ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's cross country team nabbed fourth place out of five teams in Penn State Behrend's Twilight Meet 8K race on Friday evening.

The Lions posted a team score of 80 points to finish ahead of Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent La Roche University, which scored 135 points.

Host school Behrend won its invitational with 19 points, Division II Mansfield University was the runner-up with 59, and Westminster College placed third with 74.

Zach Halama posted a top-10 finish to lead the way for Penn State Altoona, clocking in at 29:41 in the 8K to come in eighth place out of 34 individuals.

Three other Lion runners placed within the top 20 individuals. Brandon Lyle took 15th place with a time of 31:38, Ethan Schield (Roaring Brook, PA/North Pocono) finished in 16th place after recording a time of 31:43, and Jack Higgins (Portland, OR/Riverdale) was 19th with a time of 32:41.

Jordan Long came in 22nd place with a time of 33:30, and Blaise Ventura took 24th after finishing in 37:59.

The Penn State Altoona men's cross country team will return to action on Saturday, September 27, when the Lions will race in Dickinson College's Long-Short Invitational at Big Spring High School in Newville, Pa. Start time for the meet is set for 10:30 a.m.