MONTGOMERY, NY (Oct. 28, 2023) – Quinnipiac University claimed the 2023 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Women’s Cross Country Championship on Saturday, October 28 at Twin Ponds on the Farm in Montgomery, New York. The title was the second straight and third overall in program history for the Bobcats.
 
Tayla Gunton of Iona University earned 2023 Women’s Most Outstanding Runner honors, finishing the 6k course in a time of 20:54.6. She becomes Iona’s first individual MAAC champion since 2021.
  
Quinnipiac posted a winning score of 31 en route to the team title. The Bobcats had five runners secure top-15 finishes and earn All-MAAC accolades. Leading the charge for Quinnipiac was bronze medalist Corinne Barney, who crossed the finish line in a time of 21:01.5. Joining her teammate in the top-five was Alessandra Zaffina who finished with a time of 21:06.1. Rachel St. Germain (21:17.6), Emily Young (21:38.6), and Liv DiStefano (21:45.8), finished in sixth, eighth, and 10^th, respectively, to round out the squad’s All-MAAC honorees. Also earning top-five finishes were runner-up Olivia Moran (20:56.8) of Canisius and Iona’s Holly Smith (21:11.9), who placed fifth.
 
The 2023 MAAC Women’s Cross Country Rookie of the Year was awarded to Maddie Dischert of Rider University. Dischert placed 15^th on the individual leaderboard, earning All-MAAC honors as well with a time of 21:56.9. Joining Dischert on the MAAC All-Rookie Team were the Iona duo of Claragh Keane and Lily Overton, Rider’s Faith Evans, and Siena’s Kyra Pellegrino.
 
Full results for the 2023 MAAC Women’s Cross Country Championship can be found here.
 
Postseason competition continues on Friday, November 10 at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship which takes place at Van Courtlandt Park in New York, NY. The NCAA Division I Cross Country Men's and Women's Selection show will air live on ncaa.com on Saturday November 11 at 5:00 p.m. The NCAA Division I Championship will take place November 18 in Earlyville, Virginia at Panorama Farms.
 
All results and MAAC awards from the 2023 MAAC Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championships, can be found at 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. Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as full members in the 2024-25 academic year, expanding the conference to 13 institutions.
 
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Threads or visit MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.