Orange Races to Historic Finish at NCAA Championships

Saturday, November 22

Terre Haute, Ind.

11:45 a.m.

Syracuse University

NCAA Championships

Orange Races to Historic Finish at NCAA Championships

11/22/2014 2:14:00 PM | Cross Country

Men's team posts first top-five finish in nearly 60 years

The Syracuse men's cross country team finished in the top-five at the NCAA Championships for the first time in nearly 60 years on Saturday.

Led by MJ Erb and Martin Hehir finishing in the top-40, the Orange put four runners in the top-40 of a tight race pack on the NCAA Championships Course in Terre Haute, Indiana. The women's team finished in 24th overall, led by junior Margo Malone's 63rd-place finish.

The fifth-place finish is the first top-five finish since the Orange took fourth in 1957.

Links: Results

Colorado earned its second-straight title with 65 points. Syracuse finished with 206 points.

Erb, for the first time this season, was the top 'Cuse finisher completing the 10k course in 30:52.9, which was good for 37th place. Hehir was right on his heels taking 38th (30:54.7).

Max Straneva (42nd/30:58.5), Dan Lennon (45th/31:03.3) and Colin Bennie (95th/31:30.0)

Justyn Knight (143rd) and Joel Hubbard (165th) rounded out the men's field.

Malone led the women as she has in each race she competed in this season, finishing the 6k course in 20:58.3. She was followed by Jessie Petersen (130th/21:25.8), Maura Linde (140th/21:29.9), Rebecca Skodis (188th/21:50.1) and Sydney Leiher (188th/21:55.8), Haley Cutright (238th/22.43.2) and Angelica Peck (247th/23:05.4).

The race brings a close that featured each team post its highest ranking in the history of the USTFCCCA poll, as well as the men's team winning all but three of its races, including its fifth conference title in the last six years at the ACC Championships.