BOSTON – Fairfield University Men's and Women's Cross Country travel to Massachusetts this Saturday, Oct. 7 for the New England Championship at Franklin Park in Boston. The women's 5k will take place at 12 p.m. followed by the men's 8k at 12:45 p.m. 
 
Franklin Park has become a look-ahead spot on the calendar in recent memory for the Stags. Dating back to 2013, the squad has appeared in the New England Championship field in eight of the last 10 campaigns. The Stags are looking to use this familiarity to their advantage this weekend to build on their 2023 season.
 
Alex Petersen looks to continue a successful sophomore season after crossing the line first for the Stags last week at Lehigh with a time of 28:05.3. On the women's side, the Stags class of 2027 has been a bright spot, highlighted by Mia Strazzella, Natalie Haracz and Isabella Colabatistto.
 
The men's and women's lineups for Saturday include representatives from 15 Division I programs across New England. The full field features harriers from American International, Assumption, Bentley, Brown, Bryant, Dartmouth, Fairfield, Hartford, Holy Cross, Merrimack, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Providence, Quinnipiac, Rhode Island, Sacred Heart, Simmons, Stonehill, Tufts, UMass Amherst and UMass Lowell. 
 
After this weekend's trip to the Commonwealth, the Stags will prepare for the CCSU Mini Meet at Stanley Quarter Park in New Britain, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 20. The local race is Fairfield's final tune-up for the upcoming MAAC Championship.