Without top runners, Syracuse still puts up impressive performance at John Reif Memorial

In the last invitational before the Big East championship, the men’s and women’s cross country team traveled to Ithaca to compete in the John Reif Memorial.

Coming off of a short week after competing in the season’s most high-caliber race at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational on Oct. 12, the top-seven men and women runners did not compete in Friday’s race.

The Orange had no problem showing up without its top runners.

Reminiscent of the first three invitationals of the season, the men’s team placed four runners in the top 10.

Freshman Andres Bennison finished first for the Orange and second overall with a time of 26:19 in the 5-mile race. Freshman Juris Silenieks came in fourth place with a time of 26:28. Senior Jonathan Aziz and freshman Joe Kush rounded out the top 10 finishing in seventh and 10th, respectively.

The women’s team matched its season debut at the Harry Lang Invitational with five harriers in the top 10.

In the 5,000-meter race against Cornell, Niagara and Cortland State, Syracuse junior Kimberly Spano finished first with a time of 18:40 with junior Breanna Symoniak finishing fractions of a second behind her. Freshmen showed their skills as Emily Nist, Margo Malone and Katherine Kinkead rounded out the top 10.

Syracuse stuck with its emphasized pack mentality in this race. The Orange looks to keep up the pace for the Big East championship on Oct. 26 in the Bronx.

—Compiled by Melissa Bronson-Tramel, staff writer, qsbronso@syr.edu