Blue Devils Win Duke Alumni Meet

9/2/2016 9:50:00 PM | Cross Country

2016 Duke Alumni Meet Highlights Duke Alumni Meet Photo Gallery

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. -- The Duke men's cross country team opened the 2016 season with a victory Friday evening, defeating a team comprised of Duke alumni, 21-38, in Durham, N.C. Duke's first five competitors placed among the top seven finishers in the contest.

“I think it's an important step,” head men's cross country coach Norm Ogilvie said. “Next week, we're going to be in Terre Haute, on the course of the NCAA Championships, and we're going up against two top-10 teams in Michigan and Northern Arizona, so we definitely needed to get a dress rehearsal in. It's also really fun, I think, for the guys to race against some of the alums that have been with the program recently. I think they had a really good time out there.”

Junior Stephen Shine helped guide the Blue Devils to the victory by placing first overall in a six-kilometer time of 19:16, while junior Alec Kunzweiler crossed the finish just 12 seconds later to take second in a time of 19:28.

“I'm delighted that Stephen Shine could come through today,” Ogilvie said. “I think Kunzweiler ran well within himself, and I think there's a lot more there for some of them.”

Recent graduates William Hague (third) and Shaun Thompson (fourth) served as the alumni team's first two finishers, posting times of 19:38 and 19:59, respectively. Sophomore Stephen Garrett claimed fifth with a time of 20:00.

“It was so much fun,” Hague said. “We feel so much a part of this team. It's still fresh in our minds, and we love these guys. We still feel some ownership there, and with the friendship and the fraternity, it's still so fun to come back and jump back into the spirit of things.”

A quartet of freshmen, Tom Sullivan (sixth), Cole Hoff (seventh), Dalton Randall (ninth) and Matt Wisner (10th), rounded out Duke's top seven. Sullivan posted a time of 20:02 with Hoff just five seconds behind in a time of 20:07. Randall and Wisner secured top-10 finishes as well, registering times of 20:17 and 20:22, respectively.

Recent graduate William Rooney split the foursome of freshmen, finishing in eighth after clocking a time of 20:13, while also crossing the finish as the alumni team's third finisher.

“Coming back into the locker room, seeing all of the guys, these are your buddies, your teammates, your friends,” Rooney said. “It was a great four years here. You leave and move on to other things, but you're always yearning to come back. I had this on the calendar as soon as I saw the meet come up on the schedule.”

The Duke men resume action next Saturday, Sept. 10, making the trip to Terre Haute, Ind., to compete in the Sycamore Invitational.

#GoDuke

1. Stephen Shine - 19:16
2. Alec Kunzweiler - 19:28
3. William Hague - 19:38
4. Shaun Thompson - 19:59
5. Stephen Garrett - 20:00
6. Tom Sullivan - 20:02
7. Cole Hoff - 20:07
8. William Rooney - 20:13
9. Dalton Randall - 20:17
10. Matt Wisner - 20:22
11. Jordan Burton - 20:25
12. Adamson Bryant - 20:33
13. AJ Eckmann - 20:34
14. Brian Benesch - 20:37
15. Matt Luppino - 20:42
16. Josiah Hanko - 20:53
17. Kyle Francis - 21:31
18. Michal Filipczak - 22:28
19. Will Manion - 22:55
20. Nate McClafferty - 25:24
21. Kyle Moran - 25:24