TYRONE, Pa. (Sept. 1) – Led by senior
Tim Patterson, the Saint Vincent men's cross country team opened the 2023 season by placing third at the Fr. Bede Invitational, hosted by Saint Francis University.
While they placed third overall, the Bearcats were the leaders among the Division III teams in the field, trailing only first-place Duquesne and runner-up Indiana (Pa.). Each of Saint Vincent's top five finishers placed in the top 40 of the 110-runner field, as the Bearcats amassed a final score of 98.
Patterson opened his senior campaign by posting a time of 19:25 in the 6-kilometer race. He posted the fastest closing stretch in the field, finishing the final two kilometers in a tidy 6:21.
Junior
Aiden Jackson was SVC's second finisher, placing 15th overall with a time of 20:13, while sophomore
Brady Sundin was a third Bearcat to finish in the top-20, covering the course in 20:20 to place 20th.
Ethan Wymer took 29th overall with a time of 20:39, while
John Syms closed out SVC's scoring five with a time of 20:53 to place 38th.
Saint Vincent boasted eight runners in the top 50, as
Jordan Raynor ran 20:59 to take 42nd;
Joey Jafarace 21:07 to place 46
th; and
Jacob Rzempoluch 21:15 to finish 50th.
The Duquesne tandem of Zack Toth and Casey Padgett placed first and second, respectively, with times of 18:51 and 19:09. The Dukes boasted four of the top seven finishers in the field and totaled just 30 points.
Indiana (Pa.) finished just behind Duquesne with a team score of 41 points, while Point Park placed fourth (103) and Geneva fifth (121).
The Bearcats will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 9, traveling to West Virginia to compete in the Bethany College Invitational.
