by Kevin Buczek
SALISBURY, N.C.-Four Bulldogs finished in the top-seven as the Barton College men's cross country team won the 2012 Catawba College Invitational on Friday afternoon at Salisbury Community Park.
After three runner-up finishes over the last two years, the Barton men's cross country team was able to break through and provide third year head coach Karen Godlock with her first meet win on the men's side.
Senior Christopher Free, senior Sammy Serem and sophomore Austin Edmonds seized third, fourth and fifth place, respectively, pace the Bulldogs.
Free completed the confusing true 8k cross country style course in 30 minutes flat to earn one of three individual trophies with a time of 30:00. Serem was in second place through most of the race but made a wrong turn late in final mile that includes woods and tall grass but still held onto fourth place at 30:13. Edmonds was over a minute ahead of the next wave of runners when he crossed the finish line in fifth at 31:07.
Sophomore Daniel Strutton was a fourth Bulldog to earn a t-shirt at the awards ceremony after the race for finishing in the top-12. Strutton was seventh overall with a time of 32:42, but most importantly finished ahead of a group of five Catawba Indians that finished between 9th and 14th.
Barton won the team title in the five team competition with 35 points, narrowly holding off host Catawba by four points.
Walter Ngeno completed the Bulldogs scoring by finishing exactly in the middle of the race. Ngeno was 16th out of 31 entrants with a time of 34:22.
Barton will next compete in the Bulldog Stampede hosted by Wingate University on Saturday, Sept. 22.
Barton Runners
3. Chris Free (30:00.40)
4. Sammy Serem (30:13.10)
5. Austin Edmonds (31:07.90)
7. Daniel Strutton (32:42.84)
16. Walter Ngeno (34:22.01)
