LEBANON, Pa. -- It was another thrilling finish at the Landmark Conference Championships on Saturday. In the wind and rain, Elizabethtown emerged as the one-point victors over Juniata to win its fifth consecutive conference crown. Samuel Gerstenbacher won the race for the second straight year and was also named the Performer of the Year. E-town finished the meet with 44 points to Juniata's 45 points.

Two of the top runners all season long, Gerstenbacher and Greg Jaindl of Moravian, battled it out for the individual championship down the final stretch. A tight pack kept together for much of the 8k race at Union Canal Tunnel Park, but Gerstenbacher and Jaindl began pulling away toward the very end of the race.

Gerstenbacher was able to outkick the Greyhounds' leader to the finish line and cross just less than two seconds ahead. Gerstenbacher's championship winning time was 26:02.81 and was his third win of the season. The junior also earned a spot on the All-Landmark First Team. After Jaindl took second, Juniata's Evan Ulrich was third in 26:11.15 followed by Tyler Alansky in 26:18.84.

Christopher Myers stepped up for the Blue Jays, who were minus a runner projected to place for E-town. Myers picked a perfect race to set a new 8k personal record as he finished eighth in 26:37.85 for his best finish of the season. The junior also earned All-Landmark Second Team honors, the first all-conference honor of his career.

The Blue Jays were in good shape through the first three scorers. Juniata's third runner was a place behind Myers, in ninth.

Much like the women's race, it came down to the final two runners. The Eagles' final two finished in 11th and 15th, respectively. For Elizabethtown, Liam Coverdale placed 12th in 26:58.71, his best championship and first all-conference performance. Adam Wolfe, in his first go at a Landmark championship meet, was 19th for the Jays. The freshman ran 27:29.24, just shy of his season best 8k time.

In the end, Elizabethtown extended its title reign to a fifth straight year as they narrowly beat Juniata by a point. It was the second straight closely contested conference championship race between the two schools. E-town won on a tiebreaker last season after the two teams tied in points. Jon Cutright and his staff at Juniata were named the Coaching Staff of the Year.

Moravian's Dominic DeRafelo was the Landmark Rookie of the Year. He was 14th in the race.