LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – It was a highlight day for senior runner Courtney Kitchen Saturday, as she led Fairfield University women's cross country with a 14th place finish in their season opener at the Siena Invitational.
"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."
Kitchen ran a 5K time of 18:37.7 to finish 14th out of 191 runners, with a pace of 6:00 flat, her fastest-time as a Stag and places her as a top-25 All-Time Performer at the Crossings of Colonie, which will also be the site of the 2022 MAAC Championships in October. Overall, Fairfield placed six runners in the top half of the field to finish seventh out of 13 schools competing this weekend.
"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.
Senior captain Danielle Grosso finished second on the team and placed 38th overall with a time of 19:31.7 (6:18 pace). Four other Stags also placed within the top-91 runners including junior Catherine Lanahan who ran a 20:00.1 to come home 69th, followed by junior Emily DallaRiva (85th), freshman Molly Ryle (87th), and senior Anna Weissenberg (89th).
Fairfield women'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.
