Cornell Cross Country Teams Shine at Princeton Fall Classic
On Friday, the Cornell men’s and women’s cross country teams showcased their talent at the Princeton Cross Country Fall Classic, held at the picturesque “Meadows” Course in Princeton, New Jersey. The crisp autumn weather provided an ideal backdrop for a day of competitive racing against a formidable lineup of teams.
Men’s Performance
In the men’s 8,000-meter race, Cornell secured an impressive 12th place finish out of 31 competing teams. Senior Tyler Canaday led the team with a commendable 26th place finish, crossing the finish line in a time of 23:42.2. He was closely followed by junior Aryan Abbaraju, who finished in 32nd place at 23:47, and sophomore Griffin Mandirola, who completed the race in 35th place with a time of 23:51.8.
Completing the top five finishers for the men’s team were freshman Zach Leader, who placed 150th with a time of 24:50.6, and sophomore Colin Martens, finishing 153rd at 24:51.3. This collective effort marked noticeable individual improvements from their previous outing at the Paul Short Invitational. Canaday and Abbaraju each improved by one second in their 8,000-meter times, while Mandirola notably improved by two seconds, highlighting their advancing speed and stamina.
Women’s Performance
For the women’s team, the Red secured a 7th place finish among 25 teams in the 6,000-meter race. Senior Mairead Clas was the standout performer, finishing 22nd overall with a time of 20:38.4. She was followed by junior Maisie McManus, who clocked a time of 20:57.5 for 40th place, and freshman Evelyn Prodoehl, who finished 55th at 21:09.9.
Additional contributions came from sophomore Hannah Kersten and freshman Kinga Czajkowska, who placed 63rd and 64th respectively, finishing in 21:15.1 and 21:15.3. The women exhibited remarkable improvement from their prior meet, with Clas shaving an impressive nine seconds off her previous time. McManus and Prodoehl also excelled, improving by 19 and 12 seconds, respectively, bolstering the team’s momentum as they approach critical competitions.
Looking Ahead
With a successful outing at Princeton behind them, Cornell’s cross country teams are focused on preparing for the upcoming Ivy League Championship Meet, which is just two weeks away. The next scheduled event for the Red is the John Reif Invitational at the Moakley Course, set for 4 p.m. on Friday, October 24.
