Runners of the Week
Men’s Runner of the Week
Jack Bowman (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Fr., Saskatchewan, Canada, Suffern High School
Bowman helped lead his team to a runner- up finish in the men's 8k at the Caldwell University Cougar Chase Invitational on Friday. The STAC freshman crossed the finish line in a time of 28:37.1, good for second place among a field of 43 runners.
Men’s Rookie of the Week
Aidan Milillo (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Fr., Pleasant Valley, NY, Arlington High School
Milillo helped lead his team to a runner-up finish in the men's 8k at the Caldwell University Cougar Chase Invitational on Friday. The STAC freshman crossed the finish line in a time of 30:30.3, good for 11th place among a field of 43 runners.
Women’s Runner of the Week
Madison Chalfin (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Gr., Blauvelt, NY, University of Connecticut
Chalfin helped lead her team to a first place finish in the women's 5k at the Caldwell University Cougar Chase Invitational on Friday. The STAC graduate student crossed the finish line in a time of 20:20.0, good for second place among a field of 43 runners.
Women’s Rookie of the Week
Keira McLaughlin (Molloy)
Fr., Massapequa, NY, Massapequa High School
Freshman Keira McLaughlin followed in 32nd at 25:44.0, improving on her collegiate debut of 26:12.3.
Weekly Honor Roll
Peter Bagattine (Molloy)
Sr., Bay Shore, NY
Senior Peter Bagattine led the Lions in the men's 8K, finishing 31st overall with a time of 26:54.0.
Kevin Fernandez (Molloy)
Fr., Oceanside, NY, Oceanside High School
Freshman, Kevin Fernandez placed 44th at the Purple Valley Invitational with a time of 29:00.8 in the 8k, improving on his previous 8k time of 29:25.0 which he ran at the Panthers XC invite earlier this season.
Alaysia Cobb (Molloy)
Gr., Mastic, NY, William Floyd High School
Graduate student Alaysia Cobb led the Lions in the women's 6K, placing 31st overall with a time of 25:29.0. Cobb improved upon her season-opening 6K time of 26:10.6.
2026 ECC Cross Country Weekly Award Winners
Men’s Runner of the Week
Sep. 8 – CJ Johnson (Daemen)
Sep. 15 – Jack Bowman (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Sep. 22 – Jack Bowman (St. Thomas Aquinas) (2x)
Men’s Rookie of the Week
Sep. 8 – Jack Bowman (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Sep. 15 – Darren Coyle (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Sep. 22 – Aidan Milillo (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Women’s Runner of the Week
Sep. 8 – Barbara Kunz (D’Youville)
Sep. 15 – Adriana Roa (College of Staten Island)
Sep. 22 – Madison Chalfin (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Women’s Rookie of the Week
Sep. 8 – Jordyn Cruz (Queens)
Sep. 15 – Giuliana Fodor (Roberts Wesleyan)
Sep. 22 – Keira McLaughlin (Molloy)
2026 ECC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1. Roberts Wesleyan - 48 points (6 first-place votes)
2. Daemen - 40 points (1 first-place vote)
3. Molloy - 33 points
4. St. Thomas Aquinas - 30 points
5. D'Youville - 18 points
6. Queens - 13 points
7. Staten Island - 12 points
2026 ECC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1. Roberts Wesleyan - 64 points (8 first-place votes)
2. Molloy - 54 points
3. D'Youville - 47 points
4. Daemen - 42 points
5. St. Thomas Aquinas - 26 points
6. Queens - 25 points
7. Staten Island - 21 points
8. District of Columbia - 9 points
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Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: Daemen University (Amherst, N.Y.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); D'Youville University (Buffalo, N.Y.); Mercy University (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy University (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, N.Y.); College of Staten Island (Staten Island, N.Y.); and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). The ECC also is home to 13 associate members in the sports of women’s bowling (3), men’s and women’s indoor track & field (3), men's volleyball (2), field hockey (1), and men’s lacrosse (1).
The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men’s and women’s basketball; women's bowling; men’s and women’s cross country; field hockey; men’s and women’s lacrosse; men’s and women’s indoor track and field; men’s and women’s outdoor track and field; men’s and women’s soccer; softball; and men's and women’s volleyball.
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.