BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Emily Reid had a standout performance at the 2026 Paul Short Invitational, claiming an individual victory in the women's Open 6k. The college gold events found the Penn men at fifth in team, followed by the women in second.

The men opened the meet for Penn in the Open 8K, where middle-distance runners Brody Watt, Brian Gent, and Nathan Blades competed against a field of 587 runners. Watt led the way, crossing the finish line in 25:37.9 to place 27th overall, showing a strong performance in a field of this size. Gent and Blades followed, finishing 186th and 207th, respectively, putting all three Quakers in the top 40 percent of the field.
 
As James T. Tuppeny Head Coach Steve Dolan mentioned at the Main Line Invitational, "These three guys are more middle-distance oriented on the track, so they're more 800-meter and miler types." With that in mind, their performances over 8,000 meters are particularly impressive, highlighting their ability to step well outside their primary track distances.
 
The Open Women's 6K followed, with first-year Reid taking the top spot in a field of 408 runners. Reid finished seven seconds ahead of the runner-up, crossing the line in 21:08.6 to claim the individual victory.
 
Lily Lyons and Alexa Matora were next across the line for the Quakers, finishing 11th and 13th in 22:03.0 and 22:05.9, respectively. Rounding out the Red and Blue's top five, Sara Khiri clocked a 22:37.3 to finish 43rd, while Aoife Shovlin crossed shortly after in 46th with a time of 22:39.8.
 
Penn's scored races came next, with the men competing in the College Gold 8K and the women taking on the College Gold 6K.
 
Similar to the Friar Invitational, Nick Mazzeo led the charge for the Quakers, earning a third-place finish in 24:03.1. Chris Larnard followed as the second scorer, placing 35th in 24:48.6. Joseph Ruiz finished 53rd in 25:01.5, while George Keen and Vinay Raman rounded out Penn's top five with times of 25:13.6 and 25:19.1, respectively. The three finished within just 20 seconds of one another, helping the the Red and Blue secure fifth place out of 35 teams.
 
To close out the day, Allison Lee, Izzy Rodriguez, Quin Stovall, Sarah Fischer, and Kelly Murray represented Penn's scoring five in the women's College Gold 6K. Lee led the Quakers with a fifth-place finish, clocking 20:25.5 in a field of 315 competitors. Rodriguez followed in 14th with a time of 21:05.1, finishing more than 80 places higher than her 2025 performance. The five earned a second-place team finish for the Red and Blue.
 
UP NEXT
Penn cross country will next travel to Terre Haute, IN for the Pre-National Invitational on Oct. 16.
 
Paul Short Invitational
Bethlehem, Pa.
Oct. 2, 2026
Top 5 Results
Men's Open 8k
27. Brody Watt – 25:37.9
186. Brian Gent – 27:20.6
207. Nathan Blades – 27:33.6

Women's Open 6k
1. Emily Reid – 21:08.6
11. Lily Lyons – 22:03.0
13. Alexa Matora – 22:05.9
43. Sara Khiri– 22:37.3
46. Aoife Shovlin – 22:39.8

Men's College Gold (5th out of 35 teams)
3. Nick Mazzeo – 24:03.1
35. Chris Larnard – 24:48.6
53. Joseph Ruiz – 25:01.5
65. George Keen – 25:13.6
72. Vinay Raman – 25:19.1

Women's College Gold 6k (2^nd out of 37 teams)
5. Allison Lee – 17:56.0
14. Izzy Rodriguez – 21:05.1
32. Quin Stovall – 21:26.3
18: Sarah Fischer – 21:35.5
19. Kelly Murray – 21:37.5
 
 
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