ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Friday, October 10, 2003

Etown Races to Second Place Finish at Hanover College (IN) Pre-National Invitational

HANOVER, Ind. --- Elizabethtown's men's cross country team received the chance to make a trial run at the course that will host the 2003 NCAA Division III Championship in November, and the Blue Jays made the most of their opportunity, finishing second against some of the best competition in Division III at the Hanover College (IN) Kiwanis Pre-National Invitational Friday.

The Blue Jays totaled 79 points, 55 behind first-place North Central College, which finished third in the nation at last year's NCAA Championship. Etown also finished 20 points ahead of third-place Emory University, which finished 23rd at the NCAAs last year, and 24 points ahead of fourth-place Ithaca, which finished 17th in the nation in 2002.

Steve Sanko (Hazleton, PA/Bishop Hafey) was Elizabethtown's top finisher, placing fourth in the field of 152 runners with a time of 25:43, just 10 seconds off the pace of the race's winner, Graham Wellman of DePauw University. Etown's number two runner, Jose Miranda (Harrisburg, PA/Susquehanna Township), finished 15th overall in 26:28. Greg Wetzel (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East) came in 17th overall for Etown in 26:32, and Sean Mulcahy (Towanda, PA/Towanda) was right behind in 18th place in 26:33, giving the Blue Jays a 50 second spread from first through fourth place.

There was a gap of 25 seconds from fourth to fifth place, though, as first-year Jason Ives (Middlebury Center, PA/Wellsboro Area) ran the 8k course in 26:58 to finish 26th overall. Etown's number six runner, fellow first-year Patrick Donovan (South Pasadena, CA/St. Francis), was just behind him, placing 27th in 26:58 as well. Etown's number seven finisher and final displacer was junior Nate Moore (Elverson, PA/Twin Valley), who finished 31st overall in 27:06.

Elizabethtown will return to action at the Gettysburg Invitational Saturday, October 25.

Hanover College Kiwanis Pre-National Invitational:
Team Scores: 1. North Central 24; 2. Elizabethtown 79; 3. Emory 99; 4. Ithaca 103; 5. DePauw 128; 6. Centre 194; 7. Trinity (TX) 201; 8. Lynchburg 212; 9. Hanover 276; 10. Roger Williams 276; 11. Southwestern (TX) 352; 12. Rose-Hulman 367; 13. University of the South 377; 14. Defiance 412; 15. Mt. St. Joseph 447

Etown Results (152 runners): 4. Steve Sanko 25:43; 15. Jose Miranda 26:28; 17. Greg Wetzel 26:32; 18. Sean Mulcahy 26:33; 26. Jason Ives 26:58; 27. Patrick Donovan 26:58; 31. Nate Moore 27:06; 39. Chris Williams 27:22; 53. Jason Theobald 27:39; 58. Dave Bresnahan 27:46; 77. Nick Patterson 28:21; 85. David Cohen 28:50; 89. Brad Hiller 28:55; 110. Matt Miller 29:34; 117. Josh Lyman 29:57