The men’s cross country team battled strong and came away from the Sixth Annual Cougar Classic at Misericordia University with a second-place finish yesterday.

Senior Curt Bell (27:14) and sophomore Daniel Craighead (27:18) were Ithaca’s top two finishers, placing fourth and fifth, respectively. Senior Phil Abbott (27:40) and junior Tyler Gustafson (27:43) followed close behind with 11th and 13th place finishes, respectively. Junior John Davis (28:04), freshman Nathan Bickell (28:22) and freshman Mark Vorensky (28:23) rounded out Ithaca’s top seven, taking 16th through 18th places. This was the Bombers’ first eight-kilometer meet of the season.

The Bombers had a great start to the race, as the team was out in front early. Susquehanna University later pulled through to the front. The Caped Crusaders took two of the top three spots and took the crown with 28 points. The Bombers were close behind, scoring 48 points. Moravian College followed in a distant third with 95 points. Host Misericordia University came in fourth with 101 points and Scranton University finished out the top five with 115 points. Scranton’s Chris Wasnetsky was the meet’s top finisher with a total time of 26:44.

The Bombers look to contend well Saturday as they travel to Houghton, N.Y. to compete in the Highlander Invitational.