Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team

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Men's Cross Country 9/1/2017 9:47:00 PM Mike Miranto, Associate A.D. For Communications

Bodnar Paces Field At Daniel Walker Invitational

GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. - Sophomore harrier Josh Bodnar (Fillmore, N.Y.) was the first to cross the finish line this evening at the Daniel Walker Invitational hosted by Buffalo State College at Beaver Island State Park as the Daemen College men's cross country team opened its 2017 season.

Bodnar, who recorded one top-10 finish in six races as a true freshman in 2016, posted a time of 16:28 on the 5K course today to sit comfortably ahead of second-place finisher Phil Giuga of meet host Buffalo State (16:51). Bodnar becomes the second Daemen runner to post a race victory since the Wildcats ascended to the NCAA Division II level, joining teammate Kevin Roginson (Amherst, N.Y.) who paced the field at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational last season. Roginson did not compete in today's race.

Behind Bodnar, the Wildcats placed three additional runners in the top-10 finishers. Junior Lucas Canales (Ithaca, N.Y.) came in three seconds after Giuga (16:54) to post a third-place finish. He had never finished higher than 11th in eight career races coming into today. True freshman Mike Swiniarski (Akron, N.Y.) and red-shirt freshman Cale Silvestri (Elma, N.Y.) each posted top-10 finishes while making their respective career debuts. Swiniarski finished seventh with a time of 17:59 while Silvestri came in eighth with a time of 18:21.

Red-shirt junior Zach Barnes (Jamestown, N.Y.) rounded out Daemen's scorers in the meet as he finished 13th with a time of 19:16. Freshman Alonzo Rodriguez-Spencer (Buffalo, N.Y.) finished just tenths of a second behind Barnes and placed 14th.

As a team, Daemen finished second in the meet standings with 32 points, just six back of Buffalo State which took home team medalist honors.

The Wildcats return to racing on Friday, September 15 at the Stampede Invitational hosted by Division I University at Buffalo. The meet, slated for a 10 a.m. start, will be held at Audobon Golf Course, the same site of this season's NCAA Division II East Region Championship meet.

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

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Players Mentioned

Zach Barnes: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior

Josh Bodnar: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Lucas Canales: 5' 7"; Junior

Kevin Roginson: 5' 10"; Senior

Alonzo Rodriguez-Spencer: 5' 9"; Freshman

Mike Swiniarski: 5' 9"; Freshman

Cale Silvestri: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Zach Barnes
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior

Josh Bodnar
: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Lucas Canales
: 5' 7"; Junior

Kevin Roginson
: 5' 10"; Senior

Alonzo Rodriguez-Spencer
: 5' 9"; Freshman

Mike Swiniarski
: 5' 9"; Freshman

Cale Silvestri
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman