ROANOKE, Va. — Members of the No. 12 Washington and Lee University men's cross country team placed second among 15 scoring teams at Roanoke's South Region Showdown on Saturday morning at Green Hill Park, finishing ahead of 13 teams, including Division I VCU and nationally ranked Old Dominion Athletic Conference rival No. 26 Lynchburg.
The Generals totaled 70 points in the 8K race, finishing behind team champion Ohio Northern (39). Messiah placed third with 104 points, followed by VCU (115) and host Roanoke (116). Lynchburg rounded out the top six with 143 points.
Washington and Lee placed three runners among the top 12, led by senior
Jackson Kodenski, who finished fifth in 25:20.3. First-year
Will Pacey followed in ninth at 25:36.7, while sophomore
Ethan Khouri placed 12th in 25:56.9.
Senior
Wyatt Benjamin added a 17th-place finish in 26:06.0, and sophomore
Teddy Meredith completed the Generals' scoring five in 27th at 26:14.5. W&L's top five were separated by just 54.2 seconds.
Junior
Mitchell DiMond finished 33rd in 26:23.1, while first-year
Jason Oberly rounded out the Generals' top seven in 39th with a time of 26:36.5.
Washington and Lee returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the ODAC Championships hosted by Shenandoah University at Kernstown Battlefield just outside of Winchester, Va.
THE BASICS
- Team Finish: 2nd of 16 teams
- Team Score: 70 points
- Location: Roanoke, Va. | Green Hill Park
- Distance: 8K
RACE NOTES
- W&L placed three runners among the top 12 and four among the top 17, helping the Generals secure second place with 70 points.
- The Generals finished ahead of Division I VCU, which placed fourth with 115 points, and No. 26 Lynchburg, which finished sixth with 143 points.
- W&L outscored Lynchburg by 73 points in the teams' latest meeting, with the Generals placing five runners ahead of the Hornets' third scorer.
- Kodenski paced the Generals with a fifth-place finish in 25:20.3, his highest individual placement of the season.
- Pacey recorded his second consecutive top-10 finish after winning the JMU Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 25.
- W&L's five scorers finished within 54.2 seconds of one another, while its top seven were separated by just 1:16.2.
- The Generals held second place throughout the race, moving from 40 points at the opening kilometer to 70 points at the finish.
- Ohio Northern claimed the team championship with five runners among the top 14, totaling 39 points.
TEAM STANDINGS
|
Place
|
Team
|
Points
|
| 1st |
Ohio Northern |
39 |
| 2nd |
Washington and Lee |
70 |
| 3rd |
Messiah |
104 |
| 4th |
VCU |
115 |
| 5th |
Roanoke |
116 |
| 6th |
Lynchburg |
143 |
| 7th |
Southern Virginia |
223 |
| 8th |
Eastern Mennonite |
232 |
| 9th |
Mary Washington |
267 |
| 10th |
Bridgewater (Va.) |
275 |
| 11th |
Hampden-Sydney |
290 |
| 12th |
Randolph |
326 |
| 13th |
Muskingum |
367 |
| 14th |
Regent (Va.) |
397 |
| 15th |
Mary Baldwin |
430 |
W&L INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
