ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca men's cross country team improved its regional standing to eighth after ranking ninth a week ago in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Atlantic-Region poll. Tuesday's poll placed Ithaca as the first of two Empire 8 schools ranked.

The squad most recently raced to a second-place finish at the second annual Jack Daniels Invitational hosted by Cortland on Saturday.

Senior Stefan Karkuff (Cumberland Valley/Mechanicsburg, Pa.) led the Bombers on the six-kilometer run with a time of 20 minutes, 26 seconds to finish ninth overall and sophomore David Geary (Brighton/Rochester) finished immediately behind him with a 10th-place, 20:32 finish.

The Bomber varsity squad will next compete at Lehigh's Paul Short Invitational on Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. while the sub-varsity team is slated to run on Oct. 2 at the Cazenovia Homecoming Invitational at noon.