HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Quakers' men's and women's cross country teams continued the 2026 season Friday at the Main Line Invitational, hosted by Haverford College. The meet provided the Penn with an opportunity to give several developing runners valuable race experience.

"I was really happy with how the team ran," said head coach Matt Gosselin. "It wasn't a full team, but it an opener for most of the group. We went into the race wanting to be disciplined in the first half,  then aggressive in the second half, and I thought they executed that plan well. For us, the team result is less about the times or places and more about how well we carried out what we wanted to do, and I thought that was a positive indication of our growth as a team."

The Red and Blue women finished second in the team standings with 62 points, led by L'Mio Edwards, who placed fourth overall with a time of 17:56.0.

Kelly Murray and Camille Jordan also finished inside the top 15, crossing in 18:06.6 and 18:10.1, respectively. Lily Lyons made her collegiate debut at 18^th and 18:20.2, while Alexa Matora clocked in at 18:23.9 to round out the Quakers' top five runners.

On the men's side, they competed with a developmental lineup at the Main Line Invitational, using the race as an opportunity for a group of middle-distance runners to test their fitness over the longer cross country distance. Brody Watt led the Quakers in his Penn debut, placing 17th overall. Joseph Socarras finished 40^th, and Nathan Blades in 62nd.

With three entries, the men did not record a team score but instead earned valuable experience.

"It was a good opportunity for these guys to test their fitness over a longer course and continue building through the fall," said James P. Tuppeny head coach Steve Dolan. "All three guys are more middle-distance oriented on the track, so they're more 800-meter and miler types, and this gave them a chance to see how their fitness translates over a longer distance. I thought it was a particularly good start for Brody Watt in his first race at Penn. He ran quite competitively, had a spirited race, and moved up as the race progressed. It was a very good start for him and a good opportunity for all three guys."

UP NEXT
Penn cross country returns to action on Friday, Oct. 2, at the Paul Short Invitational, hosted by Lehigh University at the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course.

Main Line Invitational
Haverford, Pa.
Sept. 18, 2026

Top 5 Results
Women's 5k
4. L'Mio Edwards – 17:56.0
10. Kelly Murray – 18:06.6
11. Camille Jordan – 18:10.1
18: Lily Lyons – 18:20.2
19. Alexa Matora – 18:23.9
 
Men's 4 Mile
17. Brody Watt – 20:04.4
40. Joseph Socarras – 20:53.5
62. Nathan Blades – 21:44.5