Fordham Cross Country competed at the Manhattan College-hosted Jasper XC Invitational this past Saturday in Montgomery, N.Y., and finished in the top half of both the men’s and women’s fields.
The men were sixth out of a 20-team field, and the women were seventh in a grouping of 19 squads. While neither section “won the day,” they competed valiantly against schools such as Quinnipiac and Rider, who won the women’s and men’s sides respectively. Cansius Senior Tom Appenheimer was the men’s individual winner. He finished with a time of 24:33.6 over the five-mile course.
As for the men of Fordham, freshman Sean Reidy led the way. Entering competition, he was the reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week thanks to his second-place finish at the Fordham Fiasco. The White Plains native rose to the occasion for a second week in a row. He placed 21st in a field of 189 qualifying finishers with a time of 25:45.6.
Freshmen Matthew McCabe and Jack Boerger were next to cross the finish line for the Rams. McCabe placed 37th in 26:19.0, and Boerger finished 42nd with a time of 26:24.3.
Sophomore Darren Croke was not far behind McCabe or Boerger. The Fordham Prep product placed 45th in 26:27.4. Additionally, freshman John Corrigan, sophomore Ben Borchers and freshman Tadael Mihret finished 47th, 55th and 66th respectively.
Quinnipiac senior Liv DiStefano won the women’s side with a time of 20:56.6.
This past week’s Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week, freshman Meredith Gotzman led Fordham’s women. The Maryland native was third overall at the Fordham Fiasco and dashed her way to 27th place with a time of 22:29.4 this past Saturday.
Senior Marin Bogulski was the next Fordham woman to finish the 6K course. She placed 53rd in the field of 193 qualifying finishers with a time of 23:17.2.
Freshman Kate Meeks and senior Maddy Kopec also performed well. Meeks placed 58th in 23:31.4 while Kopec finished 62nd in 23:46.1.
Freshman Sarah Zahaykevich was also able to finish among the top 70 runners. The Port Jervis native placed 66th with a final time of 23:59.4.
The men and women of Cross Country did not dominate the Jasper XC Invitational, but each group showed they could hold their own against some of the region’s best runners.
They’ll have to show a similar edge in two weeks’ time on Saturday, Sept. 30 when they head to Bethlehem, Pa. for the Paul Short Invitational hosted by Lehigh University.
