NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The Niagara University cross country teams are set to begin the season at the Little 3 Championship on Saturday, Sept. 1 at Saint Bonaventure University. The women’s race starts at 10 a.m. and the men will follow at 10:45 a.m.
Pre-Race Notes
- Niagara’s men’s roster features two new faces and four returners. New to the squad are seniors Daniel Leskowicz and Justin Sagasta, who are competing in cross country in addition to swimming.
- On the women’s side, the 12-runner roster boasts seven incoming freshmen and five returners. Juniors Julia Freemire and Mallory Ronan are Niagara’s most veteran runners and have been named the team captains this season.
- Head coach Christine Kloiber – now entering her fifth season as the head coach of Niagara’s cross country teams – has added Curshonne Johnson as an assistant coach. Johnson recently graduated from Clark Atlanta University, where she ran cross country and track for the Panthers.
About the Little 3 Championships
- The Little 3 Championships feature Niagara, Canisius and St. Bonaventure, with the schools rotating hosting responsibilities. The annual race has been the opening event for Niagara in every season since 2012.
- Niagara hosted last year’s edition at Fort Niagara in Youngstown, N.Y.
- The men’s team finished third in 2017 but had three runners (Ryan DeLola, Spencer Swoboda and Joe Tricarico) finish with personal bests.
- The women’s side also finished in third, paced by Stephanie Webster’s team-leading 11th-place finish.
- 2015 was the last time the Little 3 Championships were held by the Bonnies. That season, the men finished in second place while the women took third.
