2024 Men's Cross Country - Year In Review
Matt Kane, Head Coach
Ian Frazier, Assistant Coach
Click here to see individual photos
2024 Men's Cross Country - Year In Review | |
| Coaching Staff Matt Kane, Head Coach Ian Frazier, Assistant Coach Click here to see individual photos |
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Bob Braman Announces Retirement.
May 29, 2024
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Bob Braman, Florida State's legendary Track & Field and Cross Country head coach, announced Wednesday that he is retiring from coaching. Currently finishing his 21st season as a head coach at FSU, a tenure that ranks second in Seminole track and field history, Braman will conclude his coaching career at the upcoming NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships to be held next week.
Braman created a championship legacy highlighted by three NCAA men's outdoor national titles (2006, 2007 and 2008) and an ACC-record 33 conference titles (25 men's and 8 women's). The 2010-11 John McDonnell Award Winner as the nation's top coach, Braman's tenure as head coach saw FSU emerge as one of the nation's most consistent national contenders as his teams earned a combined 20 Top 10 NCAA Championship finishes. On the conference level, Braman's unmatched success included 13 men's outdoor team titles, 12 men's indoor titles, four women's outdoor titles and four women's indoor championships.
"After 24 years at Florida State University, and previously 17 years at the University of South Florida, I'm announcing my retirement today," Braman said. "It was my dream to be a collegiate coach and it's been my privilege to have lived that dream for the last 41 years. The titles and successes have been less important than the many wonderful relationships that me and my family have shared with so many great coaches and young athletes. Watching them all bloom into great successes in their own right has been rewarding beyond measure."
"To call Bob Braman a legend just isn't adequate - his impact on our program in all facets is indelible and incomparable," said Michael Alford, FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics. "All Seminoles owe Bob a debt of gratitude for the class and dignity with which he led our program, in addition to the standard of success he created. We look forward to saluting Bob and his wife, Debbie, and their family for all they've done for FSU track and field and the Seminole Athletics legacy. Bob will forever be a Seminole in the deepest sense, and we wish him and his family the very best."
Individually, Braman's impressive stable of elite performers includes two Bowerman Award Winners - Trey Cunnigham (2022) and Ngoni Makusha (2011) - and Adrian Wildschut's runner-up finish at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships is the highest finish ever by a Seminole. Overall, Braman's student-athletes earned 40 individual NCAA national titles and 428 All-American honors.
Over the course of his career, Braman earned a combined total of 50 national, regional and conference Coach of the Year (COY) honors, including three consecutive USTFCCCA National of the Year honors (2006-08) for outdoor track and field. On the conference level, Braman was named ACC Coach of the Year 28 times, and he earned 19 South Region COY honors.
Braman's stature as one of the top distance coaches in the nation is borne out by the success of FSU's cross country program during his tenure. Over the last 24 years, FSU's men's team has made 15 NCAA appearances, highlighted by a runner-up finish in 2010 and a fifth-place showing in 2012. He led FSU's women's cross country team to their first three NCAA national championship appearances (2002, 2003 and 2006). FSU won the ACC triple crown in 2008-09 and 2013-14, sweeping the conference's cross country, indoor and outdoor team titles. FSU also has earned five NCAA South Region cross country team titles under Braman's leadership.
"I have been privileged to work with some of the truly great coaches in our sport here at Florida State," Braman said. "In my 21 years as head coach, we have worked together to make FSU one of the premier track and field programs in the country. I'm extremely proud of the three national championships that we won, and the dozens of ACC titles we collected, and I will miss the battles for even more of them.
"My greatest thanks goes to (former FSU athletics director) Dave Hart and Charlie Carr (former FSU senior associate athletics director) for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to lead this program back in 2003," Braman said. "I've been blessed to have many great administrators to work for and I believe that Michael Alford will take the baton and reinvest in the track and field program so the Noles can chase those nattys again.
"Debbie and I will get in our own trips now, always with our grown sons by our
sides, but I do hope to stay involved in the sport and find new ways to help young people find their path."
Kidus Misgina, Chicago, Ill.
Tanner Simonds, Saint Johns
Garrett Stickley, Winchester, Va.
