HAMILTON, N.Y. - Bucknell men's cross country did what no one expected it to do prior to the 2009 season, placing third as a team at the Patriot League Championships on Colgate's Harry Lang Cross Country Course Saturday afternoon. After being picked fifth in the league's preseason poll, the Bison showed everyone wrong with the help of a fifth-place finish by Andrew Huebner (Hampton Falls, N.H./The Governor's Academy).

With 78 points, the Bison trailed defending champion Navy (34 points) and second-place American (57) in the team standings. Army, which tied the Midshipmen for the league title a year ago, dropped to fifth (107).

Huebner entered the championship race having been the first Orange and Blue finisher in each of his previous four races. That trend continued on the eight-kilometer course as he crossed the finish line in 26 minutes, 33 seconds. By placing fifth overall, the senior co-captain earned his first career selection to the All-Patriot League First Team.

Huebner was not the only senior co-captain to accomplish the feat as Kevin McGoldrick (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) was also named to the first team after finishing seventh overall. McGoldrick may have been two places behind his classmate, but he trailed in time by a mere second at 26:34.

With Huebner and McGoldrick both being named to the All-Patriot League squad, Bucknell became the only team other than Navy to earn two first team selections.

Conor McNamara (Baldwin, N.Y./Chaminade) continued the scoring for Bucknell, claiming 17th place in a time of 27:02. The finish was the second time in as many years the senior placed in the top 20 at the Patriot League Championships.

Completing the crew of scorers for the Orange and Blue were Charles Murphy (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) and Baron Willeford (New Orleans, La./Columbia Prep (N.Y.)). After missing last year's championships, Murphy made up for lost time by finishing 24th overall in a time of 27:17. Coming in with a 31st-place finish was Willeford who,with a time of 27:26, has now scored in each of his last two Patriot League Championships.