BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Stony Brook University men's cross country program returned to action on Saturday morning, competing at the 49th annual Paul Short Run hosted by Lehigh University. 

The men's team finished third in a field of 43 schools, Stony Brook's best finish in the history of the Gold 8K event, while Collin Gilstrap was the individual winner in the Open Men's 8K that featured more than 500 runners.

Carlos Santos, Jr. paced the Seawolves individually on Saturday, finishing fifth in the Gold 8K event. His 24:06.8 clocking was a little more than 10 seconds off the first-place finisher. Evan Brennan (13th place, 24:18.1) and Shane Henderson (16th place, 24:26.3) rounded out Stony Brook's top-three performers.

Eben Bragg and Steven Struk placed 62nd and 63rd, respectively, securing key points for the Seawolves as a team. Michael Fama finished just outside the top-100, crossing 102nd with a time just over 25 minutes in the 8K event.

The day began with the Open Men's 8K event, highlighted by an individual win for first-year runner Collin Gilstrap. His 24:19.1 clocking paced the field that featured seven Seawolves and more than 500 overall runners.
 

Collin Gilstrap wins the Open Men's 8k in 24:19.1! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/nnJI4XssV7

— Paul Short Run (@LehighPaulShort) September 30, 2023

QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
"Collin had a great run in the open race. Taking his first trip over the 8000m distance, he showed a lot of maturity by the way he ran the race and in particular how he was able to squeak out the win," head coach Andy Ronan noted. "The team in the gold race ran well, finishing in the top three is our highest finish in the event. I thought our front three of Carlos, Evan and Shane competed well at the front of the race and they got good support from Eben, Steve and Michael Fama. Overall I was pleased with the effort in our first real test of the season. I feel this race will do a lot to sharpen our racing mindset."

NEXT UP
Stony Brook officially enters championship season, racing at the ECAC/IC4A Championships at Van Cortlandt Park on Friday, Oct. 13.

For an inside look at the Seawolves cross country program, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.