FULL RESULTS

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Behind a first-place finish from sophomore Logan Steiner, the 22nd-ranked Allegheny men's cross country team got the 2013 season off to a fine start, capturing the team title at the Bill Sudeck Invitational, hosted by Case Western Reserve.

It was the first collegiate victory for Steiner, the 2012 North Coast Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year, as he traversed the 6K course in 19:44.65, ahead of teammate Jack Denison, who crossed the line second with a time of 19:51.81.   In all, the Gators' top four runners each finished in the top 12, while the squad's top seven all took places in the top 20.

"Logan really commanded the race after the first mile and a half," said Allegheny head coach Brent Wilkerson.  "From there, he just took ever, and made it look really easy.  He crossed the line looking smooth, and really didn't have to push himself too hard."

Following Denison, the Gators' James Rynes took eighth, timed in 20:26.52, with Tom DeAscentis finishing 12th (20:33.80).

"I couldn't be happier for DeAscentis," Wilkerson said.  "He came out of nowhere for us, and has made the push from being a middle distance guy to filling in some gaps from graduation in the top seven.  He came into the season ready, and really strong after a summer full of training."

Demonstrating the team's emphasis on staying as a pack, the Gators' next three runners all finished within 13 seconds of one another, with Alex Simon taking 16th (20:39.61), Paul Cancilla 18th (20:43.94), and in his collegiate debut, freshman Dan Cheung 20th (20:53.43).

"Having a freshman like Dan step into the stop seven is great," Wilkerson commented.  "We're really excited to see what he can do for us this year."

It was a strong start to the season for the Gators, who captured their fifth straight team title at the Bill Sudeck Invitational, and Wilkerson was more than pleased with the team's opening effort.

"This was really the first opportunity for us to see if a lot of the guys could run as a pack," said the coach, "and that showed up in the results, with four guys in the top 12, and the seventh in the top 20.  We did a lot of good things today, and I couldn't be happier."

The Gators will now be idle for a week before hosting the Allegheny Invitational on Saturday, September 14.