FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Men's and Women's Cross Country return to Twin Ponds on the Farm in Montgomery, N.Y. this Saturday for the 2023 MAAC Championship. The women's championship 6K race will take place at 11 a.m., followed by the men's championship 8K race at 12 p.m.
 
This will be the Stags' second time running the course this fall, as they competed in the Jasper Fall XC Invite in September. At that meet, the men were led by Chase Orciuch's time of 27:19.2. Mia Stazzella paced the women's team with a 6K time of 23:01.1.
 
The Stags are looking to build on their last two MAAC Championship appearances, where they finished 8th in 2022 and 9th in 2021. Fairfield has not competed in three weeks, granting each squad needed extra time to prepare and recover for this weekend's championship race. 
 
On the men's side, first-year Stag Olli Muniz is looking to replicate much of what he's been able to build on this season, running 27:17.6 in his last 8k at Franklin Park in Boston. The rookie trio of Strazzella, Natalie Haracz and Isabella Colabatistto has set the tone on the women's side.
 
After Saturday's race, the Stags turn their attention to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx for the 2023 NCAA Northeast Regional Championship on Friday, Nov. 10.