EDISON, NJ (Aug. 22, 2024) – Iona University men’s team and Quinnipiac University women’s team have been chosen as the favorites to repeat as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) champions in the 2024 Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Polls, as voted on by the league’s 13 head coaches.
Picked unanimously in the men’s poll, Iona collected all 13 first-place votes for 169 points. The Gaels have won an NCAA record, 33 straight MAAC Men’s Championships dating back to 1991, and the program has claimed a MAAC-leading 38 total men’s titles since the MAAC inception in 1981. In 2023, Iona secured five out of the top-six places and nine out of the top-15 All-MAAC slots, garnering a team score of 19, en route to the team title. Leading the Gaels was 2023 Men’s Most Outstanding Runner and individual champion, Damien Dilcher, who paced the field with a finishing time of 24:25.0 on the 8K course, becoming Iona’s 23rd consecutive individual champion dating back to 2002. Dilcher was joined in the top-five by teammates Lachlan Wellington (24:36.4) in third-place, Nick Soldevere (24:41.9) in fourth-place, and Matt Rankin (24:45.9) in fifth-place.
Finishing second in the men’s poll was 2023 runner-up Siena College (149), followed by Rider University (141), Marist College (120), Canisius University (109), and MAAC newcomer Merrimack College (100) to round out the league’s top half.
On the women’s side, Quinnipiac received 165 points and nine first-place votes to lead the field. The Bobcats captured the 2023 MAAC Women’s Championship last season, scoring a 31 to claim their second straight conference title, and third overall in program history. The Bobcats had five runners secure top-15 finishes and earn All-MAAC accolades, led by bronze medalist Corinne Barney, who crossed the finish line in a time of 21:01.5. Joining her in the top-five was Alessandra Zaffina who finished with a time of 21:06.1, followed by Rachel St. Germain (21:17.6), Emily Young (21:38.6), and Liv DiStefano (21:45.8), who finished in sixth, eighth, and 10
th, respectively, to round out the squad’s All-MAAC honorees in 2023.
Picked second in the poll was 2023 runner-up Iona who compiled 160 points and the remaining four first-place votes. Rounding out the conference’s top half were Siena (140), Rider (124), Canisius (106), and Marist (102).
The full Men’s and Women’s Preseason Coaches’ Polls can be found below.
| 2024 Men’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1 |
Iona |
169 (13) |
| 2 |
Siena |
149 |
| 3 |
Rider |
141 |
| 4 |
Marist |
120 |
| 5 |
Canisius |
109 |
| 6 |
Merrimack |
100 |
| 7 |
Mount St. Mary’s |
88 |
| 8 |
Sacred Heart |
76 |
| 9 |
Manhattan |
72 |
| 10 |
Niagara |
55 |
| 11 |
Quinnipiac |
46 |
| 12 |
Fairfield |
45 |
| 13 |
Saint Peter’s |
13 |
| 2024 Women’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1 |
Quinnipiac |
165 (9) |
| 2 |
Iona |
160 (4) |
| 3 |
Siena |
140 |
| 4 |
Rider |
124 |
| 5 |
Canisius |
106 |
| 6 |
Marist |
102 |
| 7 |
Sacred Heart |
92 |
| 8 |
Merrimack |
69 |
| 9 |
Manhattan |
62 |
| 10 |
Mount St. Mary’s |
60 |
| 11 |
Fairfield |
54 |
| 12 |
Niagara |
36 |
| 13 |
Saint Peter’s |
13 |
The 2024 MAAC Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championships will be held at Twin Ponds on the Farm in Montgomery, New York on Saturday, November 2, 2024. The men’s 8k race will begin at 11:00 a.m. and the women’s 6k race will follow at 12:00 p.m. 2024 will mark the second straight year that the championship races will be held at Twin Ponds on the Farm and the meets will be hosted by Manhattan College for the 30th time. For all information regarding the 2024 MAAC Men's & Women’s Cross Country Championships, please visit
maacsports.com/xc.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 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 44th year of competition during the 2024-25 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
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