HOLLAND, Mich. - Led by a first-place finish by senior Dan Cheung, the Allegheny men's cross country team finished second at the 2016 Great Lakes Regional Championships to earn their second consecutive berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship.

Cheung followed up his North Coast Athletic Conference title two weeks earlier by placing first in the 249-runner field at Regionals with a time of 24:44, good for a seven-second victory.  He earned his second straight All-Region honor, and is just the third Allegheny male to be named Regional Runner of the Year, joining Bobby Over (2011, '12, '13) and Chris Marker (2009).  

Each of Allegheny's top five finished 49th or higher, as the Gators accumulated 116 points to edge third-place Ohio Northern by just four points.

Cheung was one of three Gators to finish in the top-14 and earn All-Region honors.  Fellow senior Randy Violette turned in his top career regional performance, as he placed 12th in 25:05, while junior Carter Smith placed 14th in a time of 25:54 to earn regional honors for a second consecutive season.

Allegheny's four-point second place cushion was solidified by its fourth and fifth runners, as junior John Hughes claimed 40th with a time of 25:54, and sophomore Matt Svetz, fresh off of his first career All-NCAC honor, placed 49th in 26:04.

In their final career regional races, a pair of seniors rounded out the top-seven, as Emmett Barr placed 88th with a time of 26:37, and Justin Koch 109th in 26:49.  

The second-place regional finish is Allegheny's best since the Gators placed first at the 2009 NCAA Mid-East Regionals, and it clinches the team's second straight appearance in the NCAA Division III National Championship, its 11th in 12 seasons, and 17th in program history.

Calvin College won the team title, boasting five runners in the top 19 to finish with 63 team points.  

The Gators will now prep for the 2016 NCAA Division III National Championships, hosted by Spaulding College in Louisville, Kentucky on Sat. Nov. 19.