Results

AVE MARIA, Fla. - Just two weeks after placing well behind No. 24 SCAD Savannah at the Southeast Classic, the Embry-Riddle Eagles Men's Cross Country squad pulled off an upset over the Bees in the 2011 Sun Conference Cross Country Championship. The Eagles put all five scoring runners in the top ten, including first-place finisher Evans Kirwa, to claim their seventh consecutive Sun Conference title, and the first postseason crown of the 2011 ERAU athletics' season.

Kirwa, a three-time NAIA National Runner of the Week, won his third straight Sun Conference Runner of the Year honor, finishing the 8K race in 25:39.84, 55 seconds in front of second-place finisher Ignacio Fernandez from SCAD Savannah.

Fernandez was the first of three Bee runners to place two-four, but Zachary Kraus and Alex Frazier went five, six respectively for the Blue and Gold. Kraus ran a 27:05.74 while Frazier's time of 27:11.37 was nine second faster than finisher No. 7 from Webber International.

Josh Guerrero (27:24.39) and Jacob Dordick (27:26.11) were the keys for the Eagles, as their eighth and ninth place finishes pushed ERAU to the team title. Dordick's time was a personal record for the freshman, posted on a course that was running slow for the rest of the competitors.

Patrick Clare (28:22.97), Alec Hernandez (28:51.58), Jason Riggs (29:31.84), Paul Meesala (30:08.39) and Jonathan Brasch (30:32.29) also competed for the Eagles.

"This was an unbelievable and exciting race for us," Coach Mike Rosolino stated. "These guys really stepped up, especially Jacob. For a freshman to come in and hit a personal best on this course on a day like this was phenomenal. I can't say enough about him or this team. The team ran for each other today and put together an exceptional performance, coming back to beat a SCAD team that beat us last meet. A great job by a great group of young men."

The Eagles totaled 29 points, edging SCAD by three points en route to the title. USCB (79), Webber International (104) and Warner (172) all finished in the top five.

Kirwa (ERAU), Fernandez (SCAD), John Sutherland (SCAD), Tom Koetsenruijter (SCAD), Kraus (ERAU), Frazier (ERAU) and Brandon Scott (WIU) all earned first team All-Conference honors. Guerrero (ERAU), Dordick (ERAU), Marshall Meyer (USCB), Hayden Davis (SCAD), Ben Harrison (SCAD) Anthony Vecchio (USCB) and John Golden (SCAD) were named to the second team All-Conference roster.

Kirwa was named Runner of the Year for the third time in his three seasons at Embry-Riddle, while Koetsenrujiter was selected as the Newcomer of the Year.

Rosolino was named The Sun Conference Coach of the Year for the seventh time in his tenure, and Andrew Herzog (SCAD) was named the Champion of Character Award recipient.

The Eagles will prepare for the 2011 NAIA National Championships in Vancouver, Wash. on Nov. 19. Their best-ever finish in the event came in 2009 when they placed fifth overall.