ERIE, PA - The Gannon University men's cross country team heads to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championship this Saturday, with the Golden Knights looking to close the season on a strong note. The meet will be hosted by Lock Haven University, with full championship information available here.

The regional will feature a highly competitive field with teams from across the PSAC, MEC, and CIAA, and will challenge runners with a 10K championship distance - the longest distance of the season. 

THE LINEUP

Ethan Boots (Poland, Ohio/Boardman)

Caiden Fultz (Castalia, Ohio/Margaretta)

Adam Kanterman (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley)

Luke Malena (Medina, Ohio/Cloverleaf)

Noah Mammone (Hudson, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy)

Lauge Rasmussen (Virum, Denmark/Oregard Gynbasium)

Robert Tang (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon)

Alex Mitterer (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) (alternate)

The Golden Knights enter the meet looking to build on their performance following PSAC Championships, where Gannon finished ninth. Head coach Rob Ahrens noted the group's preparation and mindset heading into this weekend:

Ahrens: "The biggest challenge for the men at regionals will be stepping up to the 10K distance, but with most of the group having experience at that distance and the freshmen well-prepared, I feel confident in how we'll handle it. We're eager to bounce back strong after feeling we didn't quite perform to our potential at the conference championship."

NCAA Championship Qualifying Information

Team:
The top three teams from each regional meet will automatically advance to the championship finals (24 teams).

Individual:
1. The top two individuals who are not part of a qualifying team will automatically advance to the championship (16 individuals).
2. All individuals who finish in the top five at the regional meet and are not part of a qualifying team automatically will advance to the championship.

This story was written using the support of AI.