Riverdale, N.Y. -- With their top runner Milos Vuckovic not participating, the Manhattan College men's cross country team took part in the the Iona College Paddy Doyle Meet of Champions in Van Cortlandt Park and finished 20th. The women's team also took part in the meet and finished 17th.
"We got too spread out through the course today and that hurt our team scoring for both squads," said Manhattan head coach Dan Mecca. "Both the men and women are training well and we are looking for stronger results as we train to peak at our conference and regional championships in October and November. As both women and men return from injuries our squads will get stronger."
Due to the construction fencing in the park the women ran a 6.1 kilometer course and the men's course was just over the 5 mile distance.
The Manhattan women's squad was led by sophomore Maria Jangsten who ran a 24:44 to finish 66th overall. She was followed by junior Jelena Rankovic (25:11, 90th overall); senior Mary Consiglio (25:17, 96th overall); freshman Laura Grotjohann (25:42, 118th oveall); senior Nicole Hallenbeck (28:06.67, 170th overall) and freshman Kelsey Blakeney (28:49.73, 176th overall).
"On the women's side," said Mecca, "we didn't run freshmen Meghan Marro (recovering from knee surgery), Maya Little, Erin Bayer and Emmy Koskinen, all of whom are preparing for the next races at Fairfield University and the Metropolitan Cross Country Championships in at Van Cortlandt on October 9th."
The men's side today was led junior Stephen Jochem, who finished in 27:22 to place 85th overall. Also scoring were freshman Pat Carroll (27:24, 88th overall); sophomore Kevin D'Emic (27:58, 115th overall); freshman Billy Wilkens (28:32, 142nd overall); sophomore Tom Daly (28:32, 143rd overall); senior Matt Kaftanski (28:43, 148th overall).