Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Detroit Mercy Invitational
Bison Sweep Men's & Women's Races at Detroit Titan Invitational
9/6/2014 5:01:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Katie Jessee won the women's race and John Dugan was runner-up in the men's competition, leading the Bucknell men's and women's cross country teams to convincing team victories at the Running Fit Detroit Titan Invitational on Saturday. The Bison women scored the minimum 15 points and easily topped the 11-team field, while the men posted an 18-point win over runner-up Eastern Michigan and finished first out of 12 teams.
The women swept the top five scored places, with a Detroit unattached runner sliding into the No. 4 spot. Jessee, who was runner-up last week at the Bison Open, covered the 5,000-meter course in 18:18.39. Sarah Chandler placed second in 18:38.43 and Montana DiPietrantonio third in 18:41.80. Justine Schnell and Brennan Sharkey were the next two Bison to cross the finish line, and Maeve Greeley also broke 19 minutes by finishing ninth in 18:56.39.
"t was a nice effort and our depth really prevailed," said head coach Kevin Donner, a 1984 Detroit graduate and former head coach at his alma mater. "We did have a few key women struggle on the tough course, but some others really stepped up big. The heat all week may have made some of our runners tired, but everyone fought hard out there and they worked well as a team."
Wayne State finished second in the women's race with 58 points, and Detroit (93), Cleveland State (116) and Oakland (131) rounded out the top five.
Dugan won this competition as a sophomore in 2012, and he was runner-up to Wayne State's Irvin Wyche on Saturday. Dugan clocked a time of 20:24.21 on the four-mile course. Andrew Garcia-Garrison placed fourth on 20:31.52, and Will Bordash (9th, 20:51.72) and Glen Williams (10th, 20:54.19) also finished in the top 10. Bucknell's fifth man was Andrew Kuchta, who finished 13th in 20:57.71. Kuchta won the Bison Open last week.
"It's great to have John Dugan back in form after missing last year due to a stress fracture," said Donner, who organized the first Detroit Titan Open 28 years ago. "He is our leader on and off the course, and it seems he has recovered nicely. Our top five did a nice job working together through the first two miles, and I was pleased to see our 3-4-5 all run close to each other. Garcia-Garrison also ran a solid race as our two man."
The Bison men's and women's teams will be back in action in two weeks at the Dickinson College Long Course-Short Course Invitational.
Players Mentioned
