EAST LANSING, Mich. – Paul Lewis was the No. 1 runner for the Albion College men's cross country team for the first time this season Friday as the Britons challenged a host of Division I and II talent in the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational at the Forest Akers East Golf Course.
Lewis, a senior from Albion, shaved six seconds off his season-best time. He was the 30th non-Division I to cross the finish line, completing his race in 25:36.
Mitchell Klingler, a senior from Coldwater who had been Albion's No. 1 man in the first two events of the season, was the second Briton to reach the finish line. He was the 54th runner to finish, posting a time of 26:03.
Mitch Clinton, Albion's No. 3 runner, achieved a personal record when he completed the 8K course in 26:38. Though it's early in his career, first-year runner Erik Davis also achieved a personal-record of 27:18. Kendall Maddox completed Albion's top five, reaching in the finish line in 27:33.
While Coach Hayden Smith, '70, does not want his runners to peak in September, he did note that the gap between the five scoring runners cannot be two minutes when the Britons run in the important meets in November.
"We continue to make progress," Smith said. "We'll know more about how we stand for the (Sept. 28) Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Jamboree once we see the results from the Calvin meet tomorrow."
Smith also noted Don Strite, the seventh Albion runner to finish, achieved a personal record of 28:24.
Please see the Michigan State website for the meet results.
Adrian College will serve as host of the MIAA Jamboree in two weeks.
