Knights' Baranoski Named NJCAA Cross Country DII Men's Runner of the Week
Rosedale, Md. – CCBC Essex Men's Cross Country freshman Kevin Baranoski (Fallston, Md.) continued his great start to the season by earning the NJCAA Cross Country Division II Men's Runner of the Week honors. During the fifth week of the season, Baranoski completed his third overall meet of the season, and second 8K race of the season, finishing 9th place at the Loch Haven University Invitational with a time of 24:46.
At the LHU Invitational, of the 44 schools competing, Baranoski was the only junior college student-athlete. His time placed him behind a handful of Cornell and Wayne State runners, only 31 seconds behind the leader. Baranoski's finishing time of 24:46 set a new school record for an 8K race, beating his own time from just two weeks prior.
Baranoski's season started with two dominating first place finishes. The first meet of the season, the Dickinson Light Up the Night Invitational, was a 5K where Baranoski finished first with an impressive time of 15:15, 42 seconds ahead of the next person to cross the finish line. With his time of 15:15, he set a new school record by almost two and a half minutes!
The following week, Baranoski competed in the Dutchmen Invitational, hosted by Lebanon Valley, and once again finished first place in the 8K race with a time of 25:17. This time also set a new school record by over 90 seconds! This is the time that Baranoski beat by over 30 seconds two weeks later at the LHU Invitational.
With two first place finishes in three meets, and setting new school records in each race he has competed in thus far in the season, Baranoski looks ahead to the Paul Short Run, an 8K race hosted by Lehigh University on Friday, September 30th.