INFO | Paul Short Run complete results
 
Bethlehem, Pa.----Reigning USTFCCCA Division II men's XC national Coach of the Year Pol Domenech would rather his defending D2 champion Wingate Bulldogs do their talking on the course, silently preparing day-by-day for the ultimate goal…another November NCAA title. On Saturday, October 5, the No. 1 WU harriers had some quiet banter with the USA and Canada, winning the 50th annual Paul Short Run, College Gold Division.
 
The South Atlantic Conference member Bulldogs won the historic 50th version of the Lehigh University-hosted event. Wingate posted 30 points, obliterating Harvard (yes, THE Harvard Crimson) by 65 points. Forty-two Division I schools scored points in the '24 PSR presented by ASICS. The race was contested on Lehigh's scenic Goodman Campus Cross Country Course.
 
Even while busy coaching like nobody's business, Wingate director of cross country and track and field Matt van Lierop was beaming on the inside. Lehigh University is his alma mater. No doubt he competed against most (all) of these schools in previous PSR events. In addition to the 42 Division I teams, Coach van Lierop and his beloved Bulldogs vanquished NCAA Division III juggernaut Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The RPI Engineers play D1 men's and women's hockey.
 
The No. 1 Wingate men started the Bulldogs' Saturday by winning the Paul Short Run College Open Division. Wingate had 25 team points; Penn was a distant second at 141 points. The Navy Midshipmen finished third, with Saint Joseph's (Pa.) and Cornell completing the Open top five.
 
Juniors Will Aitken and Lars Laros set the pace for the Navy Blue and Vegas Gold-clad WU harriers, finishing second (23:56.8) and third (24:03.0 PR), respectively, as Wingate had five of the top 10 PSR College Open Division race finishers. Not to be outdone by his classmates, junior Luca Poppe finished fifth (24:07.3).
 
Inside the 8K results
 
- Wingate's top five counting runners ran personal-best 8K times Saturday
- Senior PSR silver medalist Hamza Chahid led the way with his 23:19.1 8K
- Chahid's 23:19.1 8K mark is a new school standard for the Bulldogs
- Sophomore PSR bronze medalist Lukas Ehrle was next with a 23:28.7 8K
- Antonin Saint-Peyre and Ricardo Barbosa finished sixth and eighth, respectively
- Wingate ball cap firmly in place, sophomore Saint-Peyre ran a 23:36.6 8K
- Senior Barbosa was Wingate's fourth finisher, thanks to his 23:42.2 8K mark
- Senior Titouan Le Grix rounded out WU's golden top five with his 23:46.8 8K time
- Utah State University grad student Camren Todd won the men's Gold 8K
- Todd's triumphant 8K time of 23:18.8 was only 0.3 seconds faster than Wingate's Chahid
- Camren Todd is the fourth USU Aggie to win an individual title at the historic PSR event
 
Coaches' notes from #WUXC assistant coach Jacob Willis ('21)
 
"The men started fast and strong. The top seven were approximately 10 seconds apart from one another and within the leaders. Around the 2K mark, Ricardo (Barbosa) was leading the race with everyone else only seconds behind. Inside the 5K plateau…near the 14:40 mark…the WU men put five in the top 10 lead pack with the rest of the group within sight. Coming down the stretch, we saw five Wingate runners in the top 11."
 
"In the Open contest, Will (Aitken) and Lars (Laros) led the team throughout the race with Will taking the lead at the 5K mark. The hard-fought race with Princeton's unattached runners and an outstanding field inspired the team to put five finishers in the top 10. This was an amazing day for our whole group, men and women, on this hilly course."
 
Quotables
Wingate men's cross country senior Ricardo Barbosa
 
"I was really happy to open my '24 XC season with this squad. I liked what I saw today, everyone pushing for each other. They were able to stay with their partner and hold them to it. We have a team that can make some big things happen this year."
 
Wingate men's cross country junior Will Aitken
 
"The guys took it out hard at the front. We followed Coach Pol's game plan, working together as a pack and controlling the race. We finished well as a team…five in the top 10 was a nice way to show we really went for it." 
 
Up Next
 
Both Wingate teams will compete in the Queens University of Charlotte Royals XC Challenge Friday, Oct. 11 at McAlpine Creek Park. The Bulldogs will venture to Charlottesville, Virginia for the Panorama Farms Invitational Saturday, Oct. 19. The South Atlantic Conference cross country championships are Saturday, Oct. 26 in Newberry, South Carolina. Newberry College is hosting the SAC event at The Farm.
 
Wingate University
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 26 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 16 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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