Results

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Competing in a field of runners from 38 schools, the Big Red ran a terrific 10K race in Buffalo on Saturday afternoon to take eighth place at the NCAA Northeast Regionals.

Cornell has improved its point total the last two seasons at the regional meet, scoring 235 points in 2009, 232 in 2010, and now 216 this year, even after losing last year's top three runners to graduation.  The Big Red men placed four in the top 50 at regionals compared to last season's three in the top 50.  At Saturday's race, only 32 seconds separated the first from the fifth runner, continuing a season-long trend of very tight pack running by the Big Red.

With 227 runners on the Audobon Golf Course at the University of Buffalo's campus, juniors Brett Kelly and Kevin Johnson placed 30th and 31st in identical times of 32:20.8 to pace the Cornell scorers. After missing his entire sophomore season due to multiple lower leg surgeries, Johnson has returned this season with a vengeance.

Sophomore Max Groves came in 43rd place in 32:33.6, Chandler Kemp took 50th in 32:37.4 and Matt McCullough came in 63rd place with a time of 32:53.5 to round out the Big Red scoring.

All together, Cornell scored 216 points, one behind seventh-place Buffalo's 215. The meet was won by Syracuse (54 points), which finished a combined 24 seconds ahead of second-place Iona. Both Syracuse and Iona clinched team berths in the NCAA Championships.

Also running for Cornell was sophomore Gabriel Heck (135th, 33:59.0) and freshman Ben Potts (34:05.2), though their times did not factor into the scoring.