LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – Senior captain Robert Dillon was the first Stag to cross the line Saturday at the Siena Invitational, with an 8K time of 26:39.8 to lead Fairfield University men's cross country in its season opener.
"The heat made for tough racing conditions today, but I'm really proud of how everyone competed," said Head Coach Jake Duckworth, following his first meet as coach. "We're coming away from the race with some great performances to start the season and we look forward to carrying this momentum into next week when we return for the Iona Br. John Paddy Doyle Meet of Champions at Van Cortlandt Park."
One of two Stags to finish in the top ½ of the 191 runner field, sophomore Jacob Bornstein crossed the line with a time of 27:21.7 to come home 98th overall. The middle of the pack saw freshmen Ryan Lindley and Nevan Kelley finish back to back with times within a second of each other and nine seconds back of them was classmate Alex Petersen with a time of 28:42.4 to round out the team score for the Stags who finished 11th out of 15 schools competing this weekend, the first of two appearances for Fairfield at The Crossings of Colonie, which is also the site of the 2022 MAAC Championships
"This race was a good opportunity for the team to familiarize themselves with the course before returning for the MAAC Championships in seven weeks," said Duckworth on the benefit of starting the season at a course they will revisit within the same season.
Fairfield men's cross country is back in action next Friday, Sept. 16, for the Iona Br. John Paddy Doyle Meet of Champions at Van Cortlandt Park.
