Grant Russo (left) will advance to next weekend's NCAA Regional Championship after his 12th place finish.

Senior Grant Russo (Medina, Ohio/Medina) led the Denison Big Red to an eighth place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Cross Country Championship on Saturday in Westerville, Ohio.  The meet, which was hosted by Otterbein College and run under rather difficult conditions due to the harsh weather passing through central Ohio.

Russo placed 12th overall with a time of 25:25.84 and after his outstanding finish he will qualify for next week's NCAA Division III national championship meet in Hanover, Ind.  This is Russo's first qualification to nationals.

He may be joined by first-year runner Dee Salukombo (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) who placed 22nd overall with a time of 25:42.35.  Salukombo will qualify to the national meet if Case Western Reserve, who placed fifth as a team, is selected as an at-large selection.  Salukombo will learn his fate on Monday (Nov. 17).

Placing third for the Big Red was senior Lex Hultquist (Knoxville, Tenn./Webb School) who covered the 8K course in 25:57.07.  He was followed by junior Adam Tewahade (Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit) in 55th place (26:19.80).

Denison's scoring five was closed out by freshman Alex Chappars (Xenia, Ohio/Bellbrook) who placed 121st in 27:10.01.

The Denison team totaled 244 points and were just one point behind seventh place, Kenyon.  The team title went to Calvin with 37 points.  Second place was filled by Ohio Northern.

Regional Results [htm]