POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Fairfield University Men's Cross Country started the 2026 campaign with a team victory at the Marist Season Opener at the Preserve at Vassar in Poughkeepsie. The Stags placed first of four teams in a field that included two Metro Conference foes, led by a third-place individual finish from Kyle Haskell.
 
Posting a 6K time of 19:49, Haskell was the first of Fairfield's three top-10 finishers to cross the line. All five of the Stags' scoring runners were among the top half of the 30-runner field to help Fairfield aggregate a meet-best 47 points. Siena placed second with 52 points followed by Albany in third place and host Marist in fourth.
 
The team win is Fairfield's first in more than a decade. The Stags tied for first place at the 2015 Fr. Victor F. Leeber, S.J. Invitational – finishing second officially on a tiebreaker – and last won a meet outright at the 2013 edition of the Fr. Leeber Invitational.
 
Following Haskell on the course, Harrison Caprara placed eighth with a time of 20:03.9. Chayan Ory Hurley was 10th in his collegiate debut at 20:09.2 and Bryce Robinson was one second behind him at 20:10.2 for 11th place. Daniel Norton rounded out the Stags' scoring quintet in 15th place, clocking in at 20:21.2.
 
A total of 12 Stags hit the course this evening at Vassar, including debuting rookie Benjamin Brasfield with a time of 20:22.9 and Gabriel Montoya right behind him at 20:24.9. Colin Shand cracked the top 20 overall with a mark of 20:39.1.
 
Colston Wisotzki (20:53.0), rookie James Vissichelli (21:03.8), Charlie Tessier (21:49.2), and Owen Fletcher (21:50.1) also hit the course to open their 2026 accounts on Friday.
 
Marist's Sean Galvin set the pace with a winning time of 19:31.0.
 
Fairfield Cross Country is back in action in two weeks on Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Jasper Fall XC Invite at Blue Sky Sports Complex in Middletown, N.Y. The course will also play host of the 2026 Metro Conference Championship.