ALBANY, NY - Junior David Raucci (Clermont, NY) was the individual champion and ran a course record, to go along with one of the fastest 8,000-meter times in Marist College cross country history, leading the Red Foxes to a sixth-place finish at the 41st annual University at Albany Invitational, held Saturday on the UAlbany campus.

Raucci bested the field of 228 runners in the record time of 24:41.8, and became the first men's individual champion at the Albany meet since Mike Melfi's victory at the 1998 invitational. In that same year, Melfi ran the 8K school record of 24:17 at Notre Dame.

The rest of the scoring pack finished tightly-bunched for the Red Foxes. Sophomore Conor Shelley (Rockville Centre, NY) was 28th in 26:10.8. Freshman Timothy Keegan (Huntington Station, NY) was 37th in a personal-best time of 26:20.2. Senior Thomas Dixon (Staten Island, NY) was 56th in a personal-best time of 26:46.7. Junior captain John Keenan (Centereach, NY) was 59th in 26:50.2.

Several Marist runners achieved personal-best times on the sunny and cool day in both the varsity championship and Purple Non-Varsity event: Senior Joe Tarantello (27:06.8), freshmen Nick Webster (27:09.7), Sam McMullen (27:48.1), John Reilly (27:49.2); sophomore Greg Masto (27:52.2); senior Matthew Maynes (28:25.3); freshman Patrick Duggan (28:25.4); freshman Zachary Smetana (28:43.3).

A small, partial squad of Red Foxes returns to action Tuesday at the Manhattan/Iona Meet at Van Cortlandt Park. The complete team will return to Van Cortlandt on Friday, October 26, for the MAAC Championships.

Varsity Championship Race Team standings: 1. Harvard 38, 2. RIT 140, 3. UMass 152, 4. Hofstra 153, 5. Brandeis 180, 6. Marist 181, 7. Middlebury 195, 8. Albany 212, 9. Colgate 223, 10. Canisius 257, 11. Northeastern 264, 12. Wagner 302, 13. Adelphi 311, 14. Springfield 358, 15. SUNY Delhi 422, 16. Ramapo 442, 17. Siena 505, 18. UMass Dartmouth 528, 19. Binghamton 559, 20. St. Thomas Aquinas 580, 21. LIU 660, 22. Paul Smith's 688, 23. Clarkson 708, 24. St. Bonaventure 709, 25. Mercy 785, 26. Molloy 789.

Individual results: 1. David Raucci 24:41.8 *course record 28. Conor Shelley 26:10.8 37. Timothy Keegan 26:20.2 56. Thomas Dixon 26:46.7 59. John Keenan 26:50.2 78. Joe Tarantello 27:06.8 80. Nick Webster 27:09.7 118. Sam McMullen 27:48.1 119. John Reilly 27:49.2