In the women’s 6K race, first-year Paul Smith’s student Wesley Burkit took 10th place overall in a time of 26 minutes. Her result was good enough to earn second-team All-American honors in the women’s 6K event.

Despite the humidity hovering around 90% and 72-degree temperatures, the Paul Smith’s College runners were able to overcome the late-season warm conditions.

Burkit was in 12th position after the first mile and over the next 2.7 miles, she was able to close the gap on the next two competitors.

Ellen Haas was the second Bobcats runner to cross the finish line, earning 18th place in a personal best time of 27:07.

Paul Smith’s Issoufou Garba-Hama competes in the men’s 8K race at the USCAA nationals in Chesapeake, Virginia on Friday. (Provided photo — Jim Tucker)

Although All-American honors go to the first 14 finishers, Haas’ time was almost one minute, 30 seconds faster than her time from a year ago when she finished 14th to earn second-team All-American honors. Haas continued to improve through the 2022 season, achieving faster and faster times.

The third Paul Smith’s runner to finish was Melody Ascioti, taking 45th place overall in 31:17. She was followed by her teammates Ellie Judice (33:18) in 53rd place and Kianna Hanson (35:08) in 56th. The women’s team finished in 7th place overall with 138 points, just six points back from the sixth-place team, Johnson and Wales Charlotte.

SUNY ESF won the women’s race with solid team performance, scoring 17 points, followed by Christendom College in Virginia in second place with 86 points and Bluefield State in West Virginia in third with 94 points.

On the men’s side, Paul Smith’s recorded its best finish since 2015. The Bobcats took fourth place with 110 points. SUNY ESF won the National Championship with 24 points, followed by Johnson and Wales Charlotte with 75 and Bluefield State (WV) with 95.

Paul Smith’s was led by first-year student Ryan Chiari who ran the 8K event in 31:53, placing 26th.

Senior captain Zack Sprott-Scribner finished close behind in 31:54 in 27th place and Carson Wohlers was the third Bobcat to cross the finish line in 33:12. Wohlers’ result was a personal best by more than 35 seconds.

Paul Smith’s Alex Cameron finished nearly a minute back in 34:11 in 39th place, followed by fellow senior, Issoufou Garba-Hama in 34:14. Issoufou surpassed his previous best by more than 1:15 and entered the Bobcats’ top five for the first time in his collegiate career.

The Bobcats’ Nate Shader placed 44th with a time of 34:24, followed by Logan Krahn in 35:36. Axel Linde finished in 65th place in 38:20, shaving nearly three minutes off his personal best in the 8K distance.