HARTFORD, Conn. — The Trinity College men's cross country team opened the 2025 season with a third-place finish at their home opener, the George Suitor Invitational, on Saturday morning at Wickham Park.

The meet began with a ceremony honoring retired Head Coach George Suitor, marking the renaming of the Trinity Invitational in his honor. Suitor guided Trinity's men's and women's cross country and track and field programs for 20 years before retiring in 2022, leaving a lasting legacy on both the Bantams and the New England running community.

Sophomore John Hutchins led the Bantams with a seventh-place finish in 16:53.90. He was followed closely by first-year Evan Small (17:04.80) and sophomores Tyler Johnson (17:17.50) and Brendan Burm (17:20.20), each recording top-25 finishes.

First-years Nielsen Kasser (17:22.40) and Theo Kessler (17:29.80) also impressed in their collegiate debuts, placing inside the top 30. Kasser crossed the line just 2 seconds behind Burm, securing 26th place overall.

"Today was a great home opener and a meaningful tribute to Coach Suitor," said Trinity Head Coach John Michael Mason. "Both our women's and men's teams represented Trinity well and showed that all the work they've been putting in will pay off if they keep stacking good weeks together. It was a good day to be a Bantam at the inaugural George Suitor Invitational."

The Bantams return to action at the Purple Valley Classic, hosted by Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., on Saturday, September 20 at 11:50 a.m.