BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Powered by a pair of top-25 finishes, the Cornell men's cross country team raced to a 12th-place team finish out of 40 programs in the elite Gold Race at the Paul Short Invitational on Friday morning at Lehigh University.

Senior Tyler Canaday led the Big Red pack with a standout performance, clocking 23:43 over the 8K course to finish 20th overall in a field of more than 500 runners. Close behind was junior Aryan Abbaraju, who crossed in 24th with a time of 23:48, giving Cornell two finishers inside the top 25.

The Big Red's scoring five were rounded out by Griffin Mandirola in 33rd (23:53), Matt O'Brien in 96th (24:26), and Colin Martens in 155th (24:52). The tight pack up front helped Cornell secure a 12th-place finish in a loaded field that featured nationally ranked competition and top regional rivals.

Cornell's strong showing at Lehigh continues the team's early-season momentum and underscores its depth, with multiple runners turning in personal bests amid ideal racing conditions.

The Big Red will return to action next week as they head to New Jersey to race at the Princeton Fall Classic.