PHILADELPHIA, PA – Sophomore Tauqeer Qazi placed seventh in a field of 93 runners to help Rutgers-Newark to a third place team finish in the Belmont Classic in Fairmont Park. 

2009 Belmont Classic Results

Qazi ran a 28:49.58 on the 8-kilometer course to highlight a strong effort by the Scarlet Raiders who placed five runners in the top 27.

DaQuan Bashir and Mohamed Gadalla were bunched together to take 19th and 20th, respectively, while Rolland Ying and Robert Ezewuiro were coupled at 26th and 27th. Bashir clocked a 30:13.34 to edge Gadalla who ran a 30:17.63. Ying came in at 31:04.70 before Ezewuiro at 31:05.14.

The five allowed the Raiders to finish in third with 95 points, behind NCAA Division II Wilmington College (24 points) and the University of the Sciences (63).

Also competing for Rutgers-Newark were Peter Lake (37th, 32:07.64), Gerard Farao (55th, 34:07.32) and Brian Barbera (70th, 37:38.57).

Rutgers-Newark's men and women return to Philadelphia next Saturday to compete in the Cabrini Invitational on the Belmont Plateau.