The 2025 collegiate cross-country season is swiftly coming to an end with the MAAC championships nearing. Confidence exudes from both Marist University teams as the challenge approaches.
“The conference championship is what matters. Every race we’ve done this season is preparation for this. MAACs are where we really get to show out,” said sophomore runner Isaac Gross.
Gross stepped up as a key runner for the team early this season, after dealing with an injury that set him back all his freshman year. His most recent accolade, setting a new personal record of 24:45.00 in the men’s 8K at the Metropolitan Championships, awarded him MAAC Male Runner of the Week.
“It was great to get a title like that, but it is a team effort. We have a really good team this year; any guy could be the number one,” said Gross.
At the season opener, Gross took first overall with a time of 19:19.7, while teammate freshman Chase Kober finished second for Marist and fourth overall. Kober finished at 19:40.4 in his first collegiate race.
At the Jasper Fall XC Invitational the following week, the men’s team placed sixth of 16 teams. Gross placed 20th with a time of 25:39.1. Sophomore Justin Schwartz finished right behind Gross with a time of 25:55.1. The team has been building momentum all year, highlighted by a top 3 team finish at the Metropolitan Championships.
“I had a really rough year last year. Coming off an injury and not really knowing where I was on the team. I am doing a lot better than I thought I was going to do and I think the team is really surprising themselves. The possibilities seem endless,” said Gross.
The MAAC Championships will test both the physical and mental endurance of the Red Foxes. Gross emphasized the mental training they must do to prepare for any meet, let alone a meet of this magnitude. The preparations on meet days include walking through the course and adapting to the weather. As for practice, the entire team’s training includes runs that are always at least double the amount of the meets, allowing for ample preparation.
“Compared to last year, it’s the same team, different culture,” said Gross and senior Emily Litke
Litke opened her senior season with a 5k PR of 19:00.7, assisting in the team’s first-place finish at Vassar Farm. As the calendar moved on, the team continued to show depth, even with a small team.
“I’ve never felt this close to my teammates. We only have 15 girls, but we are 15 strong,” said Litke. “I know that every one of us is just so dedicated to what we are doing.”
At the Metropolitan Championships in Newark, senior Christina Diorio led the Red Foxes with a PR of 19:24.00 in 33rd place and freshman Evelyn Hoak followed with a PR of 19:47.00 in 48th. Contributing to the Red Foxes’ seventh overall placing.
Litke’s connection with her team, along with her four years of experience, has helped her develop a mentality led by gratitude and determination as she heads into the final stretch of her senior year.
“With injuries and stuff, you never really know how much longer your season’s gonna last, so I knew how important it was for me to shift my mindset from having a responsibility to run and more of a privilege to run,” said Litke.
While finding an inspiring amount of clarity, Litke still hits that inevitable wall when running in meets, as all runners do. It truly does not matter how often cross-country athletes run; there is no way to avoid getting tired. Litke needed some advice to truly conquer this obstacle.
“One thing one of my friends says is, do it for the version of yourself that started this race, the part of you that got ready for this race, the part of you that did all the things right.’
Litke plans to bring that mentality into the championships, trying not to focus on times, as each course is different. Her goal is to keep passing people during the race and stay mentally locked.
The team has been mastering packing all season, running in close quarters with one another, pushing each other to their best. Striving to be the best team they can has worked out for the Red Foxes. In just a year, the Red Foxes went from placing 5th out of 11 teams to placing 3rd out of 16 teams at the Jasper International and Fall Classic.
At the championships, success for the team wouldn’t be the results; it would be how they fight.
“Our team’s identity is having heart and dedication. I think we’ve shown that a lot, and I think if we can continue to show that each day at practice and at each meet, I’d be happy with how the season went for the team and myself,” said Litke.
Aside from the runners, Coach Pete Colaizzo is a big contributor to the team’s success and has been since 1991. Over his career, he has built Marist cross country into a program that emphasizes consistent, steady growth rather than flashy one-off seasons. His coaching identity blends traditional endurance training with personal commitment to each athlete’s development on and off the course.
The 2025 MAAC Cross Country Championships are slated to start at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at Twin Ponds on the Farm in Montgomery, New York.
Edited by Sierra Fisher and Cara Lacey
Photo by Caitlin Bombassei
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X, TikTok and Bluesky, and sign up to receive daily alerts here.