UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – For the fifth time this season, junior Zach Michon finished as SJU's top runner to lead the Saint Joseph's men's cross country squad to a top-ten finish in a field of 24 teams at the 2018 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship, hosted at Penn State University's Blue-White Golf Course on Friday afternoon. In cold and rainy conditions, the Hawks totaled 299 points and an average 10k time of 32:46 for the race, with a 0:39 spread, for 10th overall.
In just his second regional appearance and first on the Blue-White Golf Course, Michon used a 5:14 pace to cross in 32:26, good for 43rd in a field of 168.
SJU's most experienced regional competitor entering the meet with a pair of Mid-Atlantic appearances under his belt, senior Shawn Hutchison finished as the Hawks' #2 runner in 32:38 for 51st. Senior Jack Daly used an identical pace as Hutchison's, 5:16, to finish 58th (32:40).
In his first collegiate regional meet, senior Will Sponaugle finished as SJU's #4 runner, crossing the finish line of his first collegiate 10k in 32:59 for 75th, while graduate student captain Collin Crilly closed out SJU's scoring unit (81st, 33:04).
Sophomores Matthew Scarpill (98th, 33:19) and Bobby Hastie (120th, 34:03) - both making their regional debuts - finished as SJU's #6 and #7 runners.
The entire squad will come back together for the 2018 season finale at the IC4A Championship next Saturday, November 17. The Coaches' Race (8k) is set for 10:00 a.m. while the Championship Race (8k) will kick off at 11:15 a.m. at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
