BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The No. 16 Washington and Lee men's cross country team finished fourth in the Men's College White 8k race at the Paul Short Invitational on Friday afternoon, placing 238 points in a highly competitive national field.

The Generals were the top South Region and Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) program, finishing just one point ahead of No. 22 Lynchburg (239).

The race featured several nationally ranked programs, with No. 13 NYU capturing the team title with 54 points, followed by No. 25 Amherst (101) and No. 15 Carnegie Mellon (183). W&L's fourth-place finish marked its best result at Paul Short since 2022.

Junior Robert Cooper continued his strong start to the season, leading the Generals with a 16th-place finish in 24:49.3. In his first race of the 2025 slate, Keaton Rush followed in 23rd (24:58.9), while William Dunaway (41st, 25:12.5) and Sam Daunt (47th, 25:16.5) provided critical top-50 finishes. Thomas Franklin closed out the scoring five in 113th place with a time of 25:52.9.

Jackson Kodenski (114th, 25:52.9) and Raja Mehendale (150th, 26:13.1) rounded out the top seven, while Colin Verrett, Andrew Carroll, and Kaden Rife added depth to the 10-deep Generals' lineup. See the full results for the invitational, HERE.

Up Next: The Generals return to action on Friday, October 10, at the Royals Cross Country Challenge hosted by Queens University of Charlotte. The men's race is scheduled for 5 p.m. at McAlpine Creek Park in Charlotte, N.C.

Team Results (Top-10)

1. No. 13 NYU – 54

2. No. 25 Amherst – 101

3. No. 15 Carnegie Mellon – 183

4. No. 16 Washington and Lee – 238

5. No. 22 Lynchburg – 239

6. No. 30 Lebanon Valley – 265

7. No. 19 MIT – 277

8. No. 29 Loras – 283

9. No. 21 Wesleyan – 286

10. Middlebury – 336

W&L Scoring Seven

• 16th – Robert Cooper – 24:49.3

• 23rd – Keaton Rush – 24:58.9

• 41st – William Dunaway – 25:12.5

• 47th – Sam Daunt – 25:16.5

• 113th – Thomas Franklin – 25:52.9

• 114th – Jackson Kodenski – 25:52.9

• 150th – Raja Mehendale – 26:13.1

Additional W&L Competitors

• 254th – Colin Verrett – 26:56.6

• 337th – Andrew Carroll – 27:50.2

• 377th – Kaden Rife – 28:31.1

Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.