Bulldogs enjoy strong showing at Paul Short Run

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomores Milan Duka (Belgrade, Serbia) and Elizabeth Willmonton (Rowley, Mass.) paced the Bryant University cross country team to a strong finish at the 42nd annual Paul Short Run hosted by Lehigh University on Friday afternoon.

Behind Duka, the Bulldog men finished 20th out of 39 teams in the Brown Division. Wilmonton paced the women to a 25th-place finish out of 45 teams.

Duka led the men for the second-straight meet, finishing the 8k course 46th overall with a time of 25:32. Russell Stevens (Colchester, Conn.) also finished in the top 100, placing 72nd (25:45) with an average mile of 5:11. Richard Landry (Holyoke, Mass.), Matt McGovern (Long Beach, N.Y.) and Thomas Mullally (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) rounded out the top five for Bryant. Landry finished with a time of 26:08 (123), McGovern ran a time of 26:34 (168) and Mullally crossed the line in 26:41 (183).

Willmonton led the Bulldogs across the finish line for the first time in her career on Saturday, finishing 76th with a time of 22:44. She averaged a 6:06 mile on the 6k course. Emily McNeil (Shelton, Conn.) joined her in the top 100, finishing 96th with a time of 22:56. Erin Svensen (Medway, Mass.), Sarah Lapham (Greenwich, N.Y.) and Brittany Sarza (Uxbridge, Mass.) rounded out the top five finishers for the Bulldogs. Svensen finished 119th (23:06), Lapham finished 150th (23:06) and Sarza crossed the line 212th (23:55).

Friday's meet began Bryant's month-long preparation for the Northeast Conference Championships on Oct. 31. The Bulldogs will race in the New England Championships next Saturday, Oct. 10.