Nice races by Helene Usher and Maddie Dischert at Paul Short before the rest of the meet was cancelled.
Usher, a La Salle senior from Haddonfield, ran 21:17 over 6,000 meters on Lehigh’s lower campus course in Bethlehem and Lower Saucon Township and placed 3rd out of more than 400 runners in the open women’s race, finishing just nine seconds behind Penn’s Emily Reid, who won the race in 21:08.
This was Usher’s first race this XC season. She ran within 12 seconds of her all-course 6K PR of 21:05, which she ran on the same course in 2024.
Former Rowan runner Gabriella Pagano, now running for Garden State Track Club, placed 8th in 21:35.
In the women’s gold race, Rider senior Maddie Dischert from Atlantic City ran an all-course PR 21:21 and placed 27th of over 300 runners. Dischert broke her PR of 21:35 from a race last November in Montgomery, N.Y.
In her first collegiate 6K Delaware freshman Julia Flanagan from Holy Cross ran 21:41 and placed 54th in the gold race. Bucknell junior Kerry O’Day from Cherokee also ran sub-22 in hot conditions, finishing the Gold Race in 21:52, just 12 seconds off her all-course best of 21:39 from 2024 at Penn State.
In the men’s Gold Race, Paul VI’s Will Mrozinski, a Lehigh junior, ran 25:23 over 8,000 meters, and St. Joe’s senior Ian Romea from Haddonfield, ran 25:45. Also under 26 was Rutgers senior Ryan Smith from Rancocas Valley, who ran 25:59.
The last six races of the day – three men’s races and three women’s races – were cancelled because meet officials determined it was too hot. It was 82 in Bethlehem as the last race finished. There were 118 DNF’s in the four races that were held.
