LOGAN TOWNSHIP, N.J. – Gallaudet University sophomore Sevan Ikeda (Fremont, Calif.) battled through muddy conditions to finish third overall Saturday morning as the Bison men's cross country team competed in the Rowan Border Battle hosted by Rowan University at DREAM Park.

Heavy storms Friday night left the 8-kilometer course saturated with water and mud, creating challenging conditions for runners throughout the field. Despite the difficult footing, Ikeda turned in another strong performance as he crossed the finish line in 26 minutes, 58 seconds. The defending United East Conference champion finished just 19 seconds behind race winner Bennett Melita of Utica University, who won in 26:39. Mount Union's Jake Kapper took second in 26:51, just seven seconds ahead of Ikeda.

First year Dylan Olmos (San Jose, Calif.) was Gallaudet's second finisher, placing 78th overall with a time of 29:28. Olmos navigated a tightly packed section of the field, with the 19 runners immediately ahead of him finishing within 36 seconds of his time. Senior Troy Holcomb (Fremont, Calif.) followed in 147th place with a time of 32:59.

First year Kai Huot (St. Augustine, Fla.) rounded out Gallaudet's finishers, placing 161st overall in 35:06. Sophomore Joe Bryan (Liberty, Mo.) also competed for the Bison but was unable to finish the race.

Mount Union won the team competition with 70 points, followed by host Rowan University (83 points) and SUNY Cortland (126 points). Gallaudet started five runners but did not record a team score after one Bison runner was unable to finish.

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will return to a familiar course on Saturday, Oct. 31, for the United East Conference Championships at 11 a.m. at Union Canal Tunnel Park in Lebanon, Pa. The Bison previously competed on the same course at the Dutchmen Invitational on Sept. 5.