MANCHESTER, Conn. — The Trinity College Men's Cross Country team secured a 5th-place finish out of 11 teams at the Trinity Invitational held at Wickham Park on Saturday. The Bantams showcased their depth with four runners finishing in the top 25, highlighted by a strong debut from freshman Jack Blanchfield.

Blanchfield made an impressive collegiate debut, leading the Bantams on their home course. He completed the race in 16:52.20, securing a 10th-place overall finish.

Joining Blanchfield in the top 25 were teammates Tyler Johnson (17th place), Brendan Burm (18th place), and sophomore T.J. Sparno (24th place). Johnson and Burm finished nearly simultaneously, with just a tenth of a second separating them.

Sparno also made a notable improvement, finishing with a personal best of 17:15.60, a significant drop from his time of 17:35.70 from last year's invitational.

"We opened our 2024 cross country season hosting a great home meet at Wickham Park," said Trinity Head Coach John Michael Mason.  "This was the largest and most competitive home meet we've hosted in many years, and it was great to see out Bantams step up and run well against strong regional competition. It was a lot of fun to see our first-year students go out there and compete at a high level in their first collegiate race, and I was proud of the leadership, composure, and energy from our veterans. Excited for what's to come with both the men's and women's program this year!"

The Trinity Cross Country team will compete again on Saturday September 21st, at UMass Dartmouth in North Dartmouth, Mass. for a 11:15 a.m. start.