Sept. 28, 2006
Fairfield will host the 30th installment of the Victor F. Leeber, S.J. Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 30. The men's race is set to begin at noon followed by the women's 5K race at 12:45 p.m. Both races will start from Lessing Field and the runners will traverse the picturesque Fairfield campus.
The 2006 field of competitors will feature men's and women's teams from Fairfield, NJIT, Sacred Heart, Saint Peter's, Siena and St. Francis (N.Y.).
Last year's competition provided excitement in both the men's and women's fields.
On the men's side, Hofstra took the team title, with Rudy Martinez posting a winning time of 25:55.8. The Pride had three of the top-five finishers on the day. Siena was the runner up followed by Sacred Heart, Fairfield and St. Francis (N.Y.). John LaCagnina crossed the line first for the Stags finishing with a time of 28:33.0.
Sacred Heart captured the team title on the women's side but it would be Hofstra's Mary Sullivan taking home the individual title. Sullivan, a freshman, completed the 5K in a time of 17:58.1. Hofstra was the runner up followed by Siena and Fairfield. For the Stags, Kara O'Connell was the top-finisher, crossing the line in 20:45.5.
Formerly known as the Fairfield Invitational, the race was renamed last season for Fr. Victor F. Leeber, who was the first coach in the history of program and one of the most prominent figures in the history of Fairfield University.
Fr. Leeber's tenure began in 1947 as he joined the faculty as a language instructor and an academic advisor. Best known for his love of athletics, Fr. Leeber asked for and received permission to start a cross-country and track and field program in 1948. He was named head coach of the cross country program and served in that capacity until 1950. Fr. Leeber remained active in the athletic department, as he was the team chaplain for both the football and men's basketball teams until his retirement. He was officially dubbed the "Father of Sports" and inducted into the Fairfield University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992.
