Results
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - The Embry-Riddle men's cross country team wrapped up the 2021 regular season with a fantastic race on Saturday at the University of Alabama-Huntsville Invitational. The Eagles totaled 15 career-best marks in the 8K race, led by Paul Kraemer, who narrowly missed out on breaking the school record, settling for the second-fastest 8K time in program history as the Blue and Gold finished sixth overall in a stacked field.

ERAU, who entered Saturday's race fourth in the South Region rankings, and just outside the national top-30 poll, placed sixth with 193 points. The five teams that finished in front of the Eagles were all ranked in the top-15 of the most recent UTFCCCA National Poll. The Blue and Gold beat out Sunshine State Conference rival Florida Southern (who finished eighth with 236 points), and will surely move past the Mocs in next week's region rankings.

John Hunt Park proved to be a very fast 8K course with six runners going sub-24:00 and 46 total competitors posting sub-25:00 times. Kraemer's time of 24:06.52 was the seventh-fastest on Saturday, vaulting him into second on the Eagles' all-time fastest times and runners lists. Evans Kirwa's 8K record of 24:05.21 was in real danger for the first time sine he set the record back in October of 2012.

But Kraemer was far from the only Eagle to have a career day, as 14 other Eagle runners set career-best marks, including Ryan Szklany (24:34.72) who finished 25th overall, Brendon Shea (24:44.02) in 33rd, and Tanner Rosolino (25:10.00) in 61st. Shaun Bullock (78th - 25:29.77) rounded out the Eagle scorers, with Micah Blair (84th - 25:39.44) and Austin Epstein (123rd - 26:11.07) finishing sixth, and seventh, respectively on the Blue and Gold squad.

The Eagles' 193 points was one better than seventh-place Illinois-Springfield. Pittsburgh State pulled off the upset as the 11th-ranked Gorillas won the meet with 90 points, followed by No. 7 Lee (107), No. 12 Alabama-Huntsville (119), No. 10 Southern Indiana (121), and No. 14 Missouri Southern (171).

The Eagles had a total of 17 men finish the race on Saturday, including Josh Collins (130th - 26:20.16), Garrett Noltemeyer (143rd - 26:31.48), Josh Beam (176th - 26:52.97), Justin Nauman (211th - 27:24.20), Jack Brooks (234th - 27:55.14), Jacob D'Aleo (242nd - 28:00.84), Mike Klein (253rd - 28:21.20), Bryce Cole (268th - 28:51.50), Justin Brown (281st - 29:14.97), and Charles Hruda (287th - 29:31.52).

The Eagles will now prepare for the postseason, starting with the SSC Championship on Oct. 23 in Lakeland, Florida at Holloway Park. Embry-Riddle will be in search of its third SSC title in five seasons.

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The 2021 Embry-Riddle Men's Cross Country season is presented by Radiology Associates.