Iona College Paddy Doyle Meet of Champions Results
BRONX, N.Y. -- The LIU Brooklyn women's cross country team competed on Friday at Van Cortlandt Park for the first time this season in the Brother John "Paddy" Doyle Meet Of Champions, hosted by Iona College. The Blackbirds responded well to VCP, known as the mecca of cross-country running on a humid day, finishing 10th amongst Division I teams in the field.
Seniors Sarah Northup was the top LIU racer on the day with a 20:49.7 time (73rd place) on the grueling five kilometer course. Her classmate, Esther Jean-Louis was the second Blackbird finisher with a 21.43.9 to come in 85th place. Next up was another senior, Zaahira Deboise with a 22.16.5 mark to slot in 92nd place. Sophomores Stephanie Reyes (22.55.6, 96th) and Ashton Burton (25.49.7) rounded out the five scorers for the Blackbirds in the meet. There were 108 Division I runners and another 20 non-Division I runners in the women's race.
"I am very proud of today's performance, we picked up the intensity this week," said Head Coach Yvonne Harrison. "I told the team it would be a grueling test of endurance, perseverance and mental strength. They responded extremely well. I intentionally wanted two opportunities to run this course. We will return on October 12th for the Metropolitan Championships, when I expect much faster times. It's a great segue into another tough course next week at Holmdel Park."
A week from Saturday, the Blackbirds will head to New Jersey to race in the Henry Mercer Monmouth Invitational at Holmdel Park on September 22.