UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Navy men's cross country team recorded a fifth-place finish at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational at the Penn State Golf Course in University Park, Pa. Alexander Kirkland (Bel Air, Md.) finished as the Mids' top finisher, clocking a time of 26:21.9 in the 5.2-mile race.
 
"Today was a good reality check," head coach Aaron Lanzel said. "At the front of the race were a few teams ranked top 25 in the country that raced their best runners. It was a good lesson for our runners to receive. The personnel we raced were wise and measured, getting a hard effort in to prepare for important days ahead. They competed, but certainly have gains to make. Alexander really hung well with the pack through the first half of the race and Ryan, Jack, Nico, and Ben had their first real varsity race experience to be close to each other at the finish to score five. We will take our lesson and keep improving from here."
 
Ryan O'Dea (Louisville, Ky.) finished 10-seconds back of Kirkland with a time of 26:31.3, while Jack Rooney (Raleigh, N.C.) was third for the Mids with a time of 26:37.1. Nicolas Valdivieso and Ben Countiss (Houston, Texas) rounded out Navy's top five with times of 26:43.6 and 26:46.3, respectively. Justin Mumford (New Baden, Ill.) clocked a time of 26:51.4 in his second collegiate race, while Mitchell Rome (Dallas, Pa.) notched a time of 26:51.4 in his first action of the 2022 season.
 
Syracuse won the overall team competition with a low score of 20, while Butler (47 points) followed in second. Penn (70) and meet-host Penn State (128) claimed third and fourth with Navy claiming the fifth spot. St. Joe's (162), Youngstown State (192), and American (200) closed out the scoring in the meet.
 
Navy returns to action next Friday, as the Midshipmen host the annual Navy Invitational in Annapolis. The men's 4.9-mile competition is slated for 6:30 p.m. at the USNA Cross Country Course
 
Team Scores
1. Syracuse – 20
2. Butler – 47
3. Penn – 70
4. Penn State – 128
5. Navy – 158
6. St. Joseph's (Pa.) – 162
7. Youngstown State – 192
8. American – 200
 
Navy Top 7
30. Alexander Kirkland – 26:21.9 (25 points)
37. Ryan O'Dea – 26:31.3 (31)
39. Jack Rooney – 26:37.1 (32)
40. Nicolas Valdivieso – 26:43.6 (33)
44. Ben Countiss – 26:46.3 (37)
47. Justin Mumford – 26:51.4 (40)
48. Mitchell Rome – 26:52.6 (41)