Finn Thomas, Ponte Vedra Beach
2024 Roster - By Name
L
T PY
R Name Cl Ltr Hometown (Prior School)
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Bernardo Barnhart So Immokalee (Palmetto Ridge)
Lucas Bouquot Jr-R Ponte Vedra Beach (Ponte Vedra)
Zach Cloud Sr-R *** Saint Cloud (Saint Cloud)
Coleman Cronk Jr-R West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West)
Patrick Cullen Sr-R Hopewell Junction, N.Y. (Northeastern)
Patrick Donnelly Jr-R Alexandria, Va. (Bellefontaine)
Joe Farley Sr * Petoskey, Mich. (Petoskey/Kent State)
Ahmed Ibrahim Sr * Portland, Ore. (Parkrose/Boise State)
Zach Leachman Sr-R *** Mars, Pa. (Mars Area)
Kaden Levings So Colorado Springs, Colo. (Cheyenne Mountain)
Kidus Misgina Jr Chicago, Ill. (Steinmetz/Cloud County CC/Trinidad State)
Matthew Neill Jr * Omagh, Ireland (University of the Cumberlands)
Tanner Simonds Fr Saint Johns (Creekside)
Garrett Stickley Fr Winchester, Va. (John Handley)
Finn Thomas Fr Ponte Vedra Beach (Nease)
Wynne Thomas Jr-R * Tampa (Plant)
Michael Toppi So-R Melbourne (Viera)
2024 Schedule and Results
GAME |
SCORE |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCF Invite Orlando |
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| Nuttycombe Invite Madison, Wis. |
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| Georgia Tech XC Invitational Fairburn, Ga. |
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| Florida State XC Invite | |||||
| Wisconsin Pre-National Madison, Wis. |
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| ACC Championship Cary, N.C. |
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| NCAA Regional Championship | |||||
| NCAA Championship Madison, Wis. |
2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Results 1 Wake Forest 60 2 Stanford 69 3 North Carolina 80 4 Virginia 94 5 Syracuse 122 6 Notre Dame 127 7 North Carolina State 210 8 Virginia Tech 213 9 California 290 10 Florida State 296 11 Duke 345 12 Georgia Tech 370 13 Pittsburgh 373 14 Boston College 389 15 Louisville 416 16 Clemson 431 17 Miami 498
2024 EOY Stats
Team Overall Name Races Top 7 Top 10 Wins =============================================== Lucas Bouquot 5 4 1 0 Patrick Donnelly 5 3 1 0 Zach Leachman 4 4 1 0 Joe Farley 4 4 1 0 Zach Cloud 4 4 1 0 Coleman Cronk 4 4 1 0 Wynne Thomas 4 1 2 0 Michael Toppi 4 1 1 0 Kaden Levings 3 2 1 1 Tanner Simonds 3 1 0 0 Kidus Misgina 2 2 1 1 Matthew Neill 2 2 1 0 Ahmed Ibrahim 1 1 1 0
| 08/30/2024 UCF Invite 5K |
09/27/2024 Nuttycombe Invite 8K |
10/04/2024 Georgia Tech XC Invitational 8K |
10/11/2024 Florida State XC Invite 8K |
10/19/2024 Wisconsin Pre-National 8K |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernardo Barnhart | |||||
| Lucas Bouquot | |||||
| Zach Cloud | |||||
| Coleman Cronk | |||||
| Patrick Cullen | |||||
| Patrick Donnelly | |||||
| Joe Farley | |||||
| Ahmed Ibrahim | |||||
| Zach Leachman | |||||
| Kaden Levings | |||||
| Kidus Misgina | |||||
| Matthew Neill | |||||
| Tanner Simonds | |||||
| Garrett Stickley | |||||
| Finn Thomas | |||||
| Wynne Thomas | |||||
| Michael Toppi |
| 11/01/2024 ACC Championship 8K |
11/15/2024 NCAA Regional Championship |
11/23/2024 NCAA Championship |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernardo Barnhart | |||
| Lucas Bouquot | |||
| Zach Cloud | |||
| Coleman Cronk | |||
| Patrick Cullen | |||
| Patrick Donnelly | |||
| Joe Farley | |||
| Ahmed Ibrahim | |||
| Zach Leachman | |||
| Kaden Levings | |||
| Kidus Misgina | |||
| Matthew Neill | |||
| Tanner Simonds | |||
| Garrett Stickley | |||
| Finn Thomas | |||
| Wynne Thomas | |||
| Michael Toppi |
Noles Sweep Season Opener.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Florida State cross country teams collected their first team wins of the season Friday evening at the UCF Invite in Orlando, Florida. The women's team scored 18 points in the 5K, while the men won with 15 points in the 5K.
