BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The High Point University men's cross country team traveled to Pennsylvania to compete in the Paul Short Run on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Hunter Steinau led the team's efforts, guiding them to a top-25 finish among a competitive field of 44 teams. 

The Panthers' team score was lower than the likes of Temple, Rutgers, Syracuse, Hofstra, Brown and Miami 

Head Coach Mike Esposito: "Today was a small step forward for us. Hunter was solid, and Gavin took a step forward. Some of our expected top performers are struggling at the moment, but I believe in the character of this team. We're confident we can work through these challenges."

Steinau was High Point's top finisher for the second consecutive week, crossing the finish line at 24:28.9. After initially positioning himself in the top 100, he made a strong push at the 5k mark to secure 66th overall.

Sophomore Gavin Stevens followed closely, finishing at 25:03.0, with senior Grahman Ferguson right behind him at 25:07.2. They secured the second and third spots for the Panthers.

Jake Tarosky and Kyler Koning paced together throughout the 5k becoming the fourth and fifth Panthers to finish with 25:14.5 and 25.23.4, respectively.

Graduate student Jason Thomson maintained a steady pace throughout the race, crossing the finish line at 25:15.1. Jacob Fiorillo followed closely behind, finishing at 25:41.7.

Aidan Morrison finished with a time of 20.14.1. Othamnae El Gharissi became the ninth Panther to complete the race at 26:09.2. Junior, Klaus Mangeot followed in at a time of 27:45.3

UP NEXT: On Saturday, October 19th, the Panthers head to Charlottesville, VA, for the Panorama Farms Invite.