Oct. 29, 2005
• Patriot League Championship Results
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Senior Joshua Sink (Welcome, N.C.) led Navy with a fifth-place finish out of 84 runners as the Midshipmen landed third among eight schools in the Patriot League Cross Country Championship on Saturday morning at Lehigh.
American captured its fourth-consecutive Patriot League Championship with a 22-point performance, courtesy of placing its scoring-five among the overall top-nine runners. Army finished with 71 points, eight ahead of Navy's 79 points. Host Lehigh followed in fourth with 85 points, Bucknell placed fifth with 147 points, Lafayette and Colgate tied for sixth with 165 points and Holy Cross landed eighth via 256 points.
"I don't think any all-star team could have beaten American today," stated Navy head coach Al Cantello. "I'm still proud of Joshua (Sink) and Ty (Rose) today."
Sink covered the 8k Goodman Campus course in 24:43, only 16 seconds off Steve Hallinan's first-place performance for American. The senior was one of only five runners to register a mile-pace under five minutes for the race, averaging a 4:59 time over Lehigh's home course.
For his efforts, Sink earned First-Team All-Patriot League honors. This is the third-consecutive season the senior has been recognized by the league, as he corralled second-team all-league distinction in 2003 and 2004.
The senior has notched Navy's best time in each of the past six races. Sink's 24:43 time over the 8k course marks the third-time in his career that he has covered the distance in less than 25 minutes.
Joining Sink with all-league recognition was senior team captain Ty Rose (Germantown, Tenn.). Rose posted a 24:54 showing to place 10th overall and captured Second-Team All-Patriot League accolades. The senior captain also earned second-team all-league recognition with an 11th-place performance at the 2003 league championship.
Rose's 24:54 time signaled the first-time of his career that he ran an 8k course in 25 minutes or less. His previous career-fastest mark came at the Greater Louisville Classic on Sept. 24, a 25:16.87 showing.
Navy's next three finishers all placed in the overall top-25, as the Midshipmen recorded a 46-second spread between their first- and fifth-placing runners. Junior Adam Craig (Commerce, Mich.) crossed the finish line in 25:23 for 20th-place overall. Sophomore John Kress (Colorado Springs, Colo.) followed one second behind Craig for 22nd-place, while senior Maksudul Ali (Clarksburg, Md.) rounded out the scoring-five with a 25:29 time to place 24th overall.
Junior Michael Niemi (Duluth, Minn.) covered the course in 25:34 and freshman Andrew Grant (Statham, Ga.) finished six seconds behind Niemi to serve as displacing runners for Navy.
The Midshipmen head back to Bethlehem, Pa., and Lehigh's Goodman Campus for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional on Saturday, Nov. 12.
PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM SCORES
1. American 222. Army 713. Navy 794. Lehigh 855. Bucknell 1476. Lafayette 1656. Colgate 1658. Holy Cross 256
NAVY COMPETITORS
5. Joshua Sink - 24:4310. Ty Rose - 24:5420. Adam Craig - 25:2322. John Kress - 25:2424. Maksudul Ali - 25:2926. Michael Niemi - 25:3431. Andrew Grant - 25:4034. John Olsen - 25:4354. Steve Porter - 26:1957. William Prom - 26:3458. Ben Kozy - 26:4662. Matt Leyndyke - 26:51
