Paul Short Run Website

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Christopher Newport cross country teams will take part in one of the largest meets in the nation on Friday when the Captains compete in the 47th Annual Paul Short Run, which will be hosted by Lehigh University at the Goodman Cross Country Course.

One of the nation's premier cross country competitions, the Paul Short Run annually draws more than 4,000 runners. In 2021, over 120 colleges from all levels of the NCAA will be represented at the meet. The daylong competition is broken up into multiple races with the Captains taking part in the Men's and Women's Brown Division.

The men will hit the course for the Brown 8k at 12:15 p.m. The women will compete in the Brown 6k at 1 p.m. Additionally, select individuals will also participate in the open races, which kick off the action at 9:30 a.m.

In the Brown 6k, the women will square off against eight nationally-ranked Division III programs, including No. 1 Johns Hopkins and No. 8 Dickinson. Additionally, several high-profile Division I and II squads will take part in the race. Among the top-tier programs battling the Captains, Penn and Miami enter the weekend ranked regionally at the Division I level, while the University of Delaware is a perennial power as well. 

On the men's side, Christopher Newport faces four nationally-ranked teams, including No. 11 Johns Hopkins and No. 25 Connecticut College. Meanwhile, a pair of regionally-ranked Division I teams will also enter the fray. Georgetown, who is receiving votes in the national poll, currently sits second in the Mid-Atlantic Region, while Penn is No. 5.

The Captains have made the Paul Short Run an annual stop in recent years. The men posted their top finish with a 16th-place effort in the Brown 8k in 2015. Meanwhile, the women came in third in the White 6k during their most recent appearance in 2019.

Among those returning to the meet, Logan Funk placed 62nd overall in 2019 after finishing in 23:41.2. Michelle Valcich and Libby Miles are also expected to return to the course after helping the women register their third-place finish two years ago.

Meanwhile, the men feature an impressive contingent of veteran contributors who helped the squad finish 37th in 2019. Sam Koltisko is the top returner after posting a time of 26:16 during his debut appearance in the 8k two years ago. Ryan Henderson, Eric Speeney, Nick Tolarchyk, and Cooper Albright were among the team's top-seven finishers in 2019 as well.

So far this season, Christopher Newport has continued to rank among the top cross country programs in the South Region. The men are currently slotted third in the region, while the women sit seventh. Both teams are coming off victories at the CNU Invitational on September 18. The meet was headlined by Funk, who secured the individual women's crown and was celebrated as the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Week for her starring role.

Following Friday's action, the Captains will continue the 2021 campaign on October 16 with the Inter-Regional Border Battle in Logan Township, New Jersey.

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