A good start often indicates that an even greater finish is on the horizon. This is the line of thinking one should consider when explaining Fordham Cross Country’s first competition of the season this past Saturday. Both the men’s and women’s units were present for the annual Stony Brook Invitational, where both individual and team success was measured against some other top notch programs such as Columbia University and Quinnipiac University. As expected, Fordham performed valiantly and, while neither collective team won their respective competitions, there are certainly a number of positives that should be cause for optimism.

The men finished fourth out of six teams and collected 97 points in the process. Junior Steven Zucca led the charge, clocking in at 19:16.6 and individually finishing 10th in the 6K race. Freshman Nicholas Grabarz was not far behind Zucca. He placed 21st with a time of 19:54.0. Junior Justin Lombardi also had a strong showing. The junior finished 26th in the field of 67, coming in at 20:18.30. Further, graduate student Zalen Nelson, freshmen Ben Borchers, Matthew Febles and Trevor Rinn all finished between spots 30-40.

The women’s crew placed fifth out of the seven teams involved and earned 128 points. Senior Alexandra Thomas was the top finisher for Fordham. The Tappan, N.Y. product finished 12th in the 71-person field, and ended with a time of 14:54.4 over the 4K run. Sophomore Caroline McDonagh and senior Mary Kathryn Underwood also had solid outings. Each placed between spots 20 and 30, and helped keep their crew in the competition.

All told, it was a good start for cross country’s season. However, this is a bunch that holds themselves to high standards. One can be sure they see next Saturday’s Fordham Fiasco at Van Cortlandt Park as a golden opportunity to build on what went well at Stony Brook, and ensure that their good start serves as a prelude to an even greater finish.