Justyn Knight, Paige Stoner break SU records Friday

On Friday night, the SU men and women’s steeplechase runners competed in Charlottesville, Virginia, at the Virginia Challenge, and Justyn Knight raced against some of the top distance runners in the country in Los Angeles, California.

Across the three races, the Orange came out with a first, two seconds and a fourth-place finish. Knight and Paige Stoner each broke their own school records.

At the Bryan Clay Invitational in Los Angeles, Justyn Knight (3:36.07) finished second in the 1500-meter race. He ran against over 250 of the best runners — professional and collegiate — in the country. His personal-best time breaks his own school record in the event.

Stoner won the 3000-meter steeplechase invitational in Virginia with a personal and school-best 9:57:20. She outpaced runners from Columbia, Penn State and Michigan State, among others. Syracuse’s Sydney Leiher and Laura Dickinson finished 17th and 18th, respectively.

In the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase invitational, Aidan Tooker had the best time of any collegiate runner, finishing second behind an Asics-sponsored athlete. Tooker’s 8:45.79 was a second behind the professional, Craig Nowak, and six seconds ahead of SU freshman Noah Affolder, who placed fourth (8:51.78).