LEBANON, PA – The Wilkes University men's cross country was led by personal best 8k times by first-year Nathan Fletcher (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin), sophomore Addison Smargiassi (Bloomsburg, PA/Central Columbia), and first-year Justin Ashman (Kutztown, PA/Kutztown Area) at the LVC Last Chance Run Fast Invitational on Friday evening at a wet Union Canal Tunnel Park course. The Colonels placed 10th of 16 teams.

Full Results

The team has been training hard all season and saw all five of its runners drop their season 8k time once again as they head toward conference championships.

Fletcher competed in his first collegiate 8k and placed 74th of 143 total runners with a time of 30:36.12. Smargiassi improved upon his career best time set earlier this season as he finished with a time of 31:52.98 to grab 91st overall.

Dustin Edsall (Honesdale, PA/Honesdale) was 99th with a season-best 8k time of 32:35.72 and Ashman followed one place behind with a time of 32:43.78 for his career best time. Isaiah Rogers-Keeney (Middletown, PA/Middletown Area) also had a season-best time of 34:30.40 to place 116th.

Division I Navy placed first overall with DeSales University taking second as the first Division III program. Navy's Sean Miller paced the field with a finishing time of 25:53.51. Lancaster Bible College's Mitchell Gray was sixth overall as the top Division III finisher with a time of 26:32.55.

The Colonels are back in action next Friday for their first trip to the Landmark Conference Championships hosted by Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. starting at 11:00 a.m.

*Story updated 10/22/23*