Junior Sam Branson helped the 19th-ranked Emory men's cross country team to a first-place finish at the season-opening Watermelon Run.

Branson topped the 51-runner field with an 8K time of 26:24.  His effort helped the Eagles claim six of the top seven overall finishers, with Emory totaling 19 points.  Oglethorpe was runner-up with 49 points while host Berry College wound up with 69 points.