Friday, September 1
Bethlehem, Pa.
6:15 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Lehigh Invitational
Men's Cross Country Finishes Third In Season-Opening Lehigh Invitational
9/1/2023 10:23:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
2023 LEHIGH INVITATIONAL MEN'S 6K RESULTS
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 2023 season for Lehigh men's cross country kicked off today at the team's very own Lehigh Invitational. The Mountain Hawks placed third overall at the event while placing an impressive five runners in the top-20.
"We knew Saint Joseph's and Penn were going to be really strong pack teams up front," said head coach Todd Etters. "We hit two of our three main goals, we had a tight spread of 25 seconds and performance wise we are starting to see what it's all about. In practice you see a little bit of it, but when the gun goes off at a race that's when you see what it's really all about."
Junior Aidan Lynch was Lehigh's top placer, finishing fifth overall with a strong time of 18:16.1. Junior Kevin Harvey wasn't far behind, placing ninth overall with a time of 18:24.0. Sophomore Adam Barbato finished in 13th with an 18:34.6 mark, first-year Noah Zahn placed 16th at 18:36.4, and Dan Malatesta rounded out the top 20 with a time of 18:41.2.
"A big surprise was having a first-year in Noah step up and fill those shoes, I also thought Dan Malatesta did an outstanding job," said Etters. "The front three guys for us, Aidan, Kevin and Adam, that's expected and they are going to have to have that expectation for themselves the rest of the year."
In addition to Zahn, four other first-years competed for the Mountain Hawks today. With the Lehigh Invitational being a 6k race, today's competition was a first in terms of the distance for many of the squad's young runners.
"Adding a K, 5k to 6k, it can be a little more daunting, but they're prepared for it," said Etters. "They've spent all summer getting ready for it and they're more mature than they were as high schoolers. It is a part of our sport to be able to handle that big of a transition early in their careers."
The Lehigh men's cross country team now sets its sights on the Harry Lang Invitational tomorrow at Colgate. While Etters has stated that the team's intent at Colgate is more so to see the site of this year's Patriot League championship, he believes that there are many positives to take away from today's competition.
"We've got to have guys battling up front," said Etters. "We've been missing that at our league championships over the years. And we have to be able to back them up. It shows the importance of having five great runners on race day to be able to come through. We need reinforcements, we need to pack up, and I think we saw the start of what we can do with that today."
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2023 Lehigh Invitational Men's 6k Results
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 2023 season for Lehigh men's cross country kicked off today at the team's very own Lehigh Invitational. The Mountain Hawks placed third overall at the event while placing an impressive five runners in the top-20.
"We knew Saint Joseph's and Penn were going to be really strong pack teams up front," said head coach Todd Etters. "We hit two of our three main goals, we had a tight spread of 25 seconds and performance wise we are starting to see what it's all about. In practice you see a little bit of it, but when the gun goes off at a race that's when you see what it's really all about."
Junior Aidan Lynch was Lehigh's top placer, finishing fifth overall with a strong time of 18:16.1. Junior Kevin Harvey wasn't far behind, placing ninth overall with a time of 18:24.0. Sophomore Adam Barbato finished in 13th with an 18:34.6 mark, first-year Noah Zahn placed 16th at 18:36.4, and Dan Malatesta rounded out the top 20 with a time of 18:41.2.
"A big surprise was having a first-year in Noah step up and fill those shoes, I also thought Dan Malatesta did an outstanding job," said Etters. "The front three guys for us, Aidan, Kevin and Adam, that's expected and they are going to have to have that expectation for themselves the rest of the year."
In addition to Zahn, four other first-years competed for the Mountain Hawks today. With the Lehigh Invitational being a 6k race, today's competition was a first in terms of the distance for many of the squad's young runners.
"Adding a K, 5k to 6k, it can be a little more daunting, but they're prepared for it," said Etters. "They've spent all summer getting ready for it and they're more mature than they were as high schoolers. It is a part of our sport to be able to handle that big of a transition early in their careers."
The Lehigh men's cross country team now sets its sights on the Harry Lang Invitational tomorrow at Colgate. While Etters has stated that the team's intent at Colgate is more so to see the site of this year's Patriot League championship, he believes that there are many positives to take away from today's competition.
"We've got to have guys battling up front," said Etters. "We've been missing that at our league championships over the years. And we have to be able to back them up. It shows the importance of having five great runners on race day to be able to come through. We need reinforcements, we need to pack up, and I think we saw the start of what we can do with that today."
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2023 Lehigh Invitational Men's 6k Results
- Saint Joseph's, 33
- Penn, 37
- Lehigh, 53
- Moravian, 124
- DeSales, 133
- Muhlenberg, 194
- FDU, 210
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
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