Susquehanna Earns 2008 Landmark Cross Country Titles
ALTOONA. Pa. – Susquehanna University pulled off a clean sweep as its men's and women's cross country teams won both the team and individual titles at the 2008 Landmark Conference Cross Country Championships held Saturday at the Fort Roberdeau Historic Site in Altoona, Pa.
The Susquehanna men won the team title for the second time in as many years posting 49 points to finish eight points clear of second-place Juniata College. Moravian College was third with 87 points and The University Scranton was just four points back with 91 to finish in the top half of the standings.
On the women's side, the Crusaders had the top two finishers and one other runner in the top-10 to claim the title with 40 points. Defending champions Juniata were second with 61 points while Scranton was third by earning 72 points. The Catholic University of America rounded out the top half of the results by claiming fourth place with 79 points.
Along with the team titles and individual titles, Susquehanna Head Coach Marty Owens and his staff were recognized as the Coaching Staff of the Year for both the men and the women.
Crusader junior Paul Thistle earned the individual title to help his team to the title, as he covered the 8K course in a time of 26:46.9. His first-place finish earned him the Outstanding Performer honor for the second-straight season as he was the Landmark Champion at the inaugural meet in 2007 as well. Chris Wasnetsky of Scranton placed second for the second time in as many seasons, and he finished just one second ahead of Juniata's Sam Williams. Thistle's teammate JJ Brooks was fourth, and Juniata freshman Ceth Parker crossed the line fifth and earned the Rookie of the Year award. United States Merchant Marine Academy senior Keith Wagner placed sixth overall and Connor Skutches of Moravian placed seventh to earn the final first-team All-Conference honor.
Susquehanna sophomore Alycia Woodruff made it two-for-two in individual titles at the Landmark Championships as she ran a 6K time of 23:24.5 to earn the win for the second time in two seasons. Her win earned her Outstanding Performer honors for the second time. Her teammate Casey Hess was just two seconds behind the winner and was recognized as the Rookie of the Year. Catholic senior Jenna Hackett was third overall, followed by Juniata's Laura Rupprecht. Scranton's Catherine Sullivan crossed the line in fifth position, with Moravian freshman Hailey Neff placing sixth. Aubrey Cyphert gave Juniata a pair of first-team All-Conference honorees by placing seventh.
With the conclusion of the Landmark Championships, the teams will now look ahead to the NCAA Regionals which will be held at various sites on November 15. Strong performances at the NCAA Regionals can earn athletes or teams a trip to the NCAA Division III Championships. Last season the Landmark sent four competitors to the NCAA Championships.