Freshman runner Mikaela Martin wins the Women’s 5k race at the Fordham
Fiasco meet.
VINCENT DUSOVIC / COURTESY
By Angelina Perez, Arts and Entertainment Editor
The Manhattan University cross country team ran in the Fordham Fiasco on Sept. 6 in Van Cortlandt Park, where the women and men secured first place with a team score of 32 for the women and 29 for the men. They were followed by Fordham University in second place and Columbia University in third.
Director of cross country Kerri Inman spoke with The Quadrangle to express her admiration for the runners’ abilities and for the sport of cross country as a whole.
“Pack running is a big part of the success in cross country,” Inman said. “Many consider our sport to be pretty individual, but cross country is a great example of how an individual sport really relies on team cohesiveness for success. The teams that we’ve had that have been more successful are the ones that have committed to that. We will be honing in on that principle and trying to work it on runs, workouts, and then bring that into our races to keep moving forward.”
At Fordham, Inman was a two year captain of the cross country and track teams, setting six school records and winning four Atlantic 10 titles. She still holds the Atlantic 10 meet records in the indoor 1000 meter, mile and the outdoor 800 meter.
“It’s always fun to beat Fordham,” Inman said with a laugh. “I have great memories there, and the head coach, Brian Horowitz, was a teammate of mine and is a wonderful person who does a great job with the program.”
Fordham and MU compete in different athletic conferences for cross country, with Fordham in the Atlantic 10 Conference and Manhattan in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). As a result, the two teams only meet at invitationals, never in regular competition.
“[Fordham University] is not in our conference, so it’s one of those good and fun rivalries,” Inman said. “We’ve had many years we’ve lost to them and them to us. They’re a competitive team, which is a good benchmark for us. I appreciate the opportunity to take what I learned at Fordham and my many years of running after and bring it here to [MU] and add to the legacy. I’m proud to be a part of it, and my time at Fordham certainly influenced me, but at this point, I’m a Jasper through and through.”
Jax Newton, a junior on the team, set the standard for MU at the meet, clocking in at 28:04 to take second place in the men’s 8k. He spoke with The Quadrangle about how he and the men’s cross country team has prepared for races, such as Fordham Fiasco, since the end of last season.
“As a cross country athlete, you’re preparing all summer, and then when that race day comes, you have to have the mindset of, ‘I’ve been working all summer. There’s no reason that I shouldn’t be able to perform today’,” Newton said.
Newton expressed how the cross country team is honing in on their team attitudes and willingness to succeed. Newton also mentioned how he plans on contributing to the team with two more seasons as a Jasper.
“I think it’s unique, because we come from all sorts of different backgrounds on the cross country team and the extended track team as well,” Newton said. “I would describe the environment as very optimistic and exponentially getting better every year I’ve been here, and I’m just doing what I can to support that.”
Freshman Mikaella Martin won the women’s 5k with a time of 19:22, with a Fordham athlete 14 seconds behind her. She spoke to The Quadrangle about her high school experience running alone compared to now running in a pack with her fellow teammates.
“When I was in high school, it was a really small team, and there weren’t a lot of people,” Martin said. “I know it’s still a small team here, but it’s really nice working and running with the girls. It makes the run go faster, and they’re really encouraging. Even though I’ve known them for three weeks, it feels like I’ve known them for a long time, and we get along really well together.”
Martin had advice for fellow athletes who are transitioning from high school to college level sports. She encouraged them to slow down and enjoy the sport in high school while they’re still there.
“Don’t go too fast into the transition,” Martin said. “I did not do a lot of mileage in high school and now in college, I am. Try not to go too fast in the transition, because you could get injured or discouraged, if you feel like it’s too much, trust yourself.”