DeSales Invitational Results

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Despite running on one of the most challenging courses of the year, the Lycoming College men’s cross country team rolled to five career-bests at the 2011 DeSales University Invitational on a sun-soaked Saturday, Oct. 8.
 
Amongst a field of 45 teams, the men’s cross country team raced to a 34^th-place finish, finishing ahead of three MAC teams in FDU-Florham, King’s and Alvernia.
 
Amongst a field of 468 runners, the Warriors performed admirably in the 8K race, as freshman Alex Bottorff (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) posted a time of 30:35.31 to take 125^th in his heat and 261^st overall, besting his previous career-best by 24 seconds. Sophomore Mike Puchalski (Redlands, Calif./Redlands East Valley) added a 30:46.37 to take 129^th in his heat, as he bested his previous best at the DeSales Invitational by nearly two seconds.
 
Freshman Rory McAtee (Easton, Pa./Wilson Area) added a time of 30:54.70 to take 131^st, besting his previous record by 11 seconds, and freshman Gerhardt Gerckens (Milford, N.J./Delaware Valley Regional) notched a time of 31:51.94 to take 150^th, to best his previous best by more than a minute. Senior Robert Wiechecki rounded out the top five as he bested his previous best at the DeSales event by 50 seconds, posting a 32:30.42 to take 161^st.
 
 Junior Kevan Guerin notched a 34:35.58, knocking nearly 1:30 of his previous best at the meet, to take 193^rd. Freshman Chris McAtee (Easton, Pa./Wilson Area) added a time of 35:03.13 to take 197^th, as he knocked four minutes of his previous best, and junior Isaiah Thomas (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergen C.C.) notched a time of 36:53.39 to take 206^th and freshman David Sanford (Middleburg, Pa./Penn View Christian) added a time of 36:59.56, knocking more than a minute off his best time.
 
On the women’s side, junior Michelle Herman (Altoona, Pa./Hollidaysburg) posted a time of 26:16.73 to take 53^rd in her heat and 99^th overall in a field of 424 runners in the 6K race.
 
Freshman Alanna Cimerol (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) finished 118^th with a time of 28:26.19 and sophomore Carmen Niemeyer (Brookings, S.D./Brookings) took 202^nd with a time of 32:49.39. Freshman Tiffany Casulli (Port Jervis, N.Y./Port Jervis) added a time of 33:09.66.
 
After an off week, the Warriors will have their final tune-up to the MAC Championships when they head to the Cabrini Invitational in Fairmount Park on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 11 a.m. in Philadelphia.