AMHERST, Mass. -- The Amherst College men's cross country team delivered two strong showings last weekend, placing 2nd at the Paul Short Run on Friday and 7th at the Keene State Invitational on Saturday.
At Friday's Paul Short Run on the campus of Lehigh University, the Mammoths defeated several Division 1 teams en route to their runner-up finish and finished closely behind #3-ranked SUNY-Geneseo and #10-ranked RPI when the White and Gold race results were "merged".
First-year Carter Bengtson was in rarified air, finishing 5th against several All-Americans -- and only 9 seconds off the Amherst 8K school record -- with a time of 24:30.7. Juniors Harrison Dow and Parker Boyle followed closely, crossing in 15th and 17th places (24:47.1 and 24:51.7, respectively), keeping Amherst near the top of the leader board. Senior Henry Dennen added another strong finish in 27th place with a time of 25:04.0, reinforcing the team's front-to-middle pack strength.
Dow ran significantly faster this year than last at this meet. Boyle had an amazing finish to the race, passing 22 people in the last mile.
As the race progressed, Stan Craig (JR-3) maintained a strong middle-of-the-pack presence, finishing 37th in 25:10.7, while senior Thomas Stephens (SR-4) held firm in 79th with a time of 25:34.2. Amherst's depth was further showcased by the efforts of Caleb Barnes (FR-1) and Ben Kasen (SO-2), who finished 93rd and 95th (25:42.6 and 25:43.1). Even further back, freshman Will Peterson gained valuable experience, finishing 253rd in 26:56.5, rounding out the team's complete effort.
The Mammoths had an entirely different line-up at Keene State Saturday and that line-up also produced some exemplary finishes. Junior
Harrison Talcott led the Mammoths with a time of 25:47.8, finishing 38th overall and contributing 29 points toward the team total. Senior
Drew Stephens crossed in 46th overall with a time of 26:07.1, scoring 32 points and keeping Amherst in striking distance of the leaders.
First-year standout
Tim Churchill made a strong NCAA debut, finishing 66th overall in 26:44.5, adding 45 team points. Senior Will Nagy ran 26:54.8 to place 76th overall, scoring 51 points, while senior
George Cahill finished 81st overall in 26:57.6, contributing 55 points.
Amherst's remaining runners provided key depth, including Charlie Jacques, who placed 71st overall in 26:52.5, adding 71 points to the team total. The Mammoths' seven runners finished tightly together, showcasing a mix of senior leadership and underclassmen promise that bodes well for future national competitions.
Amherst Individual Results – 2025 Paul Short Run, College, White 8k
