ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Junior Kevin Roginson (Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) came through with the first race-winning performance of his career today to lead the Daemen College men's cross country team at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational, an 8K race hosted on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan College.

Roginson crossed the finish line in 25:32.6 this morning to pace the field of 213 competitors, and besting race runner-up Dage Minors (Hamilton Parish, Bermuda) of Franklin Pierce University (25:36.2) by four seconds.  In so doing, Roginson shaved more than 50 seconds off his previous career-best 8K time (26:25.23) which he ran at the East Coast Conference Championships last season where he achieved his only top-10 finish before this season, finishing in ninth place to earn second-team All-ECC honors.  Roginson's time also set a new school record, besting the previous record time of 26:22.39 set by Brett Smith at the Highlander Invitational exactly five years ago today.

In the team standings, Daemen finished in 11th place with 294 points.  The Wildcats sat 23 points behind 10th-place St. Bonaventure University.

SUNY Oswego, an NCAA Division III member and affiliate of the State University of New York Athletic Conference, topped the 22-team field today.  The Lakers totaled 84 points to just edge out second-place University of Rochester (86 points) by two.  Race host Roberts Wesleyan, the No. 8 ranked team in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II East Region poll, came in third place with 92 points.

Behind Roginson, Daemen's remaining four scorers came in between 68th and 117th today.  Freshman Josh Bodnar (Fillmore, N.Y./Fillmore) paced the group with a time of 28:08.6.  The Wildcat greenhorn has now figured in the scoring in each of his first three collegiate races, including a 10th-place finish at the season-opening Le Moyne Alumni Short Course Invitational whic subsequently earned him ECC Rookie of the Week honors.

Senior Nigel Cordulla (Cheektowaga, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) was next in for Daemen, finishing 82nd overall with a time of 28:35.6.

Sophomore Timothy Poole (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) and senior Mike Capestrani (Jamestown, N.Y./Jamestown) rounded out the Wildcats' scorers today.  Poole posted a time of 29:04.5 to finish 103rd, while Capestrani came in 117th with a time of 29:31.5.

Although he did not figure in the scoring, sophomore Dom Russo (Middletown, N.Y./Middletown) was also in action for the Wildcats today, finishing in 144th place with a time of 30:43.7.

The 11th place finish in the team standings was Daemen's highest at this event since finishing sixth out of 17 competing teams in 2013.

Daemen next competes at the Lake Erie Storm Invitational on Saturday, October 8.

For continuing coverage on the Daemen men's cross country team throughout the season, follow @DaemenAthletics and @DaemenXC on Twitter.