POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Led by a second place individual finish by junior Mia Strazzella, the Fairfield University women's cross country team opened its 2025 season on Saturday morning at the Marist Season Opener held at the Preserve at Vassar.  As a team, the Stags took second place in the five-team event with a total of 40 points, 10 points behind first place host Marist.

Strazzella covered the 5k course in a time of 18:54.7. Sophomore Sophie Cheesman (19:09.0) in fifth place and freshman Bridget Reidy (19:14.3) in seventh place turned in top-10 finishes for head coach Jake Jayworth's team in Saturday's season opener.

Taylor Partridge (19:31.5) and Carlina Castro (19:48.2) completed the point scorers for the Stags at Marist, as they finished in 12th and 14th places respectively.

Catherine Gobo (19:48.8), Clare Lowther (19:58.5) and Molly Ryle (20:29.0) all had top-20 finishes in their 2025 season debut.

Ada Gebauer (20:39.4), Callie DeDecko (21:25.0), Haley Rieckelman (22:08.3) and Michaela Kenny (22:14.3) rounded out the squad's finishers in the 2025 season opener that featured 41 runners.

Fairfield returns to competition in two weeks at the Manhattan University Invitational that will take place on the Twin Ponds on the Ponds course in Montgomery, New York which will also be the site of the MAAC Championship Meet on November 1.