University of Albany's Paul Lagno Leads Men's Cross Country to Second Straight UAlbany Invitational Title - UAlbany Sports 2011

Albany, N.Y. - Paul Lagno successfully defends title and led University at Albany to second consecutive title in the R.K. Munsey Men's Championship Race at the 45th Annual UAlbany Invitational Saturday afternoon held on a modified 8k course due to construction.

Lagno finished with a time of 24:42.6 in the men's 8,000-meter course, giving the Great Danes their fourth first overall finisher in the last ten years. Last week's America East Conference Men's Cross Country Performer of the Week Chris Burke finished second overall with a 24:45.9 time. Ethan Clary placed fourth for UAlbany, crossing the line at 25:20.9. The 185 competitors could not pass the trio, as they led from start to finish. Rounding out the top-five Great Danes finishers were Chris Buchanan in twelfth (25:55.7) and Alex Leuchanka in seventeenth (26:06.2).

"For the first year on the new course site it was a huge undertaking to get ready," said UAlbany Coach Craig McVey. "As for the race, we raced real well and the 25 visiting schools that competed loved the course too. Overall, today and the course was an awesome setting for cross country."

UAlbany, ranked 10th in the latest USTFCCA Division I Northeast Regional Poll, took the crown over the 21 competing teams by finishing 14 points ahead of second place finisher Binghamton. Division III standout Middlebury College took third place, finishing 70 points ahead of fourth place University of New Hampshire. Rounding out the top-five team scores was Brandeis who had two top-20 finishers.

In the Men's Purple 8k Race, Marist harrier Nick Salek finished the course first in 26:49.5. UAlbany had three top-five finishers; Patrick Murphy (3rd, 27:09.2), Ryan Florkiewicz (4th, 27:12.9) and John Dellalo (5th, 27:13.8).

The Great Dane harriers will now focus on the America East Championship, hosted by UAlbany on Saturday, October 29th. "We are excited with the conference (championship) meet coming up in two weeks," McVey on the upcoming championship portion of the season. "This next week it's all about going back and evaluating what we did on our own course and taking that to practice for the next two weeks. We will find out where we are and by the time we get to the championship meet we will be two weeks more prepared and healthier."