Lehigh Cross Country Competes at 52nd Paul Short Run

The Paul Short Run has been a Lehigh staple since 1969, when former cross country and track coach John Covert organized the first meet with just seven teams. Women joined the competition in 1981, and the meet has since grown into one of the largest cross country events in the country.

The meet is named after Paul E. Short, a 1934 Lehigh graduate who competed in football, wrestling, baseball and lacrosse before later spending 29 years working at the university as business manager and assistant director of athletics. 

Short supported Lehigh cross country during his time at the university, and the meet was later created in his honor.

This year marks the 52nd annual Paul Short races, with more than 7,000 athletes from over 600 high schools and colleges competing across two days at the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course. 

The college portion features eight races, including the men’s Gold 8K and women’s Gold 6K, where Lehigh races against competitive programs.

For the Mountain Hawks, the meet’s size makes Paul Short different from most races on their schedule. Hundreds of runners pack into the Gold races, giving Lehigh a chance to compete against programs it does not regularly see.

College results 

The Lehigh men finished 27th out of 35 teams in the college Men’s Gold 8K race, while the women finished 20th  out of 37 teams in the college Women’s Gold 6K race. 

Junior Will Mrozinski led the men with a time of 25 minutes and 23.8 seconds, finishing 82nd overall. Brothers Jason and Ryan Baker finished close together with times of 26 minutes and 2.1 seconds and 26 minutes and 3.2 seconds respectively. On the women’s side, junior Kaitlyn Highduch was Lehigh’s top finisher, placing 23rd overall in 21 minutes and 16.7 seconds. Senior Grace Hughes and junior Devon Sutton rounded out Lehigh’s top three. 

Due to rising heat conditions, the medical personnel and administrators decided against the College Brown, White and Green races and they were cancelled. 

Hughes, a senior, said racing at Goodman adds to the meet’s excitement.

“Paul Short is always a meet that brings out a lot of school pride,” Hughes said. “You have these Big Ten, ACC schools all coming up to our course, so it’s nice to have that home course advantage.”

Hughes has made significant progress at Paul Short throughout her Lehigh career. She ran 24 minutes and 12.7 seconds in the Gold 6K as a first-year before cutting her time to a personal-best 21 minutes and 3.7 seconds last season. 

This year, she claimed 77th place with a finish of 21 minutes and 54.5 seconds.She said that improvement came as she became less focused on results and more focused on enjoying the sport.

“Funny enough, when I focused less on the outcome, the better I started performing,” Hughes said.

With hundreds of runners packed into the Gold races, Hughes said competitors can use the size of the field to their advantage by finding teammates and letting other runners pull them forward.

The atmosphere is also different from most races on Lehigh’s schedule. Friends, family and students line the course throughout the meet, something Hughes said gives the Mountain Hawks added energy.

“There are people on every corner cheering for you,” Hughes said. “It’s nice to have families and friends come out and really show a lot of Lehigh support.”

Junior Charlie Butler also said that familiarity with the course is a huge advantage for Lehigh runners.

“When it’s the course you get to run every single day at practice, you know everything like the back of your hand,” Butler said. “It’s super calming and really helps you be prepared for it.”

Butler entered Friday’s race after setting an 8K personal best of 25 minutes and 24.2 seconds at Paul Short last season. This season, he finished in 26 minutes and 35 seconds. 

He said one of the men’s team’s biggest focuses this year has been running together as a pack. Lehigh entered Paul Short after defeating Lafayette in its annual dual meet Sept. 25, and Butler said the team wanted to carry that momentum into Friday.

“We’re just so much tighter as a group, almost like a brotherhood,” Butler said. “It really just feels like we’re more united, more together.”

Paul Short also served as an early test for Lehigh ahead of the Patriot League Championships later this fall. Butler said facing several conference opponents in the same race allows the team to evaluate where it stands before the postseason.

For first-year Alec Jurgaitis, Friday offered his first experience competing at Paul Short as a collegiate runner.

Jurgaitis earned a spot in the race after a strong performance in his previous 8K. He said older teammates warned him to expect a crowded field and a fast opening mile, but encouraged him to remain confident.

“I’m definitely feeling the nerves, but it’s more of those excited nerves,” Jurgaitis said. “We’re racing against basically the big dogs, so it’s definitely going to be really fun to go out there.”

Jurgaitis said adjusting to collegiate cross country has meant learning to train alongside runners who can consistently challenge him. After training on his own much of high school, he said having teammates around his level has helped him improve.

The team has also emphasized building relationships away from the course. Jurgaitis said the Mountain Hawks regularly hold team dinners, discuss their goals each week and recognize their recent successes.

With the Patriot League Championships still ahead, Paul Short gives Lehigh an early look at where it stands against both conference opponents and some of the strongest competition it will face all season.

Butler said the meet can serve as a measuring point as the Mountain Hawks move into the second half of the season.

“It’s a really good gauge,” Butler said. “It’s kind of the first race for us to really open up and show what we’re capable of.”

With the Patriot League Championships still ahead, Lehigh will use Friday’s performance as a benchmark for future races.