ADA – The East Central University men's cross country team earned its third Great American Conference Championship title in four seasons, after ECU finished 1-2-3-4 and 7 for runners that earned points.

The Tigers finished the 8K race with 17 points and the second-place team had 50, making it the largest margin of victory in GAC Championship history at 33 points.

Junior Juan-Joel Pacheco Orcozo was the first runner to cross the finish line in the race, earning GAC Runner of the Year and All-GAC First Team honors.  Pacheco Orcozo finished the race in 25:30.7, with senior Cale Eidson in second 22.8 seconds behind.  The difference also marked the largest margin of time between first and second in a GAC Championship.

Eidson was second in 25:53.5 and claimed his third-straight All-GAC First Team honor.

Sophomore Richard Mora was third overall in a time of 26:05.6, senior Kaspars Briska was fourth in 26:19.6 and Bruce Bragg, Jr. was seventh in 26:40.6.  All three earned All-GAC First Team honors and helped ECU to the title.

The Tigers were also represented by sophomore Tyler Baxter (17^th-27:30.4), senior Miles Mitchell (19^th-27:36.4), senior Taylor Nasu (21st-27:43.3), sophomore Noel Figueroa (25^th-27:54.4), junior Arturo Nava (27^th-28:07.2), senior Ruganza Mugisha (20^th-28:12.0), freshman Conrad Carbaugh (31^st-28:24.8), redshirt freshman Caleb Biles (47^th-30:07.4).

Head coach Steve Sawyer also took home some hardware of his own, being named the GAC Coach of the Year for the men.

ECU will now prepare for the 2014 NCAA Central Regional, Nov. 22 in Wayne, Neb.  The race will be hosted by Wayne State College.