Short Course Classic Gets Men’s Cross Country’s 2022 Going

BOSTON – Suffolk men's cross country takes the course for the first time in 2022 Friday, Sept. 2 at its own Short Course Classic at Franklin Park. The women open the event with a 3k at 11:30 a.m., with the men's 5k immediately following at 12:15 p.m. Fans can follow the race here.

SOCIAL SAYINGS
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RAMS REWIND
A year ago, Suffolk men's cross country ran into a new league, the Commonwealth Coast Conference. At the league championships the Rams finished as runner-up and went on to put together the highest team regional finish in program history with a ninth-place performance.  

Individually, Matyas Csiki-Fejer went on to make University history as the first-ever Ram to garner All-America status in cross country. Csiki-Fejer, who graduated in May and took his talents to Duke Law School, left large shoes to fill. All-CCC runner Thomas Novy looks to take over that role as Suffolk's top runner along with Tim Barry.

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Suffolk men's cross country will have a new set of captains as head coach Will Feldman unveiled that Tim Barry and Justin Turner will share the role in 2022. 

Barry and Turner are the second group of captains in the Feldman era and take over for the trio of Matyas Csiki-Fejer '22, Nic Malm '22 and Hunter Toyoda '22, who have led the squad as tri-captains since the 2019 campaign. 

MORE READING: Barry, Turner Share Captain Role for 2022 Men's Cross Country 

RAMS ROOKIES
Fresh faces will be seen on the 2022 Suffolk men's cross country thanks to head coach Will Feldman's recruiting class of five true freshman. 

MORE READING: Men's Cross Country's 2022 Roster Boosted by Five Rookies 

GEOGRAPHY 101
Suffolk's men's cross country 23-runner 2022 roster has a geographical make-up that spans nine states.

The bulk of the roster calls the Bay State home with 10 Massachusetts natives. Three hail from Connecticut and a pair made the trip from California, New Hampshire and New Jersey. Arizona, Illinois, Mississippi and Washington are represented by one runner, respectively. 

CLASS CATEGORIES
Suffolk's 2022 men's cross country roster is junior-class heavy with 10 members of the Class of 2024. A pair of seniors round out the upperclassmen, while the underclassmen are represented by six sophomores and five true freshmen. 

COACH'S CORNER
Will Feldman returns for his sixth season at the helm of the Suffolk cross country and track & field programs.

He has brought the Rams to regional and national success in his short term at the helm highlighted by the CCC Women's Championship a year ago and the University's first USTFCCCA All-American in cross country, Matyas Csiki-Fejer.

Back on Feldman's staff is Josh Brodin, who returns for his fifth season. Skyler Spanbauer joins the coaching ranks this year after a four-year career as a Ram. 

WATCH AND SEE

THE COURSE
Franklin Park has turned into a familiar run for Suffolk. The partially-wooded 527-acre parkland in the Jamaica Plain and Roxbury neighborhoods of Boston is maintained by the Department of Conservation and creation.  

THE FIELD
The field features a representative from every NCAA Division with 15 teams total sending student-athletes to Franklin Park.  

The Rams will be joined by CCC counterparts, Nichols (men only), Roger Williams, the University of New England and Wentworth. Eastern Connecticut State, Emmanuel, Husson, Lesley, Manhattanville, Simmons and Worcester State complete the Division III competition. Bentley represents the Division II contingent, while local Division I schools Boston University, Brown, Holy Cross and Northeastern will be in the mix as well. 

TO BE THE BEST YOU HAVE TO BEAT THE BEST
Suffolk, who sits eighth in the preseason USTFCCCA East Regional Rankings, has stiff competition on Friday as Bentley, Boston University and Northeastern all sit in their respective regionally rankings as well.  

THE DISTANCE
Things will be kept short in the season opener. The women will run a 3k, while the men will compete in a 5k. 

COACH'S QUOTE
"If we can squeeze out a top five finish by beating a D1 or D2 school that would be a huge confidence boost to the team early in the year," head coach Will Feldman said. 

RAMS TO WATCH

• Four of the five top Rams will be in action Friday. 
• Tim Barry and Thomas Novy aim to be the top Division III finishers, and help pace the team to a top six finish. 
• Hayden Green and Sean Jacobsen will make their Suffolk debuts. Both should place in the top five for the blue-and-gold and be among the top DIII finishers. 

REGIONAL RANK
Ten days before the first race of the 2022 campaign, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Associations (USTFCCCA) unveiled the preseason edition of the NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Regional Rankings with the Rams of Suffolk University eighth on the east region list.

It is the first time that the Rams made their way into the preseason poll after being a staple on the list throughout the 2021 campaign after making the program's debut Sept. 14, 2021, one week into last season's schedule.

MORE READING: Men's Cross Country Ranked Eighth in USTFCCCA Regional Preseason Rankings 

WHAT'S AHEAD?
Suffolk takes a week off to rest up for the UMass Dartmouth Invitational Saturday, Sept. 17.