Men's Cross Country Team Takes Third at Metropolitan Championship

All-American Maher Finishes Third Individually

Maher returned to form for the Violets with his third-place finish.

The New York University men's cross country team posted a third-place finish at the Metropolitan Conference Championship at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, NY, on Friday, Oct. 9.

The Violets finished third out of 13 teams at the annual meet, which consists of all NCAA Division I teams...except for Division III NYU.

The Violets totaled 70 points to finish just behind second-place Rutgers University (63 points).

Columbia University won the race with 45 points. Rounding out the top five were Iona College (86 points) and Fordham University (162 points).

2008 Cross Country All-American Zach Maher was the Violets' top finisher. He placed third overall with a time of 26:09 over Van Cortlandt's restructured five-mile layout.

"Zach really opened in his first real race of the season," said head coach Nick McDonough. "He ran a great race...as I knew he would."

Maher did not compete with the Violets in their last meet, Sept. 28, at the Williams College Purple Valley Classic. He did race in the opening competition of the season, the Monmouth Kickoff on Sept. 5, but is just now returning to he form that made him an All-American last season.

"I felt all right out there," Maher admitted. "It was okay for my first race in a while and my last race ever at Van Cortland."

The next Violet to hit the tape was Jack Fitzhenry, who took eight place in 26:23.

NYU's other scorers in the race were Calvin Lee (12th place, 26:34), Ryan Boyd (20th place, 26:53) and Matt Turlip (27th, 27:06).

Overall, 13 teams and 126 runners competed.

The squad returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Oberlin College Inter-Regional Rumble in Oberlin, OH.