"I'm so excited for the future of our program," said FSU women's head coach. "This was a massive step in the right direction. It was fantastic to see so many new faces in our uniform go out there and leave it on the course. Lilly (Quinn) and Bieke (Schipperen) set the tone immediately, which led the way for 10 girls finishing in the top 15. I couldn't be more proud of the way they competed."
Freshman Lily Quinn stole the show, crossing the finish line with a time of 17:16.4 in first place. Bieke Schipperen was the second Seminole across the line with a time of 17:30.6. Addison Boyer placed fifth in her first collegiate race with a time of 18:22.2. Anna Senter followed in sixth at 18:30.4.
Brooke Hooper made her Seminole debut, placing seventh with a time of 18:32.9. Dani Thompson finished behind Hooper in 10th with a time of 18:38.0.
Jane Eiselstein crossed the line in 11th at 18:41.4. Olivia Niewald finished in 12th at 18:45.4, followed by Avery Cahoon in 13th (18:51.0), Ansley Kelly in 14th (18:54.8).
Evie McIver took the final top 20 spot in 18th at 19:00.1. Lindy White opened her season placing 25th at 19:11.3, followed by Elle Menke in 26th at 19:13.5. Ava povich took the 26th with a time of 19:13.5. illy Moore rounded out the evening for the Noles in 29th with a time of 19:22.8.
The men took the top three spots, with Kidus Misgina leading the pack with a winning time of 14:32.4. Ahmed Ibrahim was the runner-up at 14.33.3. Zach Leachman was the third Nole to score, crossing the line at 14:51.1.
Matthew Neill crossed the finish line in the fifth spot at 15:01.3. Joe Farley finished in sixth at 15:08.5 and Zach Cloud in seventh (15:11.6). Coleman Cronk opened his junior season placing 10th at 15:27.3. Michael Toppi finished in the top 20, placing 13th with a time of 15:35.0. Patrick Donnelly followed in 14th at 15:37.2. Lucas Bouquot finished in 15th posting a time of 15:38.5.
Wynne Thomas took 24th at 15:51.7, while Tanner Simonds followed in 36th (16:31.4.) to conclude the meet.
"The men executed a great team performance tonight and showed a glimpse of the fitness they've accrued over our last training block," said assistant coach Ian Frazier. "I'm impressed with how they controlled the race from start to finish and did so side by side with their teammates. This effort should give us the confidence heading into the weeks to come."
MEN 5K RACE Place Name Points Time ===== ========================= ====== ======== 1 Kidus Misgina 1 14:32.4 2 Ahmed Ibrahim 2 14:33.3 3 Zach Leachman 3 14:51.1 5 Matthew Neill 4 15:01.3 6 Joe Farley 5 15:08.5 7 Zach Cloud 6 15:11.6 10 Coleman Cronk 7 15:27.3 13 Michael Toppi 15:35.0 14 Patrick Donnelly 15:37.2 15 Lucas Bouquot 15:38.5 23 Wynne Thomas 15:51.7 33 Tanner Simonds 16:31.4
Noles Finish in Top 20 of Nuttycombe Invitational.
MADISON, Wisc - The Florida State cross country teams secured top 20 team finishes at the Nuttycombe Invitational on Friday at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course in Madison, Wisconsin.
As one the most prestigious regular season meets, the Seminoles battled against 32 of the 60 teams ranked in the USTFCCCA National poll.
