The 25th-ranked Middlebury men's cross country team took first place in the 15th annual Aldrich Invitational, amassing 17 points. Saint Michael's earned second with 58 points, while Clarkson rounded out the podium with 60 points.
 
COURSE INFORMATION

• Location: Middlebury, Vt.
• Host School: Middlebury College
• Distance: 8 kilometers (8K)
• Weather: Cloudy, 64
• Place: 1st of 3

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers placed five runners inside the top six. Benjamin Hughes paced the pack, breaking the tape with a winning time of 26:07.6.
• Ethan Sholk trailed Hughes by less than six seconds to claim second place, finishing in 26:13.0.
• Ian Larkin nabbed a spot on the podium, stopping the clock at 26:34.8. Nathan Szubin (26:35.7) and Jared Rife (27:11.9) crossed the line in fifth and sixth, respectively.
• Benjamin Prestes (27:33.1) and Nate Johnson (27:36.6) rounded out the top-10 with ninth and 10th-place finishes.

NOTES

• Hughes won his second consecutive race and the fourth of his Panther career.
• Starting in 2011, the invitational was named after Middlebury Hall of Famer Terry Aldrich. He served as the head men's and women's cross country coach from 1975-2010 and has been the starter for the annual meet.
• Middlebury has won the last five Aldrich Invitational team titles and 12 of the last 13 since the event was renamed.

The Panthers return to action next weekend at the Hoffman Invitational hosted by St. Lawrence. The race is set to begin at 12:15 p.m. in Canton, New York.