The New York University men's cross country team, ranked 12th in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Preseason Poll, opened the 2025 season on Friday, August 29.

The Violets sent squads to two different meets - the USC Upstate Eye Opener and the Vassar Season Starter.

NYU's group at the Eye Opener 8k in Spartanburg, SC took, fourth place out of 13 teams. The Violets' group at Vassar's season opener in Poughkeepsie, NY, finished atop a field of six teams.

Liam Hagerty led the charge for NYU in Spartenburg, placing 17th overall and highest among the Violets, with an 25:15.2 time to start the season.

Jeffrey Chen finished four places behind in 21st overall, clocking in at 25:25.2. Andrew Taylor logged an 25:41.0 time to start the year, placing 24th in the race.

Sophomore Huckleberry Oakes placed 20th overall, finishing in 25:45.3. His fellow underclassman Theodore Udelson-Nee was four places back, turning in a 25:52.1 time to round out the scoring places.

Jacob Christy (25:54.6) and Alex Hrycysyzn (25:59.4) finished out the Violets' top seven in the Palmetto State.

Eight Violet runners headed upstate to Poughkeepsie for the 4k Season Opener at Vassar. James Jenkins placed third overall and led the scoreboard-topping Violets with a 12:41.4 finish in his first collegiate race.

Micah Taffet (12:50.5) and John Cuzzocrea (12:55.3) finished consecutively in sixth and seventh. Samir Hussein was six one-hundredths behind Cuzzocrea in eighth place (12:55.9).

Brandon Meiner (13:02.5) was the final Violet in the top 10.

Trey Davidson (13:11.6), Jordan Levy (13:21.5) and William Cornick (14:08.1) rounded out the field for NYU.

The Violets return to action in just over two weeks' time for the Jasper Fall XC Invitational, hosted by Manhattan University, in Montgomery, NY, on Saturday, Sept. 13.