Results: IC4A (Men) | ECAC (Women)
RIVERDALE, N.Y. – On Saturday morning, the Manhattan College men's and women's cross country teams concluded the 2015 season with the annual ECAC/IC4A Championships at Van Cortlandt Park. Led by a 14th-place showing from Tom Diliberto (Massapequa Park, N.Y.), the men's team finished eighth in the team standings. The women's squad, meanwhile, earned its first top 10 finish since 2007.
Because of the size of the ECAC, the competition is divided into championship and university sections. Manhattan participated in the university division on both the men's and women's sides.
In the five-mile men's race, Diliberto was the Jaspers' top finisher for the third straight race. His time was 26:10.4. Amir Khaghani (Bethesda, Md.) capped a strong freshman season with a 41st-place finish (26:55.3), while Nick Matson (Clifton Park, N.Y.) grabbed 48th place with a 27:01.3 clocking. Joseph Lundberg (Freehold, N.J.) took 52nd in 27:05.6, and Chris Orlando (Newburyport, Mass.) was 62nd in 27:16.1. Steven Forte (Bellmore, N.Y.) (78th, 27:36.8) and Christian McLaughlin (Allenhurst, N.J.) (83rd, 27:45.8) capped Manhattan's top seven.
Manhattan's team score of 216 points was good for eighth place, the Jaspers' best finish since taking sixth in 2011. Northeastern won the team title with 77 points, and Chad Maloy of Canisius was the individual winner (25:28.4).
Lisa Fajardo (Brooklyn, N.Y.) wrapped up her freshman campaign by leading Manhattan in the women's race. Her 5000-meter time of 19:02.1 was good for 21st place overall. Lorraine Brancale (Staten Island, N.Y.) finished 39th in 19:22.3, while Keeley Hogan (Delmar, N.Y.) was 55th in 19:39.9. Another freshman, Erin Spadaccini (Wilmington, Del.) captured 59th place in 19:46.6, and Kaitlyn Smith (Effort, Pa.) placed 70th in 20:02.0. Rounding out the Jaspers' top seven were Grace Ostolozaga (Stony Point, N.Y.) (72nd, 20:05.6) and Samantha Manalastas (Smithtown, N.Y.) (75th, 20:11.3).
With 244 points, the Jaspers were 10th in the team standings. Manhattan hadn't finished among the top 10 since a sixth-place showing in 2007. Marist captured the team title with 80 points, and Isobel Batt-Doyle of St. John's earned the individual title (18:03.3).
The ECAC/IC4A Championships mark the end of the cross country season. The Jaspers begin the indoor campaign with the Metro Holiday Season Opener at the new Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island on Dec. 5.
