Bethlehem, Pa. – The University of Lynchburg cross country teams battled Division III foes from across the country at the 2025 Paul Short Run on Friday, with the Lynchburg men's team placing fifth in the 45-team field.

In the Men's White Race, the Hornets finished one point behind Old Dominion Athletic Conference rival Washington & Lee with 239 total points. Sophomore Alex Jordan led the charge and cruised into the top ten, clocking 24:32.1 for eighth in the field. Jordan's result marks a 33-second 8k personal best and first time under the 25-minute barrier.

Johnathan Cobb (25:11.5) and Aidan Riggle (25:11.7) crossed the finish line in tandem to finish 39th and 40th in the race, respectively. Cobb moved forward 43 positions after crossing the one-mile mark, while Riggle advanced 39 positions within a two-mile span.

Alex Paciello posted a 25:30.1 finish for 69th in the field, and to round out the scoring, Cameron Sidebotham registered 25:37.7 for 83rd. The Hornets' top four finishers posted personal bests, despite competing in their first 8k of the season.

Adelynn Carpenter headlined Lynchburg's performance in the Women's White Race with a 22:14.0 result to finish 49th in the field. Delaney Saulsbury clocked 22:54.7 for 119th, while Jordan DiRisio clocked 23:34.1 to finish 201st.

Georgie Lanham (23:44.5) and Mya Baker (23:59.9) combined to round out the scoring as the women's team posted 759 points for 26th overall.

Five of Lynchburg's ten athletes who scored in their respective races were first-year athletes or sophomores. 

The Hornets also entered several competitors in the open races, which were held earlier in the morning. 

Notably, Daniel Rockey posted 25:46.2 in his 8k debut to finish 141st in the field. Luke Diemoz clocked 26:12.3 for 205th, just two seconds short of a new PR. Freshman Matthew Kane posted 26:18.5 to cross the line in 225th.

Several Hornets utilized the open races as preparatory workouts for the remainder of the season. Dylan McGraw posted 15:38.1 at the 5k split, while Bazil Mathes clocked 15:57.8 in the men's open race.

Lynchburg returns to action in two weeks for the team's only split-squad weekend of the season. National-level competitors will travel to the Connecticut College Invite, while the remainder of the team competes at the Roanoke Inter-Regional on Saturday, Oct. 18. 

For full results from the Paul Short Run, click here.

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--LYN--