'Cuse Men Punch Ticket to Nationals

Friday, November 15

Buffalo, NY

W - 11 AM | M - 12 PM

Syracuse University

NCAA Northeast Regionals

11/15/2019 12:51:00 PM | Cross Country

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The Orange men are headed to Terre Haute!

The No. 18 Syracuse men's cross country team punched their ticket to the NCAA Cross Country Championship, taking second and earning an automatic bid.

With adverse course conditions, the NCAA Northeast Regional was raced on area streets around the University at Buffalo on Friday morning. With the Orange men trailing for much of the race, a strong final 4k moved 'Cuse up into qualifying position finishing second to earn one of the region's two automatic bids to the NCAA Championship.

Joe Dragon was the top 'Cuse runner, moving up seven spots over the final 2k to take sixth overall (28:59.6). Nathan Henderson also turned in a top-10 performance, placing 10^th in 29:03.06. Nathan Lawler (21st/29:21.1) and Kevin James (22nd/29:21.6) also earned USTFCCCA All-Northeast Region honors with Dragon and Henderson for their races. Dominic Hockenbury rounded out the Orange scoring with a 27th-place finish in 29:32.4.

Matthew Scrape (29:52.2) and Noah Beveridge (29:56.6) added 47th and 54th-place finishes.

Harvard won the region with 59 points, besting the Orange's 86. 'Cuse came out ahead of No. 8 Iona (96 points) for the final automatic spot out of the region.

The Orange women finished fifth. Jordan Jacob led the Orange with a 10th place finish in 19:42.9. Amanda Vestri took 13th overall in 19:50.1. Both earned USTFCCCA All-Northeast Region honors for their performances.

Sophomore Abigail Spiers finished in 46th in a time of 20:43.7, Justice Holden-Betts (20:55.6) took 60th and Madeleine Davison (21:03) finished in 75th to round out the SU scoring. Kelsey Potts (21:28.4) was the Orange's sixth runner, while an unfortunate fall from Rachel Bonner didn't allow her to finish.

The Orange women placed outside of national qualifying position. Harvard won the women's region with 92 points.

The 'Cuse men will head to Terre Haute, Indiana next Saturday for the NCAA Championships. It'll be the team's 11th-straight NCAA Championship appearance.