Ravens top five Division I squads

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (October 4, 2014) – Senior Antoine Gisore (Concord, N.H.) stopped the clock at 24:50 for his 8K run on Saturday, to lead the way for the Franklin Pierce University men's cross country team at the Paul Short Collegiate Invitational, hosted by Lehigh. The Ravens finished with 833 points to place 33rd in their 42-team meet.

Gisore's time was good for 52nd, and he was one of two Franklin Pierce student-athletes to finish among the top 100 in the 359-runner field. Junior Colton Ham (Webster, N.H.) posted a 25:06 to finish 86th.

The remaining three members of Franklin Pierce's scoring five on Saturday were sophomore B.J. Smith (Concord, N.H.), sophomore Jon Holmes (Albany, N.Y.) and freshman Luke Thresher (Coventry, Conn.). Smith beat 26 minutes with a 25:56 to finish 197th, Holmes checked in at 26:14 to place 233rd and Thresher notched a 26:46 to finish 265th.

Also competing for Franklin Pierce at the Paul Short Run were junior Makopa Rugabirwa (Concord, N.H.), who finished 272nd (26:58) and sophomore Dage Minors (Hamilton Parish, Bermuda), who finished 275th (27:01).

Franklin Pierce competed in the Gold heat on Saturday, the highest-caliber race at the Paul Short Run, and was able to finish ahead of five Division I squads, as Rider finished 36th, East Carolina was 37th, Connecticut was 38th, Univ. of San Diego was 41st and Univ. of Miami was 42nd. At the top of the event, Navy (95 points) took the team title by 28 points over Guelph (123). Adams State (130) finished third, Yale finished fourth (132) and Iona (146) rounded out the top five.

Representing the Northeast-10 and American International, Mike Biwott (23:28) -- who also won the Bruce Kirsh Cross Country Cup in Rindge three weeks ago -- took first place individually. Aaron Dinzeo of California of Pennsylvania took second (23:35), Chartt Miller of Iona finished third (23:46), Ross Proudfoot of Guelph placed fourth (23:48) and Jordan Williamsz of Villanova was fifth (23:53).

The Ravens are back in action on Saturday, Oct. 11, at the New England Championships, at Franklin Park in Boston.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce cross country apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).