Marist men’s cross country saw their youth movement come to fruition on Saturday, as the Red Foxes placed second out of six teams in the Marist Invitational at Vassar Farms.
Iona placed first in the meet, as their top five runners combined for 17 points in the 6km race. The Gaels had eight runners finish in the top 10; graduate student Lachlan Wellington came in first with an 18:13.5 time, while juniors Tristan Coles and Scott Fagan rounded out the top three with times of 18:20.5 and 18:22.0, respectively.
Marist edged out the rest of the competition to finish in second on the day. Despite not a single Red Fox finishing inside the top ten, strong efforts from underclassmen contributed to a combined 76 points for Marist’s top five placeholders.
Sophomore Jackson Borge led the way for Marist by posting a 19:03.7 time, good for 11th place. Freshman Logan Schaeffler, junior Kieran Donnelly and freshman Jeremiah Lanum followed suit with 14th, 15th and 17th place finishes for Marist.
Assistant men’s cross country coach Billy Poole-Harris witnessed his younger runners post solid performances despite the intimidating nature of transitioning from high school to collegiate meets.
“[I told our runners] be patient and don’t put so much pressure on yourself,” said Poole-Harris. “When you come into a situation like this and we’re competing against teams on a regional level, where [our freshmen] came from just more of a county, local level, it can get a little daunting.”
The fifth Marist runner to cross the finish line was graduate student Jeremy Mbogo, who placed 21st overall with a 19:30.7 time. The race was especially meaningful since Mbogo competed on his local course for the final time.
“The Marist Invitational has probably been one of my favorite cross country meets ever because I’m a Poughkeepsie local, so I see this as my actual home meet,” said Mbogo. “Over the summer, I run this course, I run hundreds of miles here. I get all the locals who know me to come around and cheer for me, so it’s a very significant race for me.”
UAlbany registered a third-place finish as a team, with their top five runners combining for 86 points. Despite having two runners post top-10 finishes, UConn’s top five combined for 91 points, good for a fourth-place finish. Siena came in fifth by posting 134 points, while Fairfield rounded out the pack with a last-place finish (154 points).
“They’re 18, 17-year-old freshmen comparing themselves to upperclassmen, [who] can be 20, 21, 22 years old,” said Poole-Harris. “It’s just about being patient, being calm, having the training come to them and trust in the training, and just having fun while we’re here.”
With Marist now having two weeks to prepare for their next meet, Poole-Harris wants his team to continue focusing on the basics before going full throttle.
“We talk a little bit about it throughout the season. It’s brilliant basics, pushing the limits, managing distractions and optimal delivery,” said Poole-Harris. “It’s just about doing the little things perfectly, and then once you get some confidence, you start pushing the limits.”
The Red Foxes will have their next meet on Sept. 14, when they travel to Montgomery, NY to take part in the Jasper Fall Classic.
Edited by Marley Pope
Photo credit: Caitlin Bombassei
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