Widener University Athletics

Ernie Pitone earned All-America laurels for the second straight year by finishing in the runner-up position among a competitive field of 280 runners at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships over the weekend.

Battling through cold and windy conditions, the senior navigated the 8,000-meter circuit in 24:09 and held off Tim Nichols of Tufts by seven one-hundredths of a second. Pitone’s runner-up performance was also the highest finish in program history since Macharia Yuot won the national title in 2006.