HOLLAND, MICH.  --  The Trine University men's cross country team finished third at the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Jamboree that was hosted by Hope (Mich.) College in Holland, Mich.

As a team, the Thunder finished with an overall score of 77 points to place third of seven teams.  Calvin (Mich.) College captured the event with a total of 24 points and Albion (Mich.) College was second with 47 points.

All five individuals who's times went towards the overall team score, place in the top-20, led by senior Robert Lewis Duke (Greentown, Ind./Eastern) who ran a time of 26:00.2 and finished eighth overall.  Freshman Levi Neuzerling (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) was the next Thunder competitor to cross the finish line in a time of 26:34.3 and was 15th overall.

Freshman Jack Beakas (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb), senior Collin Elek (Osceola, Ind./Penn) and junior Jonathan Phillips (Royal Center, Ind./Pioneer) all finished back-to-back-to-back with Beakas placing 17th in a time of 26:45.6, Elek was 18th after posting a mark of 26:46.0 and Phillips was 19th in a time of 26:47.3.

"Our goal was to come in and get first or second overall and we just didn't compete as well today as I would've liked," said Head Coach Zach Raber.  "Lewis Duke, Collin Elek and Derek Miller made a really good move during the race to give our team a chance to finish second, but they had a hard time hanging on over the last mile.  We'll take this as a learning experience and get better next time out."

Also competing was the duo of freshman Derek Miller (Shipshewana, Ind./Westview) and sophomore Villis Vuskalns (Indianapolis, Ind./Beech Grove) and finished just outside the team score qualifying times.  Miller placed 23rd overall after completing the course in a time of 26:57.1.  Vuskalns finished just behind in 24th place and a mark of 26:57.2.

The men's cross country team will travel to Louisville, Ky. next Saturday, Sept. 30 to compete in the Louisville Cross Country Classic.