LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Niagara University men's and women's cross country teams competed in the MAAC Championships at the Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World, where they finished 8th and 9th, respectively. Sixteen Purple Eagles ran season-best or personal-bests at the MAAC Championships.

Head coach Tom Mulhern saw his team taking on a challenging course in hot conditions in Florida.

"Everyone ran with toughness  and confidence," Mulhern said. "We had plenty of season and personal bests, but we still have plenty of work to do to get better."

The eighth-place men's team was led by Mike Trendell (Oriskany Falls, N.Y.) who finished in a personal-best 26:16 in the 8k event, good for 30th place. Behind Trendell was Colin Durina (Poland, Ohio) in 42nd place, running the course in 26:52. John Sarratori (Newfane, N.Y.) finished in 63rd place and Jason Fischer (Newfane, N.Y.) completed the 8k course in 72nd place in a personal best 27:52. 

Brian Traugott (Rochester, N.Y.) also finished the 8k event in a personal-best, shaving 43 seconds off of his previous best to finish in 28:09. Ryan Dubois (Mendon, N.Y.), Joe Kopnitsky (Canastota, N.Y.),  Peter Davidow (Clarence, N.Y.), Will West (North Tonawanda, N.Y.), Mounkalia Hamza (Niamey, Niger) and Chris Hunt (Hornell, N.Y.) also all set personal-bests or season-bests.

Leading the ninth-place women's team was Chelsea Usack (Horseheads, N.Y.), finishing the 6k course in 50th place, with a season-best time of 24:07. Teammate Liz Smyth (Cicero, N.Y.) wasn't far behind in 54th place, finishing with a season-best time of 24:11. Jill Snopkowski (Torrington, Conn.) completed the 6k course in 62nd place with a season-best time of 24:22, while Ashley Bantelman (Olean, N.Y.) finished one minute behind Snopkowski, marking a personal-best. Lisa Arnst (Blasdell, N.Y.), Kylie Weigel (Franklinville, N.Y.) and Whitney Hubbard (Visalia, Calif.) rounded out the Purple Eagles women's team, running personal-best times.  

Iona swept both the men's event and the women's event.

The Purple Eagles are back in action on Nov. 15, when they travel to New York City to take part in the NCAA Northeast Regionals.