Reid, Christopher Newport Three-Peat as CAC Men's Cross Country Champions
The Christopher Newport men's cross country team secured the top three finishes and placed seven runners in the top 13 to capture its third straight Capital Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday at Lee Hall Mansion in Newport News, Va.
The Captains totaled 27 points en route to the team title, defeating second-place York (58 points) by 31 points for a convincing victory. Salisbury took third with 83 points, followed closely by Mary Washington in fourth with 88 points. Southern Virginia finished fifth with 128 points, followed by Frostburg State (167 points), St. Mary's (233 points), Wesley (249 points), and Penn State Harrisburg (267 points).
CNU senior Grayson Reid closed out his CAC career as one of the most decorated cross country runners in conference history after claiming his third consecutive individual title with a time of 24:46.3. With the victory, Reid becomes just the third CAC runner to win three individual titles, joining Goucher's Jeff Olenick (1997, 1999, 2000) and York's Tim Hartung (2011-13) as three-time champions.
Joining Reid in the top three were senior teammates JJ LaPointe and Jeff Dover. LaPointe, who finished the 8k in 24:56, was neck-and-neck with Reid throughout the race until Reid pulled away in the home stretch, while Dover was just a second behind LaPointe in 24:57.2.
Salisbury sophomore Branson Oduor, Mary Washington sophomore Jeff Gibson, and York senior Alex Smith led their respective teams with fourth through sixth-place finishes, respectively. York senior Grant Dell placed seventh, while Salisbury senior Malcolm Milton finished eighth to round out the All-CAC first-team honorees.
York senior Andy MacGibbon took ninth place, followed by four straight CNU runners. CNU senior Billy Rabil placed 10th, followed by senior Sam Murch, sophomore Jason Putnam, and senior Daniel Read in 11th through 13th.
Southern Virginia freshman Colter May was the top freshman finisher in 14th place, earning Rookie of the Year honors for his performance.
A pair of Captains - junior Peyton Artz and sophomore Cavanaugh McGaw - took 15th and 16th, respectively, to round out the All-CAC performers.
CNU first-year head coach Sarah Lagasse was tabbed by her peers as the CAC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year.