By Alexandria Sedlak
As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, the winter sports approach. The men’s and women’s cross country teams will be transitioning into their indoor track season starting on Dec. 5 at Fordham’s Lombardi Center field house. While they train for this season and for the next one, let’s take a look back at last year to recap the teams’ accomplishments and notable moments.
The men’s team had a great season, with several runners scoring records and honors. Senior Quincy O’Connor came in fourth at the Metropolitan Championship in the 3,000m run, took tenth in the 5,000m run for the Atlantic 10 Championship and won first place for the 3,000m run in the Yale Classic. Sophomore Nik O’Brien was a member of the winning distance medley relay team at the Metropolitan Championship, and also took fifth in the 5,000m run there. Sophomore Brian Cook was another member of the winning distance medley relay team.
Senior Mike Turi was the Metropolitan champion for the 5,000m run with a time of 14:42.13 and placed sixth for the 5,000m run at the Atlantic 10 Championship. Sophomore Thomas Slattery and graduate student Jonathan Annelli were two stand outs, as they received the Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors during last year’s season. They earned this honor as part of the distance medley relay team that took second at the Atlantic 10 Championship. Annelli also placed seventh in the mile run at this same meet, and is a member of the distance medley relay team that set a school record with a time of 9:47.07 at the IC4A Championship, which secured them third place.
The women’s team also had a successful season last winter. Sophomore Jennifer Boerke was a member of the 4x400m relay that took third at the Metropolitan Championship. Sophomore Laura Jaeger, graduate student Brianna Tevnan and junior Shanna Heaney scored at the Metropolitan Championship as members of the distance medley relay team that placed second with a time of 12:25.14. Sophomore Merissa Wright came in eighth at the Atlantic 10 Championship in the 800m run, and was part of the distance medley relay team that came in eighth at the ECAC Championship.
Most notably, senior Danielle Rowe was a First Team All-Atlantic 10 honoree who was a part of the winning 4×800 meter relay at the Atlantic 10 Championship, and also came in fourth for the 500m run. She was a Second Team All-East selection, as well, as a part of the 4×800 relay at the ECAC Championship that finished in second place with a school record time of 8:45.02. Finally, at the Metropolitan Championship, Rowe took second in the 500m run and third in the 4×400 relay.
Both the men’s and women’s indoor track teams had memorable seasons last year, and they are looking to have equally memorable ones this year. There is little doubt that with their continuous hard work and dedication, the Rams will make a name for themselves on the track and field in the upcoming months. As freshman Kate McCormack put it, “I am really looking forward to an exciting track season and to the new competition.”
