UMass Dartmouth Invitational on Tap Saturday for Women’s Cross Country

BOSTON – Suffolk women's cross country will take its talents to the 52nd UMass Dartmouth Invitational this Saturday, Sept. 20. The Rams will be scattered across two races on the Corsairs' Robert Dowd Course with the varsity heat set for 12 p.m. and the junior varsity scheduled at 12:40 p.m. All the action can be followed via live results here.

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LAST TIME OUT
Suffolk women's cross country started its 2025 season on a strong note as it finished fourth at the Short Course Classic Saturday, Aug. 30 at the Mark Coogan Cross Country Course at Highland Park.

MORE READING: Women's Cross Country Finishes Fourth at Short Course Classic

INVITATIONAL INFORMATION

• The UMass Dartmouth Invitational, an annual event in its 52nd year, is competed on the Corsairs' Robert Dowd Course and is the biggest early season race in New England.

THE HEATS

• Four different heats will race mid-morning to early afternoon on the Robert Dowd Course.
• Competition commences with the sub varsity men's 8k run at 10:30 a.m., with the Robert 'Buddy' Harris, men's varsity 8k, gun firing 50 minutes later.
• The women are scheduled for the varsity 6k race at noon with the women's junior varsity gold event following 40 minutes later to conclude the competition.

THE COURSE

• It will be the first time in the meet's history that the women will race on a 6k course.
• The women's 6000-meter race is gently rolling on grass and unpaved trail. A full course map can be found here.

THE FIELD

• Runners from every NCAA Division are headed to Dartmouth, Massachusetts this Saturday. Over 40 squads will be represented in the field including three of the Rams Conference of New England (CNE) counterparts in Hartford and Nichols.
• The varsity race is limited to eight runners per school and could see over 325 student-athletes compete.

COACH'S QUOTE
"This will be the first race of the year where we run our expected top five together," head coach Will Feldman said. "In the varsity race the goal will be to place in the top 10 overall."

Feldman continued, "With the depth of this season's squad, I would not be surprised if women in the junior varsity race out perform those in the varsity race."

SUFFOLK'S SCOUT

• Suffolk aims to be the second-best NCAA Division III team in the varsity and junior varsity races.
• Tess Drury, Amy Pattelena, Sofia Moukaddem, Grace Miller, Paige Estaphan, Cassie Middleton, Chloe Koo and Bailey Ford will rep the blue-and-gold in the varsity heat.
• Drury and Pattelena will be making their 2025 debuts.
• Katelyn Porter should lead a talented group of freshmen and sophomores in the JV race.
• Saturday will mark the first collegiate 6k for Cassie Silkoff, Kathleen Sullivan and Laina Fraiser.

RAMS REMINISICE: UMASS DARTMOUTH INVITATIONAL

• Suffolk takes its talents back to the UMass Dartmouth Invitational for the first time since 2022 and sixth time in program history.
• The Rams best team performance at the annual meet came in a 12th-place finish in 2019.
• History was made for the blue-and-gold in 2019 as Emily Manfra won the meet as she topped the field with a program-best UMass Dartmouth Invitational 5k time of 17:51.72. That record still stands today.
• Every Ram that races on Saturday will compete at the event for the first time in their collegiate careers. 

RANK AND FILE
After its season-opening performance at the Short Course Classic, Suffolk women's cross country captured its first Top-Three regional ranking in program history Tuesday afternoon as the Rams were tabbed third in the East in the latest edition of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Poll. 

Third is the highest ranking for the blue-and-gold in program history, upstaging the previous mark of fourth, which they achieved twice with the latest the 2025 USTFCCCA Preseason Rankings Aug. 26, 2025.  

MORE READING: Women's Cross Country Climbs to Program-Best USTFCCCA Regional Ranking

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
The Rams will bring their talents to Colfax, Wisconsin for the Blugold Invite Friday, Oct. 3.