BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Navy men's cross country team wrapped up its 2021 season with a solid effort at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship at Lehigh University on Friday. Competing on a 10k circuit at the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course, the Mids challenged early and had a stout five-man pack to the finish line that was separated from first to fifth by just 25 seconds. After all 26 teams and 174 runners had crossed the finish line, Navy placed five runners in the top-49 and compiled 213 team points to rank eighth overall. Miguel Mathias (Sr., Nekoosa, Wisc.) and Garrison Clark (Jr. Severna Park, Md.) led the Mids' individual effort as they placed consecutively in 35th and 36th position.
 
"The team is disappointed with today's result," remarked head coach Aaron Lanzel. "We burned hot and bright a lot this season, but today we couldn't find enough fuel to pour on the flames for another emotional demand to stay at the front of the race. All seven of our runners fought hard against their own legs to make it happen today and didn't get the energy back out they needed for fulfillment."
 
Racing on an extended 10k course for the first time all season, the Mids received an extremely fast start from Sam Keeny (So., Annapolis, Md.) as the sophomore nearly paced the field at the one-mile checkpoint as he was just two-tenths of a second behind the leader Villanova's Josh Phillips, 4:50.4 to 4:50.6. Mathias gave Navy its second runner in the top-25 at this early marker as he posted the 21st fastest time at 4:51.7.
 
Mathias moved up nine positions over the next half mile-long segment to pass the checkpoint in 12th place at 6:43.0 through 1.5 miles. Keeny was 1.2 seconds and 10 positions back of his senior teammate in 22nd at 6:44.2. Clark and David Nelsen (Sr., Chandler, Ariz.) entered the picture as a contenders for the Midshipmen as they were 31st and 32nd at the 1.5-mile marker.
 
The next 23-plus minutes of action didn't have electric timing pads on the course so positions were jumbled quite a bit as the field spread out and the challenge of the extra 2k took its toll on the competitors. As runners started making their way to the finish line Mathias and Clark were the first two Mids to complete the 10k race as they crossed the finish line back-to-back in 35th and 36th place with respective times of 31:43.9 and 31:45.1. Brett Brady (Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.) was the third Navy runner to finish as he clocked in at 32:00.4, good for 45th place. Keeny and team captain Ashwin Briggs (Sr., Pickerington, Ohio) were the final two counting Midshipmen as the finished in a near dead heat with Keeny edging Briggs, 32:08.7 to 32:08.9.
 
Nelsen concluded his collegiate cross country career in 71st place at 32:38.1. Fellow senior John Bowers (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) also will hang up his cross country spikes after Friday's 111th place result of 33:39.5.
 
"Our captain Ashwin and this squad did a lot of great things throughout the season and have set up the team for greater successes to come, but it will have to wait for another season now."
 
Navy's 35-36-45-48-49 finish by its scoring five netted the team 213 points to rank eighth overall, two behind La Salle's 211 total, that helped the Explorers finish seventh. Princeton, Georgetown and Villanova topped the standings with respective totals of 40, 49 and 57. The Tigers and Hoyas will receive the regionals' two automatic qualifying positions into next Saturday's NCAA Championship at Florida State.
 
Georgetown's Parker Stokes held off Villanova's Haftu Strintzos for the individual crown, 30:10.5 to 3:13.1.