EDISON, NJ (Aug. 23, 2023) – The Iona University men’s team and the Quinnipiac University women’s squad have been chosen as the favorites to repeat in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Polls, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Picked unanimously in the men’s poll, Iona collected all 11 first-place votes for 121 points. The Gaels have won an NCAA record, 32 straight MAAC Men’s Championships dating back to 1991, and the program has claimed a MAAC-leading 37 total men’s titles since the MAAC inception in 1981. In 2022, Iona secured four of the top-five spots and eight of the top-15 All-MAAC slots, recording a team score of 17 en route to the title. Rising graduate student, Joshua DeSouza was named the 2022 MAAC Most Outstanding Runner, finishing as Iona’s 22nd consecutive individual champion at the meet since 2002. Finishing second in the poll was Siena College (106), followed by Marist College (94), Rider University (91), and Canisius University (70).
On the women’s side, Quinnipiac compiled 110 points and seven first-place votes. The Bobcats captured the 2022 MAAC Women’s Championship last season, scoring a 26 to claim their second conference title in program history. Quinnipiac had a trio of runner’s secure top-five finishes, led by a second-place finish from Emily Young, a third-place spot by Liv DiStefano and a fifth-place finish by Rachel St. Germain, all of which return to the Bobcat’s lineup in 2023. Additionally, St. Germain was named the 2022 MAAC Women’s Cross Country Rookie of the Year last season. Picked second in the poll was Iona with 109 points and three first-place votes, followed by Siena, which earned 95 points and the final first-place vote. Marist (87) and Rider (79) rounded out the women’s top-five in the poll.
The full Men’s and Women’s Preseason Coaches’ Polls can be found below.
| 2023 Men’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1 |
Iona |
121 (11) |
| 2 |
Siena |
106 |
| 3 |
Marist |
94 |
| 4 |
Rider |
91 |
| 5 |
Canisius |
70 |
| 6 |
Manhattan |
67 |
| 7 |
Mount St. Mary’s |
59 |
| 8 |
Fairfield |
42 |
| 9 |
Quinnipiac |
41 |
| 10 |
Niagara |
24 |
| 11 |
Saint Peter’s |
11 |
| 2023 Women’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1 |
Quinnipiac |
110 (7) |
| 2 |
Iona |
109 (3) |
| 3 |
Siena |
95 (1) |
| 4 |
Marist |
87 |
| 5 |
Rider |
79 |
| 6 |
Canisius |
63 |
| 7 |
Manhattan |
59 |
| 8 |
Fairfield |
48 |
| 9 |
Mount St. Mary’s |
37 |
| 10 |
Niagara |
28 |
| 11 |
Saint Peter’s |
11 |
The 2023 MAAC Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championships will be held at Twin Ponds on the Farm in Montgomery, New York on Saturday, October 28, 2023. The 2023 championships will be the first time the races will be held at Twin Ponds on the Farm and the meets will be hosted by Manhattan College for the 29th time. For all information regarding the 2023 MAAC Men's & Women’s Cross Country Championships, please visit
maacsports.com/xc.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
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