Five Things to Know: Cross Country Heads to Florida for MAAC Championships

1) At the Starting Line
The Canisius men's and women's cross country teams travel to Florida to take part in the 2021 MAAC Cross Country Championships Saturday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The meet begins with the men's 8k race at 9 a.m., followed by the women's 6k race at 9:45 a.m.

2) Last Time Out
Led by individual victories from senior Libby Benzer and junior Tom Appenheimer, the Canisius men's and women's cross country teams posted a pair of second-place finishes in the Canisius Alumni Classic Saturday at Delaware Park on Oct. 16.

In the women's 5K race, Benzer posted a time of 18:41.5, beating RIT's Katie Cobbs to the tape by just over two seconds to win her second race of the season. Junior Marissa Silba also turned in a top-10 time for the Blue and Gold, crossing the line at 19:49.0 to claim seventh place.

As a team, the Canisius women took second place with 74 points, edging third-place RIT (78) by four points. Daemen was the team champion, finishing with a team total of 63 points.

On the men's side, Appenheimer turned in a time of 25:51.2 over the 8K course to claim the title, more than 20 seconds ahead of the second-place Nick Bauman of SUNY Geneseo (26:13.6). Senior Michael Peppy (26:28.3) and sophomore Thomson Chew (26:39.1) gave the Golden Griffins a trio of top-10 finishes, with Peppy placing fifth and Chew taking ninth.

The Golden Griffins finished the men's event with 47 points, just three points back of the first-place SUNY Geneseo (44).

3) Returning to the Land of Mickey Mouse
The 2021 edition of the MAAC Cross Country Championships will mark the sixth time the league's championship race will be held at the Walt Disney World Resort. Canisius fared well in its most recent trip to the Sunshine State for the MAAC Championships back in 2016, with the men claiming second and the women placing fourth. Former Griff Siobhan Quinn also made history during the race, becoming just the fourth Canisius runner in school history to claim the MAAC women's individual title and the first to do so since 1997.

4) Last Season at the MAAC Championships
At the 2020-21 MAAC Cross Country Championships, held at the Seaview Golf Club in Galloway, N.J., the Griffs placed sixth in the men's race with a team total of 165 points while the women claimed ninth with a team total of 239. Junior Tom Appenheimer garnered All-MAAC accolades after posting a 12th-place finish to lead the men as he crossed the line with a time of 25:18. Junior Olivia Moran (24:00) and Libby Benzer (24:01) paced the Golden Griffin women, placing 45th and 47th, respectively.

5) Up Next
Canisius continues the 2021 season at the NCAA Northeast Regionals. The race, scheduled for Nov. 12, will be held in Boston.

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Players Mentioned

Tom Appenheimer: 5' 9"; Junior

Libby Benzer: 5' 11"; Senior

Max Chew: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Olivia Moran: 5' 1"; Junior

Michael Peppy: 5' 11"; Senior

Marissa Silba: 5' 4"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Tom Appenheimer
: 5' 9"; Junior

Libby Benzer
: 5' 11"; Senior

Max Chew
: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Olivia Moran
: 5' 1"; Junior

Michael Peppy
: 5' 11"; Senior

Marissa Silba
: 5' 4"; Junior