Results (PDF)
• Senior
Vinny Todaro placed sixth to claim his second-straight Big South all-conference honor (25:43.07)
• Freshman
Sean McGinnis finished 15
th (26:33.19)
• The Panthers finished fourth at the annual league meet
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Senior
Vinny Todaro finished sixth and earned all-conference accolades while leading the High Point University men's cross country team at the Big South Championship Friday afternoon at the Asheville Christian Academy.
Todaro crossed the finish line in 25:43.07 to garner the second all-conference accolade of his career in cross country. The performance was a culmination of a four-year progression for the Newville, Pa., native. After finishing 51
st as a freshman in 2013, Todaro improved his Big South cross country showing each season, placing 21
st as a sophomore in 2014, seventh as a junior and now sixth as a senior.
His performance helped the Panthers finish fourth at the meet (103), behind Campbell (31), Liberty (37) and Radford (87).
Freshman
Sean McGinnis ran with poise in Asheville, serving as HPU's No. 2 runner while placing 15
th in 26:33.49. Sophomore
Alejandro Juan Torres was 22
nd in 26:59.32.
Sophomore
Patrick Van Der Cruyssen was likely the day's best story, as the mid-distance track & field athlete for HPU stepped into the cross country ranks and finished as High Point's No. 4 runner. The Flying Dutchman placed 26
th while crossing the finish line in 27:14.00.
Senior
Chernet Sisay battled through a leg injury to finish 34
th in 27:32.69 while sophomore
Drew Roeber was 44
th in 27:53.79.
Sophomore
Bryan Gonzalez (28:14.19) and freshman
TJ Morales (28:29.97) were 47
th and 50
th, respectively, while freshman
Will Elliott placed 54
th in 28:43.66.
Rounding out the HPU contingent, sophomore
Spencer Ader finished 66
th in 29:40.25.
"We were in good position early on in the race but began to falter as it went on," head coach
Mike Esposito said. "Overall, watching Vinny improve each year has been great to see. He and Chernet have been leaders of our program and as seniors we thank them for all they've done to impact the program in their careers."
The Panthers now approach the conclusion of the cross country season with a trip to Cary, N.C., for the NC State Three Stripe Invite November 5.
#GoHPU
