Men's cross country combines for sixth at Long-Short Invitational

NEWVILLE, Pa. -- The Elizabethtown College men's cross country team got its first look at the site of the 2017 NCAA Mideast Regional race a few weeks away on Saturday at the Long-Short Course Invitational hosted by Dickinson at Big Spring High School. The Blue Jays combined for 160 points to place sixth in the team standings.

Tommy Fitzgerald was Elizabethtown's top individual finisher of the day. The senior was 12th in the short course race, a 4,000-meter course. Fitzgerald set a new PR in a time of 12:42.1, over half a minute better than his time on the same course as a freshman in 2014 (13:15.16).

He was followed by Ryan Rippeon, just a few seconds off his pace, at 12:46.2. Rippeon took 17th. Timmy Witmer was 49th at 13:39.3 and was the third scorer for the Jays in the race. E-town finished with 78 points in the short course race to place seventh as a team.

In the 8k long course race, Samuel Gerstenbacher was 15th overall and the first Blue Jay runner to cross. He ran 26:40.3 in his first 8,000-meter run of the season.

Tyler Alansky was next, in 26th, at 27:11.0. Liam Coverdale was 41st and the third E-town runner in at 27:48.7.

Darren Labenberg ran a 4,000-meter personal best in the short course race, finishing in 13:48.3. His previous 4k time was 14:01.70, run as a freshman in 2015.

Elizabethtown was ninth in the long course team standings with 82 points. The 160 combined points between the two races put the Blue Jays in sixth overall, two behind Juniata's 158. Bucknell had the day's best score, a combined 45.

The men's cross country team will have next weekend off before heading to the Rochester YellowJacket Invitational in Rochester, N.Y. on Saturday, October 14 at 11 a.m.

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Players Mentioned

Tyler Alansky: 6' 6"; Junior

Liam Coverdale: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Tommy Fitzgerald: 6' 2"; Senior

Samuel Gerstenbacher: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Darren Labenberg: 6' 5"; Junior

Ryan Rippeon: 6' 2"; Sophomore

Timmy Witmer: 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Tyler Alansky
: 6' 6"; Junior

Liam Coverdale
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Tommy Fitzgerald
: 6' 2"; Senior

Samuel Gerstenbacher
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Darren Labenberg
: 6' 5"; Junior

Ryan Rippeon
: 6' 2"; Sophomore

Timmy Witmer
: 6' 0"; Freshman