Brandywine Qualifies Five For Nationals At PSUAC Cross Country Invitational

MONT ALTO, Pa. -- A total of five Penn State Brandyiwne cross country runners qualified for the United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Championships following Saturday's Penn State University Athletic Conference Invitationals at Norlo Park.

Lauren Husain (Glen Mills, Pa./Garnet Valley) will represent the Brandywine women's team after placing seventh during the women's 6K race. Husain turned in a time of 31:01 to earn second team all-conference honors.

Seventh place was also the top position on the men's side for the Lions as Darryl Osei (Glenolden, Pa./Bonner-Prendie) ran to a mark of 32:42, topping his personal best 8K time by nearly two minutes. Abu Mattia (Yeadon, Pa./Penn Wood) also notched a personal-best mark after finishing just behind Osei in eighth place (32:49).

Joining Osei and Mattia in Virginia Beach will be Tewahido Agonafir (Philadelphia, Pa./Academy at Palumbo) and Kevin O'Neill (Morton, Pa./Springfield), who placed 11th and 12th, respectively. Agonafir recorded his top 8K time of the season in 33:25, as did O'Neill, who crossed the line in 33:29.

Jack McDougall (Glen Mills, Pa./Rustin) was the fifth Lion to hit the finish line, posting a time of 34:39, while Christian Zita (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck) registered a mark of 39:30, slashing more than three minutes off his top time of the season, and Jack Williams (Chadds Ford, Pa./Unionville) turned in a time of 45:17, better than six minutes faster than his previous personal-best time.

As a team, Brandywine's men finished as the league runner-up with 40 points. Penn State Scranton won the title with 35 team points. Penn State Scranton's Mason Natalini (28:44) claimed the men's individual title, while Chloe Kalp of Penn State Fayette was the women's medalist.

Brandywine's five runners will compete at the national championship in Virginia Beach, Va., on the morning of Friday, November 11.