SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Fresh off a third-place women’s finish and a fifth-place men’s result at the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships, the Susquehanna University cross country team will participate in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championships at Lehigh University on Saturday.

The women’s race begins at 1 p.m. while the men’s race gets underway at 2 p.m. The top two teams in both events will automatically qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships, while the top eight men’s finishers and top six women’s finishers will also advance to the national meet at Augustana College on November 17.

As at the MAC championships, senior Mike Lehtonen and sophomore Ryan Gleason will lead the men’s seven-runner contingent while Kim Owen and Delina Cefaratti will pace the seven-runner women’s squad at the regional meet.

Lehtonen (Laurens, NY/Morris Central H.S.) earned his second straight fourth-place finish at the MAC Championships with a time of 27:02. Lehtonen has five top-ten finishes in as many races this season, including a season-best 27:01 at Dickinson.

Gleason (Johnstown, PA/Westmont Hilltop H.S.) earned his sixth top-ten finish of the season and improved on last year’s eighth-place standing by placing fifth at the MAC championships in a time of 27:07.

Also competing for the Crusaders will be senior Jake Trevino (Danville, PA/Danville H.S.), sophomore Ryan McGuire (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon H.S.) and freshmen Tyson Snader (Lancaster, PA/Manheim Township H.S.), Leif Kauffman (Warminster, PA/Central Bucks East H.S.) and Jeremy Apgar (Wantage, NJ/High Point Regional H.S.).

On the women’s side, Owen (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin H.S.) finished fifth at the MAC championships in a time of 19:22 to earn her fifth top-five finish of the season. Meanwhile, Cefaratti (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights H.S.) placed 10th in a time of 20:22 for her fourth top-10 finish in six meets this season.

Also running for the Crusaders on Saturday will juniors Angie Luino (Oakland, NJ/Indian Hills H.S.) and Erin Colwell (Belleville, PA/Indian Valley H.S.), sophomores Kassi Tylenda (Windsor, NY/Windsor H.S.) and Amanda Phillips (Waymart, PA/Western Wayne H.S.), and freshman Lauren Wlazlowski (Chambersburg, PA/Chambersburg H.S.).