BOSTON – The Suffolk cross country teams are set to take on some of the national best teams over the weekend as the Rams head to Williamstown, Massachusetts, for Williams' Purple Valley Classic.
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THE SCHEDULE
Three different heats comprise the Purple Valley Classic. Action begins with the men's & women's sub-varsity 5k at 11:30 a.m. with the men's varsity 8k heat beginning at 12:10 p.m. At 1 p.m. the women's varsity 6k wraps up the action. Suffolk will be represented by the full allotted seven runners in each varsity race with four members of the men's squad running the sub-varsity course.
THE FIELD
To be the best you must beat the best and this can be true for both the men's and women's fields.
Of the 19 men's team competing, seven are ranked in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country (USTFCCCA) polls released Sept. 19 – No. 3 Amherst, No. 6 RPI, No. 7 MIT, No. 8 Middlebury, No. 17 Williams, No. 24 Conn. Connecticut and No. 28 Tufts. Regionally, the top six teams from New England – Amherst, MIT, Middlebury, Williams, Conn. College and Tufts – and the best two teams from the Atlantic Region – RPI and Hamilton – will compete in Williams.
On the women's side, six teams appear in the USTFCCCA polls in No. 4 MIT, No. 6 Middlebury, No. 8 Williams, No. 12 RPI, No. 14 Tufts and No. 28 Hamilton. The top four teams from New England are among the 19 teams running with two of the top five in the Atlantic Region competing as well.
LAST TIME OUT – MEN
In just his second collegiate competition, Matyas Csiki-Fejer directed the Suffolk men's cross country team to a 17th-place finish at the 46th annual UMass Dartmouth Invitational Saturday afternoon on the Robert Dowd Course.
MORE READING: Csiki-Fejer Anchors Men's Cross Country at 46th Annual UMass Dartmouth Invitational
LAST TIME OUT – WOMEN
Juniors Emily Manfra and Emma Weisse put together top-10 performances to lead the Suffolk women's cross country team at the 46th annual UMass Dartmouth Invitational on the Robert Dowd Course Sept. 15.
MORE READING: Women's Cross Country Juniors Shine at 46th Annual UMass Dartmouth Invitational
GNAC WEEKLY AWARDS SWEEP
Behind his record-setting running over the weekend, Suffolk men's cross country freshman Matyas Csiki-Fejer was named GNAC Runner and Rookie of the Week.
MORE READING: Csiki-Fejer Sweeps GNAC Men's Cross Country Weekly Awards
RUNNER OF THE WEEK
In each week the Suffolk women's cross country team has been active, the GNAC Runner of the Week has donned the Rams' blue-and-gold with Emily Manfra earning the honor Monday afternoon thanks to her record-breaking performance at the 46th annual UMass Dartmouth Invitational over the weekend.
MORE READING: Manfra Takes Home GNAC Runner of the Week
WHAT'S NEXT?
With September action in the books, Suffolk turns its attention to the Suffolk Invite Friday, Oct. 12, which serves as final prep for the GNAC Championships.