Results

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Seniors Josef Tessema and Philemon Kimutai both broke the course record that they shared, and both set new personal records for 8,000 meters as the Spartan men's cross country team cruised to a first-place finish on Saturday morning at the Cappy Anderson Invitational hosted by Maryland Eastern Shore.

On the same course where they both ran a course-record time of 24 minutes, 59.12 seconds two weeks prior, Tessema and Kimutai again swept the top two places in record time. Tessema earned an individual victory for the third straight meet with a new PR of 24:43.91, with Kimutai close on his heels in 24:44.92. Both broke their previous 8K PRs, set at last year's Great American Cross Country Invitational in Cary, N.C.

The two seniors led a dominant effort by the Spartans, who are ranked 14th in this week's Southeast Region USTFCCCA poll. NSU had five runners place in the top seven to accumulate 21 points. Pitt was a distant second, with 65 points. All told, NSU had six runners in the top eight and eight in the top 18.

Newcomers Nathnael Meseret and Damtew Adnew both ran season-best times in placing fifth and sixth, respectively. Meseret crossed in 25:42.77 and Adnew was next in 25:45.50. Rounding out NSU's top five was junior Vincent Rono in a season-best of his own, 25:49.42.

Though they did not factor into the team score, the Spartans also got season-best efforts from Amos Kipkosgei, who placed eighth in 25:52.48; Vincent Brown, who was 15th in 27:05.15; and Kameron George, who placed 18th in 27:33.90.

NSU has next week off before returning to action at the Great American Invitational on Oct. 1.