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Jordan, N.Y. – The Jordan-Elbridge Boys Cross Country team got a taste of revenge yesterday during a sun-drenched double dual match-up with league rival Marcellus by defeating the Mustangs 25 – 32.  The last time J-E defeated Marcellus was during the 2002 season.  In 2003, Marcellus denied J-E of sole possession of the league crown by upsetting the Eagles 27 – 28, so this victory was extra sweet.

     Senior Jeff Donohue paced the squad by finishing a career-best second in the race and in a J-E best time of 17.20.  Donohue trailed Marcellus junior and race winner Chris Stogsdill by 36 seconds, but it was much closer for most of the race.  “I felt great” said an inspired Donohue, “How’d I look”?  J-E placed their first three runners in 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th places in the race, a combination that is difficult to defeat.  Sophomores Cody Stanton and Mike Marerro ran exceptionally strong and scored next for J-E with Stanton running 17.39 and Marerro running 17.52.  Neither sophomore had ever run a sub-18 minute time on the 3.03 mile J-E course.  Senior Donato Direnzo was J-E’s 4^th man placing seventh overall in a time of 18.21.  “This is the closest Donato has been to Mike since we began racing this season, he ran hard and very very well” said J-E coach Roman.  Senior Jake Griffin was J-E’s fifth man, and ran like a man as his coach described.  Griffin was ninth overall in a time of 19.12.  “We need Jake to get back to last year’s form” said Roman, “and this is the first time that he looked so good for an entire race”.

     Freshmen Tom Poppe and Greg Bader helped in the J-E victory by placing ahead of Marcellus’ fifth man, thus ‘displacing’ their score by two points.  Poppe was 12^th and Bader was 13^th (19.37 and 19.38 respectively).

     J-E’s Junior Varsity runners also ran well, and would have narrowly lost to Solvay’s varsity had the meet been scored this way (28 – 29).  Junior Kyle Becker led the way by finishing 18^th (20.40), followed by six J-E runners in consecutive places: George Brauchle (20^th/21.04), Kyle Alpha (21^st/21.53), Zac Darling (22^nd/22.01), Dylan Kirk (23^rd/22.05), Tom Badman (24^th/22.19), and Matt Sullivan (25^th/22.26).  After a Solvay runner finished, J-E’s last two runners completed the course (Carlin Coomey (27^th/23.05 and Brendan Hogan (28^th/23.06).

     The Eagles return to action on Saturday at the Auburn Invitational where they hope to keep the positive momentum flowing.  It appears that the league championship will be decided next Wednesday (Sept. 26^th) when the Eagles race both Bishop Ludden and Westhill at Santaro Park.