"It was a great performance by the women's team today highlighted by Bieke Schipperen," said FSU Director of Cross Country Matt Kane. "She showed a tremendous amount of improvement over last year, improving her time on the same course by over a minute and a half. Overall, I feel like it puts us in a really good position as we head into the second half of the season."
"I was really proud of how the women raced today," said FSU women's head coach Cody Halsey. " Last year at this race we were 30th as a team, today we finished 16th. All a testament to the work our returners and new people have been putting in day in and day out. I'm really excited for the rest of their season together."
"Bieke led the way finishing 17th overall with a time just under a minute and a half faster than last year," added Halsey "It was so rewarding to see what we both knew she was capable of come to fruition. I couldn't be more excited about the rest of her season. It was really incredible to see her take charge and run with poise and aggression from the start."
The Noles placed 16th as a team (409), securing a win over ranked opponent Iowa State (No.30). and Michigan (RV).
Racing in a field that contained 190 student-athletes, Bieke Schipperen led the women's 6k, crossing the line in 17th with a time of 20:30.2, marking the first top 20 individual finish in her career.
Elizabeth Barlow followed at 20:52.2 (39th), while Anna Sentner followed in 102nd with a time of 21:27.4. Brooke Mullins made her Seminole debut placing 105th at 21:29.5. Emily Brown was the fifth FSU scorer at 21:59.7 (152nd).
On the men's side, for the second straight meet, Kidus Misgina turned in the top time for the Noles crossing the line in 16th at 23:45.9.
Matthew Neill followed in 37th with a career best time of 24:03.2. Zach Leachman was the third Seminole to cross the line at 86th with a time of 24:35.4. Joe Farley clocked a career best of 24:40.2, placing 99th. Coleman Cronk rounded out the scoring for FSU in 118th at 24:59.1.
In a field that featured 15 teams that were ranked or receiving votes, the Seminoles placed 15th (356).
"Overall, really satisfied with how the men executed the race in Wisconsin today, "said assistant coach Ian Frazier. "Today was all about learning the course and seeing where we stack up against the nation's best, and I think we did just that. Highlights include a very smart run by Kidus and a big finish from Matt Neill."
"Not only that, but nearly every guy out there had a big PB on the course over last year," Frazier added. "We still have a few things to clean up late in the race, but once we do that, I'm confident that we will be in exciting spot heading into pre-nationals."
MEN 8K RACE Place Name Points Time ===== ========================= ====== ======== 16 Kidus Misgina 16 23:45.9 37 Matthew Neill 37 24:03.2 86 Zach Leachman 86 24:35.4 99 Joe Farley 99 24:40.2 118 Coleman Cronk 118 24:59.1 153 Lucas Bouquot 148 25:30.7 165 Zach Cloud 158 25:53.0 172 Patrick Donnelly 26:16.7
Levings, Eiselstein Win at Georgia Tech Invitational.
FAIRBURN, Ga. - The No.26/ RV Florida State cross country teams competed at the Georgia Tech Invitational on Friday at the Bouckart Farm. Kaden Levings earned his first collegiate win in the 8k, while Jane Eiselstein earned the individual 6k women's title.
Levings led the Noles, crossing the finish line in the 8k with a time of 25:07.55. Wynne Thomas followed in the fourth spot at 25:35.83. Michael Toppi rounded out the race for the Noles in seventh with a time of 25:49.74.
"Really satisfied with today's results out in Georgia, "said assistant coach Ian Frazier. "Our guys worked together early to establish an honest pace through the 5k to set themselves up for a strong finish."
"Kaden Levings was especially impressive, as he leaned into the pace late and was able to earn a rare collegiate win in what was his season opener," added Frazier. "I'm happy with the confidence he ran with. Same goes for our other two competitors. There's still work to do over the final kilometer, but that will come with time and training."
The women's team collected their second win of the season with a total of 34 points.
Senior Jane Eiselstein had a strong performance in the women's 6k, crossing the finish line with a winning time of 21:48.16. Ava Povich followed in sixth at 22:22.09. Dani Thompson was the third Nole to cross the line in eighth place at 22:25.14. Olivia Niewald placed ninth behind Thompson at 22:28.71 and Evie McIver was the fifth FSU scorer at 22:30.13.
