(Posted October 29, 2005)

Huntingdon, PA ? The Elizabethtown College men claimed its seventh-consecutive title, while the Messiah College women earn a championship for the second time in three seasons at the Middle Atlantic Conference Cross Country Championships at the Huntingdon Country Club Saturday afternoon. Widener University senior Macharia Yuot earned his third-consecutive individual championship on the men?s side, while DeSales University junior Tara Barlow earned the victory in the women?s race.

The Blue Jays men?s team claimed the title by the narrowest of margins, earning a one-point win over Widener by a 40-41 score. Tyson Evanson of Elizabethtown placed second in the race, and led the team to five top-15 finishes to earn the win. Widener had two runners in the top three, and three in the top five as Joe Francisco and Zach Miller were behind Yuot and Evanson and finished with each of their five scoring performers placing in the top 19. Host Juniata College placed third with 117 points in the meet. The Eagles were paced by top finisher Chris Sheaffer who crossed the line in 10th place.

Susquehanna placed fourth as a team, finishing just two points behind Juniata. The University of Scranton placed fifth in the men?s race.

Yuot earned his third conference championship with a time of 25:36.85 topping Evanson by more than 24 seconds. Ed Kopec of King?s College placed fourth in the race to round out the top five.

On the women?s side Messiah scored 50 points to Elizabethtown?s 55 to capture its second title in the past three seasons. Messiah?s Amy Agnolutto was the second overall finisher and led three finishers in the top-10 and all five in the top-20 to help the Falcons to the victory. Laura Beechy was the fifth-place finisher in the women?s race. Elizabethtown enjoyed a pack of finishers in the second half of the top-10, as Samantha Jones, Erin Diehl and Tiffany Culp placed sixth, eighth and ninth respectively. The host Eagles of Juniata again earned a third-place team finish, posting 93 points. Katey Glunt placed fourth to lead Juniata.

DeSales finished fourth in the women?s race, followed by Susquehanna in fifth position.

After placing second to since-graduated teammate Gina Lucrezi last season, Barlow blitzed the six-kilometer course in a time of 23:08.13 to claim her first conference championship. Susquehanna?s Heather Matta earned a third-place finish to complete the top-five.


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