BOSTON – Suffolk cross country's Matyas Csiki-Fejer and Emily Manfra are Louisville, Kentucky bound as the sophomore and senior are set to represent the Rams at the 2019 NCAA Division III National Championships Saturday, Nov. 23.
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NATIONAL NOTES
- A total of 64 men's and women's cross country teams will partake in the championships.
- Along with the 32 seven-person rosters for each gender, 56 individual qualifiers for both men and women will also participate in the final Division III cross country meet of the year.
- The men's 8,000-meter run will open the day at 10:45 a.m., with women's 6,000-meter race is set to begin at 11:45 a.m.
- This marks the second time the NCAA Division III cross country national championships will take place in the state of Kentucky.
HOSTS WITH THE MOSTS
Spalding University and the Louisville Sports Commission are serving as hosts for the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park.
SCHEDULE SYNOPSIS
SATURDAY, NOV. 23
9:00 AM – Gates Open
10:45 AM – Men's 8K Race
11:45 AM – Women's 6K Race
After Women's Race – Awards Ceremony (will take place directly in front of video board near finish line)
DEEPER LOOK
For a more in-depth, detailed look at the 2019 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships hosted by Spalding University and the Louisville Sports Commission, please visit the official tournament page here.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
- Emily Manfra, who became the first female runner to run on the national stage a year ago, is the first-ever female student-athlete among all GNAC schools to compete at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in the 6K era.
- Matyas Csiki-Fejer became the first-ever Suffolk male runner to earn his place on the national stage and is the first GNAC male student-athlete to do so since Johnson & Wales' Greg Redfield represented the league in 2009.
TIMES TO BEAT
- As the only Suffolk and GNAC runner to compete at the NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships in the 6K era, which began in 2002, Emily Manfra's own time of 22:25.6, which was good for 83rd a year ago, is the best performance by a Ram and conference competitor at the meet.
- Matyas Csiki-Fejer looks to upstage Greg Redfield of Johnson & Wales' 8K time of 27:16.6, which put the runner 173rd in 2009.
MANFRA MENTIONABLES
- Emily Manfra punched her ticket to the national meet at the NCAA Division III New England Regionals in Brunswick, Maine, November 16 as one of the top seven individual student-athletes who are not a part of a qualifying team.
- She is the first Suffolk student-athlete to compete on the national stage twice after becoming the first to do so in 2018.
- The GNAC Runner of the Year has clocked in a season-best 6K time of 21:57.3 at NCAA New England Regionals, which is 0:38.3 better than her 2018 NCAA DIII National Championship performance.
CSIKI-FEJFER FACTS
- Matyas Csiki-Fejer became the first-ever Suffolk male runner to secure a spot to the national championships as one of the top seven individual student-athletes who are not a part of a qualifying team at the NCAA Division III New England Regionals in Brunswick, Maine November 16.
- The sophomore set a course record at the 2019 GNAC Championships with an 8K, coming through the chute in 26:40, the first competitor to clock in under 27:00.0 in over a decade.
- His season-best 8K came at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational September 21 as he finished the course in 25:10.54
ALL-REGION ACCOLADES
Suffolk cross country's Matyas Csiki-Fejer and Emily Manfra each collected NCAA Division III All-New England honors recognized by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
MORE READING: Csiki-Fejer, Manfra Earn USTFCCCA All-New England
GNAC GREATS [ MEN ]
Suffolk men's cross country swept all major awards at the 2019 GNAC Championships with Matyas Csiki-Fejer and Cole Bolduc earning runner and rookie of the year status, respectively. The pair was joined by Hunter Toyoda on the all-conference teams.
MORE READING: Csiki-Fejer Runner of the Year, Bolduc Rookie of the Year, Men's Cross Country Trio Garner All-GNAC Honors
GNAC GREATS [ WOMEN ]
For the second straight season the Great Northeast Athletic Conference's best runner and coach hailed from Suffolk University as Emily Manfra took home GNAC Runner of the Year and Will Feldman repeated as GNAC Coach of the Year to anchor the Rams' five league honorees.
MORE READING: Manfra Runner of the Year, Feldman Repeats as Coach to Highlight Women's Cross Country's All-GNAC Haul
LAST TIME OUT [ CSIKI-FEJER ]
Matyas Csiki-Fejer's standout sophomore season continued as the NCAA New England Regionals November 16 as he anchored Suffolk men's cross country to a 25th-place performance at Bowdoin.
MORE READING: Csiki-Fejer Tops 20 to Highlight Men's Cross Country at NCAA New England Regionals
LAST TIME OUT [ MANFRA ]
Emily Manfra continued to have an impressive senior season to help Suffolk women's cross country to its best-ever showing at the 2019 NCAA DIII New England Regionals November 16 at Bowdoin.
MORE READING: Manfra Paces Cross Country to Historic NCAA New England Regionals
