LOUDONVILLE, NY – With the 2025 Cross Country season set to begin next weekend, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) released the Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll on Thursday morning. 

After the Siena Men finished third and the Siena Women placed fourth in last season's MAAC Championship under head coach Elizabeth DeBole, the balloting by the 13 league coaches have high expectations once again for the Saints as the poll slotted them to finish in second on the men's side and fourth in the women's standings.

A model of consistency, Siena has secured a top-five finish by both teams in each of the previous seven seasons.

Thirty-four-time defending MAAC champion Iona was chosen to finish first once again on the men's side with 169 votes including all 13 first-place votes.

The Gaels have won an NCAA record, 34 straight MAAC Men's Championships dating back to 1991, and the program has claimed a MAAC-leading 39 total men's titles since the MAAC inception in 1981.

The Siena Men's Cross Country team received one more vote than it did from last year's poll with 150 votes followed by Rider (143), Merrimack (123), who jumped up two spots from a year ago, and Marist (119) to round out the top five.

The rest of the standings included Canisius (104), Mount St. Mary's (87), Manhattan (70), Fairfield (65), Sacred Heart (49), Quinnipiac (46), Niagara (45), and Saint Peter's (13). 

The Saints return 19 student-athletes to its roster including All-MAAC graduate student Jackson Cayward (finished second in the 2023 MAAC Cross Country Championships with a time of 24:33.4), senior Tyler Greene (placed 13^th in the 2023 MAAC Cross Country Championships with a time of 25:16.1) and junior Colin Brunelle (named to MAAC All-Rookie team in 2024 after running the 8K event for the first time in 24:46.2).

Three-time defending MAAC Women's Cross-Country champion Quinnipiac was selected first once again with 166 votes and 10 first-place votes followed closely by Iona who had 155 votes and three first-place votes.

The Bobcats captured the 2024 MAAC Women's Championship last season, duplicating their team score of 31 to claim their third straight conference title, and fourth overall in program history. 

Rider was projected to finish in third place with 135 votes while Siena was slotted fourth with 123 votes ahead of Marist (118), Sacred Heart (99) and Canisius (83).

The women's poll was rounded out by Merrimack (78), Fairfield (71), Manhattan (50), Mount St. Mary's (48), Niagara (44) and Saint Peter's (13).  

The Saints enter a more youthful squad this season with just 12 returning student-athletes as opposed to 17 returning student-athletes last season.

With Julia Caputo, Claire Gardner and Keira Flaherty (all top 24 finishers from a season ago) having graduated, the Saints will be led by junior Faith Skowvron (finished in 38^th overall with a time of 22:17.8), senior Julianna Tourangeau (22:37.1) and senior Mattingly O'Rourke (23:15.0) as top returners. 

Siena takes back to the course on Saturday, August 30 at the Marist Opener in Poughkeepsie on Vassar Farm.

The races are set to begin at 9 a.m. 2025 will mark the third straight year that the championship races will be held at Twin Ponds on the Farm and the meets will be hosted by Manhattan College for the 31st time on Saturday, November 1.

For all information regarding the 2025 MAAC Men's & Women's Cross Country Championships, please visit maacsports.com/xc.
 

2025 Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
1	Iona	169 (13)
2	Siena	150
3	Rider	143
4	Merrimack	123
5	Marist	119
6	Canisius	104
7	Mount St. Mary's	87
8	Manhattan	70
9	Fairfield	65
10	Sacred Heart	49
11	Quinnipiac	46
12	Niagara	45
13	Saint Peter's	13

 

2025 Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
1	Quinnipiac	166 (10)
2	Iona	155 (3)
3	Rider	135
4	Siena	123
5	Marist	118
6	Sacred Heart	99
7	Canisius	83
8	Merrimack	78
9	Fairfield	71
10	Manhattan	50
11	Mount St. Mary's	48
12	Niagara	44
13	Saint Peter's	13