DOUG WATTS OPEN - FULL RESULTS

EDINBORO, Pa. - Junior Mike Swiniarski (Akron, N.Y.) picked up right where he left off in 2018, pacing the Daemen men's cross country team at their season-opening meet today, the Doug Watts Open hosted by Edinboro University. The Wildcats placed sixth out of eight competing teams.

The 8K race featured 71 total competitors, a pack that was led by Edinboro's Colton Cassel who crossed the finish line in 26:00. The host Fighting Scots claimed first place in the meet's team standings as their five scorers all finished in the top nine. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Swiniarski finished 45 seconds back of Cassel, placing fifth overall with a time of 26:45. Swiniarski's time was just 11 seconds off his career-best pace (26:34.9) which he established at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational last season.
• Freshman Aidan Van Slycke (Irving, N.Y.) had a solid collegiate debut, placing 45th with a time of 30:08.
• Redshirt junior Cale Silvestri (Elma, N.Y.) made his 10th career appearance, and placed 51st with a time of 30:53.
• Alexander Reynolds (Olean, N.Y.) and John Bruggman (Batavia, N.Y.) also made their Daemen debuts today, placing 56th and 57th respectively.

HEAD COACH PETE GRATIEN POST-RACE COMMENTS
"Our men ran well today despite missing some key parts. Mike had a top-five finish and was only seconds off his personal best. Aidan had a solid debut as well as Alex and John."
 

• Daemen was making its first-ever appearance at the Doug Watts Open, and competing in the state of Pennsylvania for the first time since 2014
• The race featured two teams ranked in the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region preseason poll: No. 2 Edinboro and No. 8 Gannon.
• Gannon (runner-up), Slippery Rock (third) and Mercyhurst (fourth) rounded out the top four finishing teams today
• Swiniarski has now been Daemen's top finisher in eight consecutive meets dating back to the 2018 season opener; his performance today marked the fourth top-10 finish of his career.

Daemen College features the only NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.