"Coming home with the individual and team win feels great," said FSU women's head coach Cody Halsey. "This validates the consistent hard work and effort they put in each and every day. I'm proud of them and they took charge as a team early on and never looked back."
"Jane had a breakout race," added Halsey. "I've been watching that build up for a while and I'm incredibly proud of the chance she took today. She made a decision to take the lead and push from with a lot of races left and it paid off. It was so rewarding to see her race with so much confidence."
MEN 8K RACE Place Name Points Time ===== ========================= ====== ======== 1 Kaden Levings 25:07.55 4 Wynne Thomas 25:35.83 7 Michael Toppi 25:49.74
Noles Collects Team Title at Home.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The No.27/RV Florida State Cross Country teams hosted the FSU XC Invitational on Friday at Apalachee Regional Park as the men's team collected its second win of the season.
"I'm really pleased with how well the guys executed the race as a team today," said FSU assistant coach Ian Frazier. "Going into this race our main goal was to control our home course and have a good experience at ARP. Each one of these guys put themselves in a good position at the 2K and stayed patient over the early middle portions of the race."
Lucas Bouquot led the Noles to their second team win in the 8k, crossing the finish line in sixth with a career best of 24:43.0. Patrick Donnelly followed in seventh with a lifetime best of 24.44.9. Wynne Thomas was the third Nole to cross the line with a personal best time of 24:48.3. Tanner Simonds placed 13th at 24:55.5. Michael Toppi was the fifth FSU scorer in 15th with a career time of 25:04.1.
"As a team we set the goal of moving hard at the 7K which we knew would put us in the position to win the team title," added Frazier. "Thankfully, the plan worked, and the guys were rewarded with the course PB and lifetime PB also. This group is in a great spot and I'm proud of them. Special Kudos to Tanner Simonds who in his first outing at the distance was able to break 25 minutes and finish right with our pack."
Nicole Dinan turned in the top time for the Seminoles in the women's 5k, placing fourth at 17:19.7. Emily Brown followed in ninth at 17:42.7. Jane Eiselstein placed 10th with a lifetime best of 17:44.1. Suus Altorf crossed the line in 12th stamping a time of 17:49.9. Avery Cahoon rounded out the scoring in 22nd at 18:10.6.
"The women competed really well today," said FSU women's head coach Cody Halsey. "Any day we have the opportunity to race hard at home is a massive win. The community out there today was electric. Nicole had a fantastic day. She was running right with some world class and national level athletes and held her own. That was a lot of fun to see. I'm so excited for the start of her career here.
MEN 8K RACE Place Name Points Time ===== ========================= ====== ======== 6 Lucas Bouquot 4 24:43.0 7 Patrick Donnelly 5 24:44.9 10 Wynne Thomas 8 24:48.3 13 Tanner Simonds 11 24:55.5 15 Michael Toppi 13 25:04.1
Seminoles Conclude Regular Season.
MADISON, Wisc. -The Florida State cross country teams closed out the regular season at the Wisconsin Pre-National meet on Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course.
Racing in a field that contained 250 student-athletes in the women's championship 6k race, Bieke Schipperen led the way, finishing 24th with a career best of 19:59.3. Agnes McTighe followed in 29th, clocking a lifetime best of 20:01.0. Elizabeth Barlow was the third Nole to cross the line in 64th with a personal best time of 20:22.5. Brooke Mullins followed in 82nd with a personal best of 20:30.1. Anna Sentner was the fifth FSU scorer at 21:06.9 (164th).
FSU placed ninth (364), marking the second highest course finish in program history in a field that featured 30 ranked teams.
On the men's side in the championship 8k, Joe Farley turned in the top time for FSU with a career best of 23:59.1 (108th). Zach Leachman followed in 143rd with a time of 24:16.1. Coleman Cronk was the third Seminole to cross the line in 169th with a time of 24:26.2. Patrick Donnelly clocked a lifetime best of 24:29.5, placing 179th. Zach Cloud rounded out the scoring for the Noles in 185th with a time of 24:31.8.
The Seminoles placed 31st (763).
