Sept. 29, 2003
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Fairfield University men's and women's cross country teams will host the 27th annual Fairfield University Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 4, on the Fairfield University Campus. At last seasons race the Fairfield men took home the team title. The women's race is schedule to start off at 12 p.m., while the men's race is set to go off at 12:45 p.m. The Alumni Race is also slated for Saturday afternoon, and will start at 1:30 p.m.
The Field: three teams including the Stags will traverse the Fairfield campus, with Siena and Sacred Heart making up the field.
Last Time Out (9/26): The Fairfield University men's and women's cross country teams, running in competition for the first time in 13 days, both finished fifth at the 2003 Quinnipiac Cross Country Invitational, on Sept. 26.
The men's team finished ahead of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) rival, Siena, while the women finished ahead of the University of Connecticut.
Colleen Brasser led the Fairfield women with a 20:08.6, which was good for a 17th place overall finish. Cara Muzik was second on the team with a 20:25.2, while Lauren Wilson (20:32.9), Stephanie Stote (20:34.5), and Kara O'Connell (21:15.9) rounded out the top five for the Stags.
On the men's side, Justin Rindos finished the five-mile course in 28:13.1 to lead the Stags. Senior Bryan Mahoney running in his first race this season was second for Fairfield with a 28:28.2. A.J. Kastanotis who was the Stags top runner last time out finished third on the team with a 28:58.9. Matt Borland (29:29.8) and Mike Dougherty (29:44.5) made up the top five for the men's team.
Last Year's Fairfield Invitational (10/4/02): The Fairfield University men's cross country team won the 26th annual Fairfield Invitational, Friday afternoon.
Sophomore Bryan Mahoney (Milton, Mass./Milton) finished the five-mile course around the Fairfield campus in a time of 27:39, to lead the Stags to their first Fairfield Invite Title since the 1997 season.
Fairfield had six runners in the top 20, to finish ahead of Northeastern, Sacred Heart, Siena, and Hartford, as a light drizzle fell throughout the race.
Freshman Justin Rindos (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) finished fourth overall with a 28:31 mark. He was followed by junior Mike Dougherty (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) who posted a 28:36 eighth place overall finish.
Sophomore Dean Cantamessa (Bergenfield, NJ/Bergen Catholic), and junior co-captain Matt Borland (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central) rounded out the scoring for the Stags posting 11th and 12th place finishes. Cantamessa had a 28:43, and Borland had a 28:57.
Senior Erin Heslin (Kensington, Conn./Berlin) led the women's team with a 5th place overall finish, posting a 19:40. Sophomore Lauren Wilson (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) was second on the team with a 20:17, for 12th place overall.
Meet The Coaches: Head Coach Andrew Harrington enters his third season as the men's and women's cross country head coach at Fairfield University. Since taking over the reigns at his alma mater, both teams have improved their standings in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championships each season. His teams have also succeeded off the course and in the classroom, as eight runners have been named to the MAAC Cross Country All-Academic Team. Harrington became the 11th head coach of the first varsity sport at Fairfield University. The cross country program began in the fall of 1948.
A 2000 graduate, Harrington was a member of the cross country team for four seasons, serving as the team's captain while a senior. He also served as a representative to the Student Academic Athletic Committee (SAAC) while a member of the cross country team. After graduation he worked with Survey Sampling Inc., as an account executive before accepting the position of head coach of the men's and women's cross country teams. In addition to his coaching duties, Harrington also assists with the event management of several Fairfield University athletic teams. He currently resides in Bridgeport, Conn.
Assistant Coach Erin Heslin: One of the best runners in Fairfield University cross country history, Erin Heslin joins Fairfield University's men's and women's cross country Head Coach Andrew Harrington as an assistant coach this season, after finishing her stellar career last fall. Helsin currently holds six of the top 20 finishes at Van Cortlandt Park, including the top three times. She ran a 19:34.4 at last season at the ECAC/IC4A Championships, eclipsing her previous best of 19:36.1 at the same race in 2001. She was awarded the Fairfield University Co-Female Athlete of the Year, as a senior.
The Kensington, Conn. native was a three-time member of the MAAC All-Academic Team, and won the Quinnipiac Invitational in 2002 with a 19:28.3. She also won the University of Hartford Invitational as a junior. She finished as the Stags top runner in every race as a freshman, sophomore, and senior. Heslin is currently a mathematics teacher at Trumbull High School and resides in Fairfield, Conn.
Success Off The Course: Last season five members of the men's and women's cross country teams were named to the New York Lottery/ Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Cross Country All-Academic Team.
Matthew Borland (Montgomery, NY), Jeffrey Illustrato (Pelham Manor, NY), Bryan Mahoney (Milton, Mass.), and James Naldi (Huntington, NY) were all named to the men's squad, and Erin Heslin was named to the women's team.
To be included in the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must complete two semesters at their institution, be a significant starter or reserve and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.
This was the third time she had been named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. It was Borland, Illustrato, and Naldi's second appearance on the MAAC All-Academic team, and Mahoney's first selection.
Up Next: Both teams will head to Boston, Mass. to run in the New England Championships, at Franklin Park.
