BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Monmouth University women's cross country team earned a top-10 finish against a deep field at the 52nd annual Paul Short Run on Friday, placing 10th out of 37 teams in the Women's Gold 6K at Lehigh University's Goodman Campus Cross Country Course. The Monmouth men's team was scheduled to compete later in the afternoon, but its race was canceled due to heat.

Monmouth totaled 306 points in the women's race to secure the top-10 placement, finishing just ahead of Charlotte and Brown, who totaled 312 and 322 points, respectively. Liberty captured the team title with 115 points, while Penn and Yale each finished with 144, with Penn taking second place on tiebreaker

I'm really proud of our women today," said Head Coach Damon Godfrey. Finishing 10th out of 37 teams after placing 31st out of 40 here last year shows how far this group has come. The extreme heat made the performances and times even more impressive, especially with the men's race ultimately being cancelled because of the conditions.

Junior Krissy Sarnicola led the way for the Hawks, placing 20th overall with a time of 21:14.1. Sarnicola steadily worked her way through the field throughout the race, moving up from 26th at the two-mile checkpoint to secure a top-20 scoring finish.

Fellow junior Emily Simko finished just behind Sarnicola, crossing the line in 21:15.2 to take 22nd overall. Simko made one of Monmouth's biggest moves over the closing portion of the race, gaining three positions between the three-mile mark and the finish.

Sophomore Payton Campbell gave the Hawks three scorers among the top 30, finishing 30th with a time of 21:22.8. Monmouth's first three runners were separated by just 8.7 seconds, helping the Hawks remain in contention throughout the race.

Freshman Lexi Mizzone was Monmouth's fourth scorer, placing 65th overall in 21:47.4. Mizzone gained six positions from the three-mile checkpoint to the finish, continuing a strong start to her first collegiate season.

Junior Olivia Schweitzer completed Monmouth's scoring five, crossing the line in 22:54.5. The Hawks' top five averaged 21:42.8 over the 6K course and combined for the team's 306 points.

Monmouth continued to move up the team standings as the race progressed. The Hawks sat 17th after the opening mile before climbing to 11th at the two-mile mark. They remained 11th through three miles before making the final move into 10th by the finish.

Junior Aleah Lazar was the sixth Hawk across the line, running 22:59.4 after gaining 18 positions over the final portion of the course. Sophomore Leah Rutledge followed in 23:05.5, while sophomore Avery Errico finished in 23:07.9. Junior Lana Hurwitz rounded out Monmouth's competitors with a time of 24:56.5.

Godfrey continued, "Krissy Sarnicola, Emily Simko and Payton Campbell were outstanding, all finishing in the top 30, and we beat five power four programs. This group has proven so far that they can compete with any team on the East Coast. We're excited for Princeton in two weeks as we continue building toward the CAA Championship."

The Monmouth men had been scheduled to race at 2 p.m., but the remaining races on Friday's schedule were canceled because of the heat following the Women's Gold 6K.

The Hawks will return to competition on Friday, Oct. 16, when they travel to Princeton for the Princeton Fall Classic, their final scheduled meet before the CAA Championships on Long Island on Oct. 30.