BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Saint Michael's College junior Fran Peterson (Barron, Wis./Barron) picked up a victory on Friday during the final of four women's cross country races run as part of the 51st Paul Short Run at Lehigh University's Goodman Campus. A pair of men also cracked the top 25, helping their team place third.
 
TEAM RESULTS

• The 51st annual event was held over two days for more than 7,000 competitors, who took part in six high school and eight college races.
• The Purple and Gold women were fifth in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) East Region poll, while the men stood sixth.
• The Saint Michael's men placed third among 37 schools in the "Green" race, the fourth men's college 8K of the day. They netted 148 points to finish behind only NAIA member Haskell Indian Nations University of Kansas (83) and University of Mary Washington (Va.) (124), which was 10th in the latest USTFCCCA Division III South Region rankings.
• The Purple Knights were ahead of fellow regionally-ranked NCAA Division II squads Jefferson (Pa.) University (4th, 210) and Adelphi University (7th, 247). Jefferson and Adelphi were fourth and seventh, respectively, in the latest regional poll. Saint Michael's also trimmed Widener (Pa.) University (5th, 215), which was 10th in the USTFCCCA Division III Metro Region rankings.
• Among more than 160 schools across all four college races on Friday, the Purple Knight men tied for 114th with Stockton (N.J.) University, which was seventh in the USTFCCCA Division III Metro Region rankings, while coming within three points of Division I Le Moyne College.
• The Saint Michael's women claimed 19th among 38 schools in the "Green" race, the fourth women's college 6K of the day, totaling 468 points.

WOMEN'S LEADERS

• Peterson
  • 1st of 287 finishers in 6K "Green" race, 22:12.5 (PR)
  • 342th of 1,357 overall across four college races
  • Fifth-fastest time in program history, but the quickest not run at the Northeast 10 Conference Championship, NCAA East Regional Championship, or NCAA Championship
  • Finished 6.3 seconds ahead of runner-up
  • Stood 3rd at 1-mile split (2.8 seconds behind) and 4th at 2-mile split (1.3 seconds behind)
  • Dropped 5.5 seconds from prior PR, last Nov. 9 at the NCAA East Regional Championship (22:18.0)
  • 2nd career win
  • 6th career top-2 finish
• Junior Rylee Burnham (Hartland, Vt./Hartford)
  • 104th, 25:37.8 (PR)
• Sophomore Jordan Munro (Holliston, Mass./Holliston)
  • 121st, 25:59.9 (PR)
• Senior Jocelyn Sommers (Dalton, Mass./Wahconah Regional)
  • 124th, 26:02.8
• Junior Kayley Bell (Caribou, Maine/Caribou)
  • 143rd, 26:16.5
• Junior Meredith Reilly (Ashland, Mass./Ashland)
  • 151st, 26:23.9
• Senior Erin Boyd (Islip, N.Y./Saint Anthony's)
  • 195th, 27:24.7

MEN'S LEADERS

• Senior Braden Butler (South Berwick, Maine/Marshwood)
  • 14th of 293 finishers in 8K "Green" race, 26:24.4 (PR)
  • 638th of 1,383 overall across four college races
• Junior Andrew Scanio (Lake Placid, N.Y./Lake Placid)
  • 24th, 26:48.2
• Junior Adam Bilodeau (Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston)
  • 35th, 27:03.4 (PR)
• First-year Josh Pelletier (North Andover, Mass./North Andover)
  • 36th, 27:04.5 (PR)
• First-year Pierce Coughlin (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee)
  • 39th, 27:12.7 (PR)
• Sophomore Andrew Cole (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland)
  • 74th, 27:56.2
• Sophomore Cooper Brennan (Wilton, N.Y./South Glens Falls)
  • 83rd, 28:13.2

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S MEET

• Next Friday at Hopkinton (N.H.) Cross Country Festival.
• The women begin at 2 p.m. before the men kick off at 2:45 p.m.