Cross Country Finishes in Middle of Pack at Iona MOC

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The men’s cross country team finished fourth out of seven teams.

By Emmanuel Berbari

The men’s cross country team finished fourth out of seven teams. (Courtesy of Fordham Athletics)

Both Fordham cross country teams were back in action this past Friday at Van Cortlandt Park, competing in the Iona Meet of Champions. Looking to improve upon third place finishes at the Fordham Fiasco meet, the Rams mustered a nearly identical result.

In the Division I field, Fordham placed third out of five teams on the women’s side, while the men placed a respectable fourth out of seven squads.
Columbia came out victorious on both sides, with its men and women combining for impressive scores of 29 and 39 points, respectively. Arkansas (48) was the runner-up in men’s, while Iona (48) posed the biggest threat to the Lions in women’s.

In the women’s 5K race, the Rams were led by sophomore Abigail Taylor, who took 15th place in 19:21.4. Stepanie Leo (17th in 19:22.4), Katarzyna Krzyzanowski (18th in 19:23.0), and Sydney Snow (19th in 19:24.0) also made significant contributions.

Sophomore Ryan Kutch, who finished 11th-best in the 8K in 26:10.9, was the standout performer for the men. Thomas Slattery (25th in 27:07.6), Fritz Heinrich (41st in 27:35.8) and Giancarlo Cipri (53rd in 27:59.0) crossed the line in respectable times, staying consistent with recent results.
The Rams also competed in the NYIT Invitational on Saturday, although the meet did not carry as much weight, with many of Fordham’s top options remaining in the Bronx to rest up.

Even without those key competitors, the teams stacked up well. On the men’s side, Fordham took second place among Division I teams in attendance. The women, trailing behind Seton Hall (24) and St. John’s (37), finished third.
Sophomore Sean Sullivan produced a stellar result for the men in the 8K race, coming in third at 24:53.38, while junior Blake Elwood placed ninth overall in the women’s 5K race in 19:59.16.

Fordham will be back in action on Friday, Sept. 29, when it competes at the Paul Short Invitational. Lehigh University will play host to the races, which are set to commence at 10 a.m.