LEBANON, Pa. - Eastern Men's Cross Country began its 2025 season on Saturday at the Dutchmen Invitational. The Eagles placed 6th out of 15 scoring teams with a 173.

Going into the race, the Eagles put a big emphasis on getting out of the gates controlled and working into the race after the second mile.

Senior Ryle Mellinger paced the Eagles with an 18th place finish, crossing the finish line in 26:54. The Glen Mills native averaged 3:22 per kilometer in his first race of his senior season. Junior Robert Walton finished second for the Eagles, crossing the finish line in 28:25 and averaging 3:33 per kilometer.

Sophomore Matthew Schilling ran his best race as an Eagle on Saturday, finishing with a PR of 28:51.

While it was not the result Head Coach Kiehl Smith was looking for in the season opener, he is confident that his squad will only grow and progress as the season continues.

"A lot of pieces didn't fall into place the way we hoped, but our placement as a team was very encouraging given a less than ideal race," Smith said. "Our guys are only 4 points from Metro Region #8, Ursinus. As the season progresses, this men's squad looks as though it can be a real threat at the conference and regional level."

Eastern will be back in action in two weeks at the Aggie Open.