While the MAAC Cross Country Championships won't be for another seven weeks, the Siena Men's and Women's Cross-Country teams gained more familiarity and put forth a strong showing at the Jasper Invite on Saturday at Twin Ponds on the Farm—the site of where those very same championships will be held.
The Siena Men placed second as a team with 63 points, only trailing Stony Brook (24 points). The Saints finished ahead of 11 other competing teams including Fordham (78 points), Marist (81), Rider (134), host Manhattan (212), Merrimack (242), Sacred Heart (242), Fairfield (251), Quinnipiac (265), Marywood (273), Felician (363), and the USMMA (375).
On the women's side, the Saints were a respectful tied in third with 97 points while the top three finishers were Stony Brook (49), Quinnipiac (68), and Rider (97). Finishing next was Marist (122), Fordham (164), Fairfield (179), Sacred Heart (184), Merrimack (204), Manhattan (281), and Felician (343).
"It was a really good first step for most of the team," said head coach Elizabeth DeBole. "The idea was to practice racing the second half and build intensity. The team got a good feel for the course—which will be the MAACs—and we have areas we know we will improve upon over these next six weeks."
Individually, graduate student Killian McNamee secured the best time among all Siena runners and a college best time with a 24:51.9, good for third place overall. Sophomore Collin Brown finished in 25:12.7 to place sixth while graduate student Christopher DeForest was in 13th place in 25:38.9.
Collin Clinton (25.47.0) and Luke Tkaczyk (25:52.2) were 19th and 22nd, respectively in the 8K race.
Top finishers on the women's half included performances from a trio of seniors in Julia Caputo (21:05.0) in seventh, Claire Gardner (21:32.7) in eighth and Keira Flaherty in 21st (22:22.4) as well as graduate student Katie Hesler (22:25.8) in 25th in the 6K race.
Siena will take a couple weeks off from competition before returning to the courses on Saturday, October 5 in the Paul Short Run at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA at the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course.
