Results

TOWSON, Md. – Junior Toby Gaynor posted another outstanding performance to lead the Drew University men's cross country team at the Landmark Conference Championships on Saturday at Goucher College.
 
Gaynor cruised the 8,000-meter course in 26 minutes, 23 seconds, good for an eighth-place finish and the second-best placing in team history at the event. Only Steve Monteleone C'12 finished higher when he took seventh at the 2011 championship. Gaynor's time was the fastest ever by a Ranger at the Landmark Championship and just two seconds shy of his season-best. Earlier this season he clocked the second-fastest time in school history with a 26:21 at the Lebanon Valley Invitational.
 
By virtue of finishing in the eighth through 14th-place slots, Gaynor captured Second-Team All-Landmark Conference honors. He finished just 0.4 seconds behind the seventh-place finisher, Brandon Baxter of Elizabethtown College, for the final spot on the all-conference first team. Gaynor becomes the third All-Landmark Conference performer for the Drew men's cross country and the first since Max Meneses placed 11th to earn second-team recognition in 2012.
 
Gaynor closed the race hard to get to within striking distance of the lead pack with just 800 meters to go. The frontrunners ran the first mile in a blistering 4:48 and several fell off the pace in the latter portion of the race as Gaynor moved up while picking off several runners down the stretch. He finished just 13 seconds behind race winner Shane Houghton of Moravian, which finished 1-2-3 and claimed the team title. 
 
The next runner to cross the finish line for Drew was freshman Dylan Crain, who placed 45th in the field of 81 with a time of 29:21. Sophomore Ricky Ruto Talam was close behind, taking 51st in a season-best time of 29:40 – 38 seconds faster than his previous best. Freshman Gaetano Allegri was also in action and placed 57th in 30:01 while classmate Alpha Sesay rounded out the team scoring, finishing in 41:28. The Rangers placed sixth in the team standings.
 
Drew picks up its schedule in two weeks at the NCAA Division III Metro Region Championships, held at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pa.