Men Take Second, Women Fourth at MAAC Cross Country Championships

Results: Men | Women

Holmdel, NJ - The Manhattan College men's cross country team posted a second-place overall finish at the 2017 MAAC Championships held Saturday, October 28 at Holmdel Park, jumping up two spots from last year's fourth-place MAAC finish.

The women's team, led by a third-place finish from junior Lisa Fajardo (Brooklyn, NY / Bishop Kearney), finished fourth overall, up one spot from last year.

"The team showed up ready to fight and they were on the line and they were loose and confident," said Head Coach Kerri Gallagher. "What I saw out there was a lot of heart...and we came away with results that I was really proud of."

Men at a Glance:
 

• The Manhattan team completed the 8,000-meter circuit with a total time of 2:13:00, losing out to a strong Iona team that had all five of the top five finishers.
• Junior Amir Khaghani (Bethesda, MD / Walt Whitman) was Manhattan's top finisher, coming in ninth and posting a time of 25:48.
• Senior John Dove (Monroe, NY / Monroe-Woodbury) placed 17th, finishing at 26:31.
• Seven Manhattan runners placed in the top 30.

Women at a Glance:
 

• Fajardo completed the women's 6,000-meter race with a time of 21:32. She has earned three consecutive top 15 MAAC finishes, placing 12th last year and 13th in 2015.
• Junior Caroline Ferri (Garden City, NY / Garden City) placed 25th with a time of 22:51.
• Manhattan had four runners in the top 30.

Academic Honors:
Twenty members of men's and women's cross country teams earned all-academic honors from the MAAC this year. On the men's side, honors went to:

• Khaghani
• Dove
• Sophomore Adam Alshoubeki (Monroe, NY / Monroe-Woodbury)
• Sophomore Jack Consolini (Darien, CT / Darien)
• Sophomore Patrick Hennelly (Suffern, NY / Suffern)
• Junior Nick Matson (Clifton Park, NY / Shenendehowa)
• Junior Liam O'Brien (Clifton Park, NY / Christian Brothers Academy)
• Senior Chris Orlando (Newburyport, MA / Newburyport)
• Senior Drew Reda (Matawan, NJ / Quinnipiac)

For the women's team, academic honors went to:

• Fajardo
• Ferri
• Sophomore Megan Carmody (Rumford, RI / Bishop Feehan)
• Senior Kelly Gorman (South Amboy, NJ / Cardinal McCarrick)
• Sophomore Caitlin Hartnett (Tappan Zee, NY / Tappan Zee)
• Junior Sam Hoagland (Colts Neck, NJ / Colts Neck)
• Junior Keeley Hogan (Delmar, NY / Bethlehem Central)
• Senior Samantha Manalastas (Smithtown, NY / Smithtown West)
• Senior Kaitlyn Smith (Effort, PA / Pleasant Valley)
• Junior Erin Spadaccini (Wilmington, DE / Padua Academy)
• Junior Gianna Tinto (Kings Park, NY / Smithtown West)

To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.

Up Next:
Manhattan cross country will travel to Buffalo for the NCAA Regionals on Friday, November 10.