FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Following a weekend off, the Pace University men's and women's cross country teams competed in the Golden Eagle Invitational on Friday at Bethpage State Park.
 
Women's Recap (5^th Place, 147 Points)
In one of their best performances of the season, the women placed five inside the top-50. Graduate student Molly Darfler-Sweeney (Tannersville, N.Y./Hunter-Tannersville) once again piloted the Harriers with a 17^th-place effort. The transfer student posted a 5K time of 21:48.69. 
 
Sophomore captain Meryl Mizell (Round Rock, Texas/Stony Point) followed with a 23^rd-place time of 23:23.83 while graduate student Jordan Etheridge (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) posted a mark of 25:37.82 to finish in 29^th. 
 
Pace's final two scorers were sophomore Samira Bawa (Bronx, N.Y./Metropolitan Lighthouse College Preparatory Academy) and freshman Emma Voykhanskaya (Brooklyn, N.Y./Edward R. Murrow). Bawa placed 47^th with a time of 29:03.18 while Yoykhanskaya registered a 50^th-place effort in 29:36.53. 
 
Men's Recap (10^th Place, 278 points)
The men's side also strung together one of their best meets of the early season. Junior captain CJ Defeo (East Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue Medford) led the Setters for a fourth straight week with a 39^th-place time of 30:29.38. 
 
Sophomore Daniel Pacheco (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) served as Pace's second scorer, recording a time of 33:24.11 to finish in 64^th-place, while freshman Francesco DiBona (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester) finished in 75^th in a time of 35:35.03. 
 
Seniors Ceasar Lugo (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) and Nicholas Becker (Lynbrook, N.Y./East Rockaway) rounded out the Blue and Gold attack on Friday. Lugo rounded the course in 81^st-place (37:36.63) while Becker crossed in 89th (42:54.51).
 
Up Next
The Setters will head to New Jersey next Saturday (Oct. 8) to participate in the Highlander XC Challenge.