The Middlebury men's cross country team finished 10th in the White Race at the Paul Short Run hosted by Lehigh University on Friday afternoon. Thirteenth-ranked New York University claimed the team title with 54 points, while #25 Amherst (101 points) and #15 Carnegie Mellon (183 points) rounded out the top three.

COURSE INFORMATION

• Location: Goodman Campus Cross Country Course (Bethlehem, Pa.)
• Host School: Lehigh University
• Distance: 8 kilometers (8K)
• Weather: 66 & partly sunny
• Place: 10th/45

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sitting 27th at the one-mile mark, Benjamin Hughes rose 18 spots to claim ninth out of 407 runners with a time of 24:34.1.
• Ethan Sholk crossed 25 seconds later to earn 25th at 24:59.0. The Panther gained five positions over the final split.
• Middlebury's next competitor was Cameron Miles with a clocking of 25:30.4 to garner 70th place.
• Zach Utz surged up the leaderboard in the last sprint, climbing 24 spots to cross the line at 25:43.6 for 97th.
• Rounding out the Panther scorers was Benjamin Prestes in 139th (26:04.8).

NOTES

• Hughes topped his previous best in a Middlebury uniform by over eight seconds.
• Miles shaved 24 seconds off his career record.
• Middlebury had a host of competitors race in the Open Men's 8K that featured participants from three NCAA Divisions and unattached runners. Nate Johnson led the Panther contingent, claiming 73rd out of 575 runners with a time of 25:18.1. The time is a career-best for the rookie.
• The Panthers have finished 10th or better in the national invite for the third consecutive year.

Middlebury returns to action in 15 days when it heads to the Nutmeg State for the Connecticut College Invitational. The meet will also be the program's Senior Day.