NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Cornell men's cross country team continued its consistent excellence at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships, finishing third on Friday at Van Cortlandt Park. The result marks the Big Red's fourth straight top-three finish at Heps.

Cornell posted 92 points to secure third behind Princeton (32) and Harvard (46), once again proving itself among the Ivy League's elite.

"For the men, it was a total team effort out there today," said the Alan B. '53 and Elizabeth Heekin Harris Head Coach Mike Henderson. "They wanted to make sure that anyone who beat them earned it, and they didn't give an inch the whole time."   

---

A Full Team Effort

Sophomore Griffin Mandirola led the charge for the Big Red, placing 10th overall in 24:42.4 in his Heps debut. Junior Aryan Abbaraju followed close behind in 14th (24:49.6), with junior Matthew O'Brien finishing 17th in 25:02.4 to round out a strong front pack.

"Griffin Mandirola stepped up in a big way today," said Assistant Coach Kayla Evans. "As a newcomer to the League, he ran with the poise and confidence of a veteran Heps racer to lead the scoring squad."

Sophomore Peyton Shute (25:34.6) and senior Tyler Canaday (25:43.1) sealed Cornell's scoring five, placing 25th and 31st, respectively. Henderson highlighted the significance of their performance in keeping the team on the podium.

"Matt O'Brien and Peyton Shute really stepped up to fill that gap we'd been having between our No. 3 and No. 5 runners this year, and that was all the difference," Henderson said. "Griffin and Aryan both ran superb races, and Tyler fought through what was not his best day to make sure we locked up that top-three finish again."

---

Team Depth on Display

Cornell's depth was once again evident, with strong showings from sophomore Douglas Antacky (26:01.6), freshman Griffin Cords (26:07.3), and sophomore Colin Martens (26:12.3). Seniors Kamran Murray (26:32.8) and Ryan Johnson (27:21.9), along with juniors Adam Martinson (26:57.3) and Zach Leader (27:05.5), rounded out the Big Red lineup.

"Overall, I can't say enough good things about both teams today — their focus, energy and commitment to each other was on full display," Henderson added. "This result was truly a full team effort."

Final Team Results:

1. Princeton - 32 points

2. Harvard - 46 points

3. Cornell - 92 points

4. Yale - 98 points

5. Dartmouth - 143 points

6. Columbia -146 points

7. Penn - 167 points

8. Brown - 217 points

Big Red Results:

Place	Year	Name	Time
10	SO	Griffin Mandirola	24.42.4
14	JR	Aryan Abbaraju	24.49.6
17	JR	Matthew O'Brien	25:02.4
25	SO	Peyton Shute	25:34.6
31	SR	Tyler Canaday	25:43.1
50	SO	Douglas Antacky	26:01.6
52	FR	Griffin Cords	26:07.3
56	SO	Colin Martens	26:12.3
65	SR	Kamran Murray	26:32.8
72	JR	Adam Martinson	26:57.3
75	FR	Zach Leader	25:05.5
82	SR	Ryan Johnson	27.21.9