time of 29:46.21.

Juniata head coach Jon Cutright opted not to run Matt Bailey (East Petersburg, Pa./Hempfield) and Sam Williams (Roaring Spring, Pa./Central) in the Mid-Atlantic Classic, to allow both to rest and prepare for the upcoming conference and NCAA regional meets.

The women’s team posted a seventh place finish in the event, with 126 points. The Eagles trailed the winning squad from Catholic (68 pts.), as well as Morgan State (74 pts.), Scranton (105 pts.), Rowan (109 pts.), Moravian (109 pts.), and Drew (123 pts.). The Eagles finished ahead of teams from Goucher (152 pts.), and Villa Julie College (228 pts.).

Laura Rupprecht (Jefferson, Md./Brunswick) was Juniata’s top finisher, placing third overall with a time of 24:55.75 on the 6 km course. Meghan Jones (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) was eighth overall in a time of 25:27.30, and Megan Peterson (Canton, Pa./Canton) was 33rd overall in a time of 27:34.29. Lindsay Norton (Glen Rock, Pa./Susquehannock) was 47th overall in a time of 29:14.32.

Both Eagle cross country squads will be at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Oct. 13.

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