Men’s Cross Country Takes Second at the Meghan Memorial
August 31, 2024
The SUNY Erie cross country teams kicked off their 2024 season with a strong showing at the Megan Memorial Invitational, hosted by Hilbert College. Competing against Hilbert, Buffalo State, and Bryant & Stratton College, the Kats showcased their early-season fitness with four top-10 finishes across both the men's and women's events.
In the women's 5k, Emma Palumbo led the way for SUNY Erie, crossing the line in 25:42 to secure 9th place overall and 6th among collegiate competitors. Tammy Marillo followed with a solid performance, placing 13th overall and 10th among collegiate runners.
On the men's side, the Kats put together an impressive team effort to claim 2nd place in the team standings, finishing with 50 points. Buffalo State won with 20 points, and Bryant & Stratton College was third with 64 points.
Ryan Weir set the pace for Erie, finishing 4th overall with a 5k time of 17:45. He was closely followed by Sam May, who claimed 6th place in 18:51. Antwoine Hatten finished in 16th place with a time of 21:52, followed by Brendan Terrill in 19th place (23:18) and Aidan Terrill in 21st place (23:54). Also competing for Erie were Merveilles Katumba (24th in 24:28) and Omar Yussuf (28th, 28:90).
Head Coach Chris Muldoon was encouraged by the season-opening efforts. "Today's race was about testing our fitness after summer training," said Muldoon. "I thought we ran very strong all around. It's a solid start to the season."
The cross country teams will look to build on this momentum when they return to competition on September 14 at the Bruce Bridgeman Invitational, hosted by Finger Lakes Community College.