Cross Country
The cross country program was launched in 2007, when Mike Murphy led
the team in three meets over the course of the season. Lowell Fisher was
hired as head coach for the 2008 season, and the CIA Steels doubled its
total races, competing six times against regional foes. The highlight
of the '08 season was when the women's team finished in second place at
the conference championship meet held at Purchase College in October.
The women's number one runner, Caroline Dacko, captured first place out
of the 45 runners representing eight schools.
In
2009, the men's and women's teams built upon the previous year's
foundation, culminating with a respectful 3rd (women's) and 4th (men's)
place finishes within the conference.
In 2010, the CIA Steels women's cross country team dominated the
Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference (HVWAC) Cross Country
Championship meet on October 24, easily defeating six other colleges in
the five-kilometer race to win the conference title.
The year 2011 saw the continued success of the women's program as well as steady improvement on the men's side.
The CIA women's team again landed on top at the HVWAC Championships,
with three of the top four runners—individual champion Jackie DeGrandpre
(20:49), second-place finisher Brittany Ronan (22:41), and fourth-place
winner Samantha Carlucci (22:35). Five of the 10 CIA runners finished
in the top 15.
The men's team captured third place, only 3 points out of the
second-place spot. Two CIA athletes finished in the top 10—John
Masching, seventh place (30:58) and Dylan Rutherford, eighth place
(31:06)—and four CIA runners placed in the top 20.