Syracuse University
Albany Invitational
Graham Leads Orangemen To Fifth-Place Finish
10/18/2003 5:30:42 PM | Cross Country, Track and Field
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Sophomore John Graham claimed 16th place out of 244 competitors to lead the Orangemen to a fifth place finish out of 25 teams at the Albany Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 18. Graham posted a time of 26:07 in the men’s 8K race. The Syracuse men earned 177 points. Host school Albany won the men’s team crown with 64 points.
Junior Brian McNeil joined Graham in the top 20, crossing the finish line with a time of 26:10, good for 18th place. Freshman Matt Lawson was SU’s third finisher, placing 31st with a time of 26:27.
On the women’s side, junior Christine Ramsey, who placed 10th out of 210 female runners paced SU with a time of 18:19. Junior Leah Folmsbee was the Orangewomen’s second finisher, claiming 21st with a mark of 18:46 in the women’s 5K race. The Orangewomen finished with 173 points, sixth out of 20 schools. Middlebury College claimed the women’s team championship for the second straight year, with 42 points. Senior captain Lauren Rich was SU’s third finisher, completing the course in 19:01 and placing 32nd.
It was the second consecutive year the Syracuse men and women finished in the top 10 in the overall team standings at the event. In 2002, the Syracuse men placed seventh out of 22 teams with John Bitok winning the men’s race in a time of 25:05.79. The Orangewomen placed third out of 19 teams in last year’s women’s team standings.
This was Syracuse’s final competition before the BIG EAST Championship meet. The conference races will take place in Van Corlandt Park in the Bronx on Saturday, Oct. 31.
