Lehigh Locations thirteenth on the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional to Conclude the Season

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh hosted the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional on the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course on Friday afternoon.The Mountain Hawks positioned thirteenth general out of 30 complete groups, their greatest end since 2021, scoring 407 factors. All seven of Lehigh’s runners set cross nation 10k private bests within the competitors. Princeton took dwelling the general win with three runners within the prime 5, but it surely was Georgetown’s Birhanu Harriman who narrowly took dwelling the person win by lower than a second.

The duo of senior Adam Barbato and junior Ryan Baker led the way in which for the Mountain Hawks. Barbato capped off his collegiate cross nation profession with the highest end for Lehigh. He completed in a private greatest 31:24.9 in 68th place. Baker was simply over a second behind, putting seventieth in 31:26.0. Both runners additionally earned spots on Lehigh’s all-time 10k efficiency checklist, claiming the ninth and tenth spots, respectively.

Will Mrozinski with the third Lehigh runner to complete. The sophomore ran 31:43.8 in his first faculty cross nation 10k and positioned 88th.

“This was 100% the redemption run from Patriots,” head coach Debbie Utesch defined. “I think they just took the pressure off themselves, came into this race and said ‘Okay, it’s time for us to just be good, it doesn’t have to be perfect.’ They went out and they executed, they really clung on to each other and ran with confidence.” 

Connor Malinger and Dan Malatesta had been by no means separated by greater than eleven seconds in any race they ran collectively of their senior seasons, so their remaining cross nation race must be no completely different. The pair completed lower than three seconds aside, with Malinger crossing the road at 31:47.6, and Malatesta proper behind at 31:50.4. Their ninety fifth and 99th place finishes allowed Lehigh to attain every of their prime 5 runners within the prime 100, the primary occasion since 2021. 

Sophomores Ben Connell and Charlie Butler rounded out the sphere of Mountain Hawks. Connell positioned one hundred and thirtieth with a time of 32:25.3, and Butler completed 146th in 32.54.2. 

Utesch added, “When you walk out of this as a regionally ranked team in the top 15, then that’s a legacy with all of those seniors that ran today. That’s the legacy they’re leaving for the guys that are coming into this meet next year as a great starting point to move forward.”

The runners now shift their focus to the beginning of monitor and discipline season.