BRONX, N.Y. – Following a seventh place showing at the season opener last weekend, Fairfield University men's and women's cross country returns to the course this Friday, Sept. 16 for the Br. John "Paddy" Doyle Meet of Champions hosted by Iona College. The Michael Byrne Men's Championship 8k will open the meet at 10:00 AM followed by the Joe Dula Women's Championship 5k at 10:45 AM.
The course at Van Cortlandt Park may become a familiar course for the Stags this season, as the Bronx Park is also the site of both the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Meet on Oct. 14 and the 2022 NCAA Northeast Regionals on Oct. 29.
Last weekend's season opener at the Siena Invitational was the Stags place seventh in the 13-team field, with the top-five Stags all crossing the line in 90th place or better, highlighted by senior Courtney Kitchen who crossed the line in 14th place, and ran the fastest 5k time of her Fairfield career. On the men's side, senior captain Robert Dylan was the first Stag to cross the line Saturday at the Siena Invitational, with an 8K time of 26:39.
This weekends field includes a total of 11 schools, ten participating in each event. Army, Binghamton, Buffalo, Columbia, Concordia-St. Paul, UConn, Iona, and Yeshiva will send out both their men's and women's programs along with the Stags, with Quinnipiac participating in the men's meet, and St. John's competing solely in the women's 5k.
Following their second weekend in The Empire State, Fairfield women's cross country will have two weeks before their next meet Friday, Sept. 30 when they close out the month in Bethlehem, Pa. for the Paul Short Run hosted by Lehigh University.
