2020 Schedule // 2020 Rosters
JERSEY CITY, N.J. – After nearly an 18-month hiatus, the Saint Peter's University men's and women's cross country programs will have the opportunity to commence the 2020-21 season on Saturday (Feb. 27) when they host the Peacock Invitational at nearby Lincoln Park in Jersey City. Race time is slated for 11 a.m.
Last Looks at 2019
- A young Saint Peter's squad competed in four meets last fall. The highlight of the season was the team's strong showing at the NJIT Highland Challenge in early October of 2019, which saw first-year Peacocks Clardo Nestor and Kaylah Davis lead the way while helping the teams place 21st (men) and 17th (women), respectively.
- Following another strong outing at the Metropolitan Championships on short rest less than a week later, the Peacocks rounded out the year at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conferennce (MAAC) Cross Country Championships in early November, where rookies again would lead the way again.
- Freshman David Szaro represented the top runner on the men's side at the league championship race, edging classmate Nestor by less than a second, while Davis capped off her rookie cross country campaign with a time of 25:48.23, averaging a sub-seven-minute mile in the 6K race to place just outside of the top-100.
Meet the Peacocks
- Head coach John Marshall, entering his fourth season at the helm of both the cross country and track & field programs in 2020-21, will look to keep building on the solid foundation that was laid down by a very young team last fall as the season begins.
- While newcomers abound on both the men's and women's rosters, some veteran faces return to anchor the teams.
- On the men's side, Nestor, Szaro and sophomore Michael Conover are back in the fold after their impressive debut cross country campaigns more than a year ago. Senior Rodolfo Cirilo, who has been a regular in the lineup the last few years, is also back to push the Peacocks to greater heights.
- UConn transfer Francis Martingale -- a West New York, New Jersey, native -- joins the program after spending a year with the Huskies, where competed as a member of the cross country and track & field teams.
- Cross country rookies Devon Bembridge, Phillip Reguinho, Francisco Rodas and Luis Santizo round out the men's contingent.
- Over on the women's side, Davis and junior Grace Proctor are among the many returning faces that promise to push Saint Peter's even further this spring.
- Redshirt junior Lovely Francois, junior Iria Paz, and sophomores Maleny Cajamarca and Tola Osipitan all have plenty of experience from prior seasons, while Army West Point transfer Shelby Piccinic will make her Peacock debut this weekend after earning all-league honors in the fall of 2018 with the Black Knights.
- Cross country newcomers Janai Orders, Ka'Rynn Hill and Ayanna Paige will also make their debuts on Saturday, as well.
The Road Ahead
- Due to the COVID-19, coronavirus pandemic forcing the postponement of the fall season earlier this academic year, the cross country season has been compressed to only two meets that will take place over the next week-plus.
- After this weekend's Peacock Invitational, which will feature area colleges New Jersey City University and Essex Community College -- Saint Peter's will gear up for the 2020-21 Cross Country MAAC Championships, which will be held next Friday (March 5) down in Galloway, New Jersey, at the Seaview Golf Club.
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