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SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- The RIT men's cross country team won the 2009 Empire 8 cross country championship. The Tigers defeated second place Ithaca College by eight points with a team score of 25 points. RIT finished second to St. Lawrence at the Saratoga Invitational, with 45 points.
RIT placed eight runners on the All-Conference team, including three first team selections. Senior
Jared Burdick (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) won the individual title, earning Runner of the Year honors and first team honors, finishing the 8k course in a time of 25:34.15. Burdick was second overall out of 168 runners in scoring for the Saratoga Invitational.
Mike Brindak (Syracuse, NY/Solvay) was second overall in the Empire 8 and fourth overall, finishing with a time 26:03.45. His top-eight finish earned him Empire 8 first team honors.
Zach Miller (Ironville, PA/Hempfield) was the Tigers other first team selection. He finished fifth overall in a time of 26:37.03.
Nick Meeker (Hamburg, NJ/Wallkill Valley),
Nick Lowe (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport),
Mike Kurvach (Victor, NY/Victor) and
Mike Hardbarger (Parkersburg, WV/Ritchie County) finished eighth, ninth, 10th, and 11th respectively. All three were Empire 8 second team selections. Meeker finished in a time of 26:46.35. Lowe completed the course in 26:50.77. Kurvach came home in a time of 26:56.91, while Hardbarger finished in a time of 27:14.45.
Mike Bradley (Penfield, NY/Penfield) was 14th overall in a time of 27:19.70 earning Empire 8 second team honors.
RIT is off next week in preparation for the NCAA Regional Championships. The race runs on Saturday, November 14 at Letchworth State Park.