The MAAC Cross Country Championship returns to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y. and the Stags are ready to take to the course on for the event on Friday, October 28. The women's 6K will begin at 12pm while the men's 8K is set to go off at 12:45pm. 

The MAAC will conclude the day's events by honoring the best and brightest from the 2011 cross country season at an awards banquet scheduled for 2:30pm. on the Manhattan College campus. Fans can follow the banquet beginning at 3 p.m. on MAAC.TV. Click here to view the live events page. For more information about the event, visit MAAC Championship Central.

Iona College is the defending men's and women's team champion. The Gaels' Leonard Korir was the men's individual champion last year, while fellow Gael Heidi Gregson won the women's race.

The Stags have consistently moved up at the MAAC Championships over the last five seasons. At last year's event, held at Hammonasset State Park in Madison, Conn., the Fairfield men finished fourth overall, recording their highest finish since 1997. The women's team placed fifth overall for their best finish since 1994. Howie Rosas and Meghan Sullivan were the Stags' top-finishers, both placing 25th overall in their respective races.

Fairfield has had a strong season building up to the MAAC Championships. The men's team won both the Leeber and O'Neil Invitationals. They also placed second at the Marist College Mini Meet and finished 13th out of 46 teams at the Paul Short Run. The women's team enters the MAAC Championships coming off a victory at the O'Neil Invitational. They also placed third at the Leeber Invitational and finished 11th overall at the Iona Meet of Champions.