Cross Country Sweeps First GNAC Weekly Awards of 2019

Cross Country Sweeps First GNAC Weekly Awards of 2019

BOSTON – Suffolk's cross country programs captured all four GNAC weekly awards for the first seven-day stretch of 2019, the league office announced Tuesday afternoon. Emily Manfra and Matyas Csiki-Fejer were each tabbed GNAC Runners of the Week for their respective genders, while Marin Stamer and Cole Bolduc took home GNAC Rookie of the Week status. 

The pairs each helped their teams to fourth-place performances in the Rams' first meet of 2019, Keene State's Early Bird Invitational Saturday, Aug. 31. 

On the women's side, Manfra set the pace for the 2019 season as the senior cruised to individual victory. She finished the two-mile run in 11:03.2, breaking the tape 31 seconds ahead of the runner-up to top the 110-runner field. 

Stamer, meanwhile, made her name in her collegiate debut with a top-10 performance, clocking in at 12:29.4 to take 10th overall. 

Csiki-Fejer picked up right where he left off a year ago as the sophomore sprinted to a first-place finish. The captain topped the 124-runner field thanks to a 5k total time of 15:49.2, which was 26 seconds faster than the second-place finisher.   

Bolduc used a 5k time of 17:16.3 to take 21st overall. 

The four honors in the same week marks a first for Suffolk's cross country programs. Manfra earned the best weekly runner recognition for the fourth time in her career, while Csiki-Fejer garnered the same nod for the second time in his. 

Suffolk will be back on the courses Saturday, Sept. 21 when it ventures to the UMass Dartmouth Invitational.