By Danielle Silvia
Staff Writer
The Paul Short Run, one of the largest cross country events of the season, put the College’s men’s and women’s teams’ athletic abilities to the test.
Around 450 colleges from around the country attended the meet at Lehigh University on Saturday, Oct. 1, in Bethlehem, Pa. Some high schools from the region participated, as well. In total, about 6,000 runners competed on Lehigh’s Goodman Cross Country track.
The men’s team placed 13th out of 45 teams during the 8000-meter run, or the Brown Race. The Lady Lions finished 20th out of 42 teams in the 6000-meter race — they were in the top half of opponents in the women’s Brown Race.
The Lions men faced a much more competitive and elite set of teams, as many of the competitors were from Division I and Division II programs.
Despite this tough competition, the College’s Division III athletes were able to step up and shine. Seniors Andrew Tedeschi and Brandon Mazzarella led the men’s team.
Tedeschi’s last Paul Short Invitational ended on a high note, as he produced the best time for the College of the day. He finished 13th out of 400 runners with a time of 24:57. Mazzarella also competed very well, as he finished the 8K race with a time of 25:27 and placed 43rd.
Sophomores Matt Saponara, Brian Mitchell and Quinn Wasko also contributed to the Lions overall success.
Saponara completed the race with a time of 25:49 and finished 96th, rounding out the top 100 runners.
Mitchell finished 152nd with a time of 26:14 and Wasko completed the course with a time of 26:20, coming in 168th
place. All three were able to finish in the top portion of the racers in the event.
On the freshman team, Cole Parsons and Lucas Pick finished with respective times of 26:42 and 26:53, staying close together to finish the meet.
Princeton University snagged first place in the men’s Brown Race, while Saint Francis University student Bryce England finished the race in first place with a time of 24:38.
Many sophomore women stood out in this event — Natalie Cooper finished 16th with a time of 21:13, Erin Holzbaur finished 44th with a time of 22:09 and Madeline Tattory finished in 116th place with a time of 22:47. Additionally, sophomore Emma Bean was able to finish in 23:44 and finish sixth out of the College’s women runners and 192nd overall.
Other standouts in this race included junior Alison Fournier and sophomore Abigail Faith. Fournier placed 200th with a time of 23:37 and Faith finished at 23:39 in 206th place. The girls finished the race neck-and-neck.
Senior Caroline Moore competed and fiercely finished with a time of 23:53.
Returning from fall break, the Lions will have another chance to compete against many rivals and athletes across the Northeast at the Rowan University Border Battle on Saturday, Oct. 15.
It will be crucial for the Lions to compete well in the coming weeks as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships approach on Saturday, Oct. 29.
