Lukas Mees turned in an outstanding effort in helping the Emory men's cross country team to a first-place finish at the NCAA South/Southeast Region Championships. The Eagles' first-place performance allowed them to earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships, Nov. 21, in Winneconne, Wisconsin.

Lukas claimed the top spot in the 203-runner field with an 8K time of 25:46, becoming the first Emory men's runner to finish first at the Regional Championships since 2003 when Phil Hagedorn captured his second consecutive title.  It was the seventh time in as many competitions this year that the Marion, Iowa, native ranked as the team's No. 1 runner. 

Emory topped the 30-team field with 86 points, bettering runner-up Christopher Newport's total of 96 points.