September 12, 2009

Complete Results

NEW MARKET, Va. -- Longwood University men's cross country totaled 212 points to finish in a seventh-place tie among nine teams Saturday at the JMU Invitational in New Market at the New Market Battlefield.  Duke University took first place with 23 points, while Mark Dennin of Georgetown University won the individual 7900 meter race in 24:16.  The Lancers will compete again on Saturday, September 26, at the Inter-Regional Challenge hosted by the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg.

"This was a very strong competitive field for the men," explained third-year head coach Catherine Hanson.  "The depth of Georgetown, Northeastern and Duke is three times what we have in numbers alone and those teams are not racing their top runners yet.  I am very happy with how the men ran today.  Darren Simpson had a career best his first 8k of the season by 27 seconds.  Last year he never broke 27 minutes.  This year I know he will break into the 25's.  Sean Flynn is working harder then he ever has and has posted the fastest freshman time under my watch at Longwood  by breaking into the 27's for his first ever 8k.  Robert Webb also posted a career best with his time and was right with Sean.  I look forward to seeing the progress in two weeks at William and Mary."

In New Market, Longwood was led by sophomore Darren Simpson/Crewe (FUMA) who finished 41st among 85 runners with his time of 26:39.  Simpson was followed by freshman Sean Flynn/Goodview (Roanoke Catholic) (27:54, 61st), along with sophomores Robert Webb/Williamsburg (Lafayette) (28:03, 62nd), Justin Cooke/Chesterfield (Manchester) (28:25, 68th), and Alex Strittmater/Haymarket (Battlefield) (28:29, 69th).  Also competing were junior Phil Kada/Arlington (Yorktown) (29:25, 71st) and senior Gerard Shaber/Richmond (Mills E. Godwin) (29:57, 74th).