Oct. 26, 2004
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Fairfield University men's and women's cross country teams will travel to the Walt Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., for the 2004 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships on Saturday, Oct. 30.
The day's festivities commence on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. with the 6,000-meter women's championship race, followed by the 8,000-meter men's race slated to go off at around 9:45 a.m.
Both teams are looking to improve their sixth place finishes from the last two seasons, as they head to the "Sunshine State." Senior Bryan Mahoney was the top male runner for the Stags with a 27:26.3, at last year's MAAC Championships, at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Junior Shannon Kenefick led the Fairfield women with a 23:59.3.
Fairfield has made steady progress this season under first-year Head Coach Jennifer Wyshner. Last week the women's team finished fifth at the Central Connecticut State Mini-Meet at Stanley Quarter Park in New Britain, Conn., while the Fairfield men finished seventh in the men's race.
"Both teams are excited to be heading to Florida," Wyshner said. "We've been tapering their training, so they will be competitive for this weekend. We want to do better than we did last season."
The CCSU Mini-Meet served as a warm up for this weekend's MAAC Championships, as the women ran over a 3,322-meter course, while the men ran a 5k race. Kenefick was the top runner for the Stags last weekend with a 12:20, while senior Stephanie Stote posted a 12:24, followed by Lauren Wilson with a 12:36, and freshman Megan Krueger with a 13:19.
"The opportunity is there for the women to do well this weekend," Wyshner stated. "In the last couple of races, I've noticed the girls running together and pushing each other to do well. Hopefully this will help us out on Saturday."
Mahoney was the top runner for the men, crossing the line in 16:05, followed by junior Justin Rindos who was right on Mahoney's heels with a 16:06. Freshman Craig Sabatini was third on the team with a 16:52, followed by A.J. Kastanitis with a 16:56, and Andrew Lawrence with a 17:12.
"The men's team has been improving week in and week out," Wyshner said of the men's team. "We are looking to race and looking to compete. If we continue to do what we have done all season, then we should do really well.
This is the second time the MAAC Championships are being held at the Disney Sports Complex. In 2000, the Fairfield men finished seventh overall, while the women finished eighth.
At the 2003 MAAC Championships, Iona won the men's race followed by Marist, Manhattan, Rider, Loyola (Md.), Fairfield, Siena, Saint Peter's, Niagara, and Canisius. Loyola won the women's race followed by Iona, Siena, Manhattan, Marist, Fairfield, Canisius, Rider, Niagara, and Saint Peter's.
The men's and women's teams finish the season, with a pair of races at Van Cortlandt Park, beginning with the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships on Saturday, Nov. 13. A week later, Fairfield will run in the ECAC/IC4A Championships, for the final race of the 2004 season.
