By: Scott Eddy, Assistant Athletics Director for Strategic Communications
CEDARVILLE, Ohio – The St. Bonaventure men's cross country team turned in one of its strongest showings in school history at Atlantic 10 Championships Saturday morning, battling rain and soggy conditions at the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course.
As a team, the Bonnies had their best A-10 Championship finish since 2015, taking 14th, while their team score of 355 is the top score for the program at the conference meet since 2004.
Heavy rain along with lightning delayed the race by 40 minutes, and by race time the rain had subsided but left a wet course for the competitors.
Junior Clay Peets ran the fastest A-10 Championship time in school history, getting around the 8K course in a time of 24:53.48. He finished 33rd overall in the field of 141 runners, good for the best finish by a Bonnies men's runner at A-10 Championships in at least two decades.
He easily surpassed his previous A-10 Championship finishes – he claimed 71st (25:49) last year which was nearly a full minute faster than his freshman finish.
Sophomore Aiden Scattergood gave the Bonnies another strong performance, clocking in at 25:22.67 to cross the finish line in 60th overall. In his second A-10 Championship, Scattergood was well over a minute faster than last year at Pole Green Park in Richmond when he ran 27:07 and finished 119th.
Senior Zane Courtwright also turned in his best A-10 Championship effort of 25:50.98, nearly a minute better than his time last year.
Also in the Bonnies scoring were sophomore Ethan Luce (26:45.27), who was 10 spots better than last year's championship finish, and sophomore Casey Malloy (26:59.11), who was making his A-10 Championship debut.
Freshman Joshua Lopez (27:46.27) and senior Kieran Ryan (27:52.77) completed the team's top seven.
The Bonnies edged Davidson's team score of 396.
Bona's regional qualifiers will next compete in the Northeast Regionals Friday, Nov. 10 in the Bronx.
BONNIES RESULTS
33. Clay Peets – 24:53.48
60. Aiden Scattergood – 25:22.67
81. Zane Courtwright – 25:50.98
115. Ethan Luce – 26:45.27
120. Casey Malloy – 26:59.11
133. Joshua Lopez – 27:46.27
136. Kieran Ryan – 27:52.77
138. Colin McCarthy – 27:57.33
139. Alex Ryan – 27:59.69
141. Lucas Catarella – 28:46.56
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