Cross country takes 13th at 2008 NCAA championship

The Carnegie Mellon men’s cross country team took 13th place in this year’s NCAA Championship in Hanover, Ind. With a total of 278 runners competing in the national championships, seven athletes represented Carnegie Mellon. Senior Brian Harvey led the Tartans with a ninth-place finish in a time of 24:43:80, improving his 12th-place performance last year to conclude his collegiate career with his second All-America honor for cross country.

Following Harvey, junior Dario Donatelli finished the race 54th overall with a time of 25:15:08. Senior Breck Fresen 145th overall (25:51:72), and sophomore Dan Addis placed 168th in a time of 25:59.69. Sophomore J.P. Allera took fifth for Carnegie Mellon and 179th overall in 26:02.32, bettering his score from last year’s 203rd finish by 21 seconds. Just behind Fresen placed Allera, senior Ryan Anderson also concluded his career, finishing in 108th place with a time of 26:03.08. Sophomore Josh Eickmeier rounded out the Tartan competition in seventh with a 268th-finish overall in a time of 26:58.88.

The cross country team concludes the season with a strong national finish, losing six senior runners including Harvey, who has received the University Athletic Association (UAA) Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honor for the third time after winning the Mideast Regional title last week. This marks the third time in Carnegie Mellon men’s cross country history that the team has taken first place at the regional meet, and the first time since 1988.

"Nationals is a truly unique experience that is hard to describe without actually experiencing it for yourself," said Harvey. "Overly enthusiastic fans line the entire course chanting for their team making it extremely loud throughout the race. Despite temperatures in the 20s this year at race time, many fans still wore no shirt and painted their bodies in support of their team."