"I challenged the guys to find improvement in their race from Nuttycombe and now they delivered," said assistant coach Ian Frazier. "Joe Farley in particular ran incredibly patient and moved up all throughout the entirety of the race, which rewarded him with a huge course best and what I believe to be the best XC race of his collegiate career."
"Behind him almost every guy ran a 30-40 second course best, proving that we're still on the right path," added Frazier. "Once we clean up that final 2k of the race and get Kidus and Matt back in the lineup, I know we will cement ourselves as a top 20 team nationally."
MEN 8K RACE Place Name Points Time ===== ========================= ====== ======== 108 Joe Farley 108 23:58.3 143 Zach Leachman 140 24:15.3 170 Coleman Cronk 164 24:25.4 179 Patrick Donnelly 173 24:28.7 185 Zach Cloud 178 24:31.0 188 Lucas Bouquot 180 24:31.9 230 Kaden Levings 215 25:34.2
McTighe, Schipperen Captures All-ACC Honors.
CARY, N.C.- The No.13/NR Florida State Cross Country teams competed in the ACC Championship on Friday morning at WakeMed Park in Cary, North Carolina.
Agnes McTighe and Bieke Schipperen captured All-ACC honors for the women's team in the 6k by finishing in the top 21 of the race.
"I think we walk away from today with mixed feelings," said FSU head coach Cody Halsey. "Watching Agnes and Bieke finish All-ACC was a massive bright spot. Bieke was 79th this time last year and Agnes was still progressing from a knee surgery. Having a front row seat to their glow up has been incredibly rewarding. Those two gave everything they had for themselves and for our team. They both had their highest individual finish in an unprecedented deep conference meet. That's all you can ask for."
The 13th-ranked women's team has now crowned at least one All-ACC runner in every race since 2008, and at least two in four of the last five.
McTighe secured her second conference honor of her career after finishing in ninth with a career best time of 19:40.6.
Schipperen finished 16th with a time of 20:02.5, collecting All-ACC for the first time in her career. Elizabeth Barlow followed in 32nd with a time 20:22.8. Brooke Mullins competed in her first ACC Championship placing 52nd with a time 20:40.3. Anna Sentner was the fifth FSU scorer in 85th with a time 21:06.1.
The women's team placed seventh with a total of 190 points, improving from finishing 11th in 2023.
"As far as a full team, I think we are better than what we showed today," added Halsey. "Not every race will be your best. Not every day will go the way you want. All you can do is try and make some adjustments, lean on each other and get back to work. I believe we will get it right in two weeks. This is one of the best teams in the NCAA. I wholeheartedly believe that. I'm looking forward to our next opportunity at home."
The men's team was led by Joesph Farly, who finished just outside of All-ACC honors placing 25th with a career best of 23:06.9. In his third ACCs, Zach Leachman placed 62nd with a career best time of 23:40.3. Zachary Cloud was the third FSU runner, clocking a time of 23:41.3. Lucas Bouquot added a personal best time of 24:03.2. Kaden Levings rounded out the scoring for the Seminoles in 90th with a career best time of 24:06.8.
"It was a solid day for the Seminoles today out at ACCs," said assistant coach Ian Frazier. The guys did a great job of executing a conservative first half of the race before putting a big press home to the finish. Joe Farly was the highlight of our crew, as a he nearly tabbed an ALL-ACC finish after DNFing the year prior. He's been a pillar of consistency for our team this year and I'm so excited for him to continue to lead our cew into the South Regional meet in two weeks."
The Noles placed 10th as a team with 296 points.
"I'm hopeful we can use this postive momentum to our advantage before we return to ARP. Go Noles," Frazier added.
MEN 8K RACE Place Name Points Time ===== ========================= ====== ======== 25 Joe Farley 25 23:06.9 62 Zach Leachman 56 23:40.3 64 Zach Cloud 58 23:41.3 87 Lucas Bouquot 77 24:03.2 90 Kaden Levings 80 24:06.8 108 Coleman Cronk 97 24:23.5 117 Patrick Donnelly 102 24:29.7 126 Michael Toppi 24:47.5 137 Wynne Thomas 25:10.1 142 Tanner Simonds 25:18.2