KUTZTOWN, Pa. - Keyed by another balanced effort that featured five finishes in the top 13, including a second place effort from Brian Nill (Ridge, N.Y.), the Southern Connecticut State University men's cross country team won the 2011 Division II Cross Country Invitational at Kutztown University on Saturday. In the process, the Owls defeated two squads that were nationally ranked in the top-10 in the preseason United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association rankings - Lock Haven (No. 8) and Shippensburg (No. 10).

SCSU finished first, followed by Lock Haven, Shippensburg, SH Alumni, Kutztown and West Chester.

Nill led the way with a second place time and was followed by Corey DeLaCruz (Alamagordo, N.M.) in fifth place. Josh Perry (Naugatuck, Conn.) was ninth, with Asher Brandt (Orange, Conn.) placing right behind him in 10th.

Paul Ryskowski (Bristol, Conn.) was 13th. Samuel Montclair (Cheshire, Conn.) and Tom Saksa (Seymour, Conn.) also competed for the Owls.

SCSU is back in action on Sept. 30 for the Metropolitan Championships.