FULL RESULTS

GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's cross country team placed four runners among the top seven finishers en route to a first place showing at the Daniel Walker Invitational here today. The 5K race took place at Beaver Island State Park and was hosted by Buffalo State College. It marked the 2018 season opening event for Daemen.

Daemen posted 30 points and finished first ahead of Buffalo State (43), D'Youville College (70), Hilbert College (94) and Medaille College (119). It marks the first time since the Wildcats ascended to the NCAA Division II level in 2013 that they have placed first at an event.

The individual champion hailed from Daemen for the second-straight year, as sophomore Mike Swiniarski (Akron, N.Y.) outlasted teammate Lucas Canales (Ithaca, N.Y.) to finish first among the 42 runners. Swiniarski posted a time of 17:01—58 seconds better than his time of 17:59 last year—and edged Canales (17:07) by just six seconds. It marked the first career win for Swiniarski. Canales placed third at this event last year.

Junior Josh Bodnar (Fillmore, N.Y.), who placed first at this event last year, came in fourth place this year with a time of 17:42. It marks the third career top-10 finish for Bodnar.

Swiniarski becomes the third Daemen runner to post a race victory since the Wildcats ascended to the NCAA Division II level, joining Bodnar and fellow teammate Kevin Roginson (Amherst, N.Y.)—who paced the field at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational in 2016. Roginson did not compete in today's race.

Redshirt sophomore Nate Louk (Jane Lew, W. Va.) made his debut with the men's cross country team today and placed seventh with a time of 18:37. Louk spent last fall with the Daemen men's soccer team and is also a member of the men's track and field team.

Freshman Robert Spierling (Endicott, N.Y.) rounded out Daemen's group of five runners. A product of Maine-Endwell High School, Spierling finished 16th in his collegiate debut with a time of 19:57.

Daemen is idle until Sept. 15 when it takes part in the Yellow Jacket Invitational hosted by the University of Rochester.

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