PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's cross country team placed third with a score of 98 at the 43rd Annual Cardinal Classic on Saturday, August 30.

In the team standings, the Cardinals finished in front of fourth-place Paul Smith's (137), fifth-place Remparts (140), sixth-place Potsdam (157), and seventh-place Clinton Community College (191). St. Lawrence took home first place (20), followed by Clarkson in second (47).

Junior Zander Brown (Wappingers Falls, N.Y. / Roy C. Ketcham) was the first Cardinal across the line, placing 22nd with a time of 17:00.6, almost shaving a minute off his previous time on the Rugar Woods 5K course.

Seconds later, senior Jack Natali Jr. (Clayton, N.Y. / Thousand Islands) came across the line, recording a time of 17:13.5 for a 26th-place finish. In the first race of his career, sophomore Brody Serfass (Endwell, N.Y. / Maine Endwell) posted a time of 17:30.0, finishing in 30th.

The next two Cardinals across the line were first-year Jackson Morse (Niskayuna, N.Y. / Niskayuna) and junior Nate Alexander (Marcellus, N.Y. / Marcellus), placing 38th (17:45.7) and 40th (17:54.0) to round out the scoring group for Plattsburgh. Alexander's time was a new personal best for him on the Rugar Woods 5K course.

To close out the top seven runners, first-year Michael Ayala (New Paltz, N.Y. / New Paltz) and junior Matthias Lauvau (Rye, N.Y. / Rye Neck) finished back-to-back, coming in at 43rd (17:55.4) and 44th (17:58.9).

Other Cardinals who competed included first-years Griffin Leary (Pearl River, N.Y. / Clarkstown South), Bryton Mandigo (Hartford, N.Y. / Hartford), and Sam Allen (New Hartford, N.Y. / New Hartford), who all raced in their first collegiate 5K race. Leary came in at 18:02.6, Mandigo recorded a time of  18:46.0, and Allen finished at 20:11.0. 

The Cardinals are back in action at 11 a.m. on Sept. 13 at home for the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Preview.