JHU Places 15th in Gold Division at Prestigious Paul Short Run

Blue Jays Highly Competitive in Division I-Heavy Field

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Senior <b>Mira Patel</b> led the Blue Jays to a 15th-place finish at the Paul Short Run.

Senior Mira Patel led the Blue Jays to a 15th-place finish at the Paul Short Run.

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Oct. 2, 2009

Complete Results

BETHLEHEM, PA - The Johns Hopkins women's cross country team turned in a solid performance at the 36th annual Paul Short Run at Lehigh University as the Blue Jays placed 15th in a field of 40 schools competing in the Gold Division, the highest of the three collegiate races run. Johns Hopkins, the top-ranked Division III team in the nation, was one of just three Division III schools invited to compete at that level.

Hopkins totaled 502 points to earn its 15th-place finish. West Virginia (105 points), which is currently the fourth-ranked Division I team in the nation, eased to the overall team title, while the University of Guelph (127), Indiana (143), North Carolina State (153) and Cornell (183) rounded out the top five.

Senioir Mira Patel was JHU's top finisher as she placed 50th overall with a time of 21:31. The Blue Jays' next six runners all crossed the line within 75 seconds of Patel and that pack helped Hopkins to its impressive finish. Senior Laura Paulsen (21:47 / 82nd place), sophomore Cecilia Furlong (21:57/100th), freshman Liz Provost (22:05/113th), junior Christine Valerio (22:28/157th) and seniors Nadia McMillan (22:39/179th) and Mary O'Grady (22:44/188th) followed Patel across the line with the top five all clocking season-best times.

The team's average time of 21:58 was a season-best and the top five runners across the line for Johns Hopkins all posted their best times of the season.

Among the top 25 teams the Blue Jays defeated were one Ivy League School (Dartmouth) and four Patriot League Schools (Colgate, Lehigh, Army, Lafayette). In addition, Hopkins placed eight spots ahead of Shippensburg, which is currently the fourth-ranked team in Division II. St. Lawrence, which placed 21st overall, and The College of New Jersey, which placed 39th, were the only other Division III teams invited to participate in the Gold Division. St. Lawrence is currently ranked 10th in Division III, while TCNJ is ranked 17th.

Johns Hopkins will return to action on Saturday, October 17 when the Blue Jays will split their squad between the Oberlin Inter-Regional and the Gettsyburg Invitational.

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