The UConn women’s cross country team will compete for the third time this season when it travels to Bethlehem, Penn., for the Paul Short Run on Friday, Oct. 3.
Friday’s race on the campus of Lehigh University will be the 51st edition of the Paul Short Run, which the university named after the former Business Manager and Assistant Director of Athletics who served for 29 years.
Credit: Photo courtesy of @uconntfxc on Instagram
Connecticut finished second overall as a team in last year’s race, headlined by future All-American Chloe Thomas’ record breaking performance of 19:23.8 and two other top 10 finishers.
“We had a great race here last season, led by a course record of then-senior Chloe Thomas,” head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said. “We are looking forward to a great race on Friday.”
Over 40 teams (43 teams will flock to Lehigh’s campus for the two-day race (high school races were held on Thursday). Conference foes Georgetown and Villanova will represent the Big East alongside UConn while Quinnipiac, Fairfield and Yale join the Huskies from Connecticut.
Harvard, the only team to finish above UConn last season, will compete again this year along with five other Ivy League teams.
Today’s run will serve as the Huskies’ first look at Georgetown and Villanova this season. The Hoyas and Wildcats are tied for the most Paul Short Run titles all-time with six a piece.
Connecticut competed against Seton Hall last week in their first taste of Big East action at the Ted Owen Invitational, finishing first place as a team in the 5K race.
Freshman Brooke Strauss finished second overall in her collegiate debut with a time of 17:12.40 and was named the Big East Female Athlete of the Week for her performance.
The Paul Short Run, however, is an extra kilometer, and has been for all women’s teams since the turn of the century.
Strauss will be among the names to watch after a red-hot start to her collegiate career. Look for junior Malin Rahm (who finished two seconds behind Strauss last week) and freshman Sascha Letica to build off strong performances from the Ted Owen Invite.
A slew of Husky runners should also contend at the top of the race standings. Freshman Teanne Ewings, senior Allison McCarthy and sophomore Claire Paci all finished inside the top 10 last week and will be in search of a similar finish today.