WATERFORD, Conn. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's cross country team placed five student-athletes in the top 45 and the No. 16 Engineers finished fourth in the 26-school, 8k Connecticut College Invitational hosted at Harkness Park. RPI had 143 points, which trailed only No. 3 Williams (37), No. 4 MIT (43) and No. 18 Middlebury (114). The host Camels, who are No. 34 in the latest USTFCCCA Poll, were fifth with 170 points.

The Engineers were led by graduate student John Reed, who finished in 25:23.20 to place 18th overall. He ran the first 2.8k in 8:31.7 and closed with a 16:51.5.

Junior Matt Lecky was nine seconds and five spots behind Reed to finish 23rd overall, while Owen Szabo and Steven Spreizer were 28th and 30th, respectively. Lecky finished in 25:32.5, which was less than two seconds from 21st, and Szabo ran a 25:39.0. Spreizer pushed through the final 5.2k in 17:02.7 to move up eight spots from his position at 2.8k and crossed with a time of 25:44.5.

Also scoring for RPI was Jason Gibbons, who ran a 26:01.4 and a 45th place finish in the 192-person field.
 
The Engineers are back to racing on October 30 in the Liberty League Championship, which will take place at the Saratoga Spa State Park.