LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall men's cross country won its home invitational on Thursday afternoon on Baker Campus. With the cancellation of the Paul Short Run, the Diplomats added this race to the schedule and made the most of it by capturing their first team title in an event since the 2021 season when they defeated Elizabethtown in head-to-head race.

The Diplomats put all five of their scoring runners among the top nine finishers. For the second time this season on his home course, Zach Houff was the individual champion as he covered the 5,000 meter course in a time of 15:38.4. Classmate Tommy Tapino was third in the field (15:58.5), while first-year Asher Walton (16:26.1) took fourth.

Seniors George Williams (16:48.9) and Aiden Cotter (17:00.0) officially sealed the team's victory as the fourth and fifth finishers on the F&M side. First-years Walter Mulroy (17:12.6) and Jack Johnson (17:26.9) were the sixth and seventh Diplomats to the finish line.

In an evening full of personal bests, 14 Diplomats in total competed in the race which featured 33 finishers. Harvey Li (17:31.3), Addison Neuen (17:48.0), Chase Bellamy (18:05.8), Cole Smith (18:22.3), Rowan Grant (18:35.0), Milo Burns (19:10.7), and Geoffrey Beane (19:34.7) also competed on the 5,000-meter Baker Campus course.

Looking to carry tonight's momentum into the remainder of the season, the Diplomats wrap up the regular season next Saturday, October 17 at Gettysburg's Aubrey Shenk Invitational. That will be the team's final race before the Centennial Conference Championship on Saturday, October 31.