John Dugan ’15 finished runner-up (20:24.21) and led the men’s cross country team to a convincing win at the Running Fit Detroit Titan Invitational on Sept. 6. The Bison topped the 12-team field with their 18-point win.

Head coach Kevin Donner is ecstatic to have Dugan return after suffering an injury during last season.

“It is great to have John Dugan back in form after missing last year due to a stress fracture. He is our leader on and off the course, and it seems he has recovered nicely,” Donner said.

The Bison had four top-10 finishes on the four-mile course. Along with Dugan, Andrew Garcia-Garrison ’15 placed fourth with 20:31.52, Will Bordash ’18 finished ninth with 20:51.72, and Glen Williams ’15 finished 10th at 20:54.19.

“After a good showing at the Bison Open, we went into the Titan Invitational with an emphasis on group running. Our front guys were focusing on working together in the race environment. The race went out a little faster as planned, and we became a little more split up than we would have liked after the first mile, but we were all able to come through at the end with strong kicks,” Williams said.

While the Bison are pleased with their performance, they have already shifted their focus to their next meet. They will be back on the course Sept. 20, looking to keep the momentum going at the Dickinson College Long Course-Short Course Invitational.

“The competition wasn’t quite as tough as we will be seeing later in the season, but Wayne State and Eastern Michigan did bring some good runners,” Dugan said. “It was nice to see Bordash, only a freshman, consistently running with the top guys. Now we’re gearing up for the next meet, which will be the first real test for our top squad.”