BETHLEHEM, PA – The Johns Hopkins men's cross country team turned in a strong performance Friday morning at the Paul Short Invitational, hosted by Lehigh University. Competing in a highly competitive 40-team Gold Race, the Blue Jays placed 15th overall with 466 points, finishing behind several nationally ranked Division I programs, including No. 11 Syracuse, No. 28 Georgetown and No. 29 Harvard. Villanova, also receiving votes in the latest USTFCCCA Division I Coaches Poll, was among the top finishers as well.

Among the Division III contingent, the Blue Jays finished ahead of third-ranked SUNY Geneseo and 10^th-ranked RPI. The Knights placed 22^nd overall with 603 points, while the Engineers placed 26^th with 699 points.

Senior Emmanuel Leblond led the way for Johns Hopkins and the entire Division III contingent, placing sixth overall in a field of 354 runners. Leblond clocked a personal-best 23:23.3, anchoring a pack of four Blue Jays who finished among the top 150.
 
Freshman Anthony Clark impressed, placing 50th overall in 24:03. He was the ninth-fastest freshman in the race and just 40 seconds behind Leblond. Senior Connor Oiler and freshman Cedar Nichols-Barnhart also cracked the top 150, placing 128th (24:42.6) and 148th (24:49.1), respectively.
 
Freshman Caleb Tenney rounded out the scoring five for Johns Hopkins, finishing 167th in 24:57.
 
The Blue Jays, ranked No. 5 in the latest USTFCCCA Division III Week 3 Coaches Poll, will return to action on Saturday, October 18, at the Border Battle hosted by Rowan University in Gloucester, New Jersey.