St. John's University Athletics
Saturday, October 11
Branch Brook Park, NJ
St. John's University
at
Metropolitan XC Championship
Photo by: Vincent Dusovic
Cross Country Toes Line at Metropolitan XC Championships
10/10/2025 1:00:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
The Red Storm will at Branch Brook Park in Newark, N.J.
QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's cross country team begins championship racing this weekend, as it toes the line at the 2025 Metropolitan Cross Country Championships. The meet will be held at Branch Brook Park, located in Newark N.J. The race is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
Since 2021, the Red Storm have secured four podium finishes as a team. In 2023 Head Coach Elliot Blount and his squad claimed the team title.
Ezgi Yasar, Ana Dobsa and Cristina Stanescu all ran on the 2023 title team and will return to lead the Red Storm this year.
Last year at the Metropolitan XC Championship, the Johnnies ran to a third-place team finish as Yasar led the pack with a fifth-place time of 18:17 in the 5k race. Dobsa finished 24th,
stopping the clock in 19:26. Rounding out the top three was Naiara Garcia, who came in right behind her teammate with a 25th place showing and a time of 19:33.
One of 10 Johnnies in the field, as Nora Haugen is set to make her cross country debut. Haugen recently was selected to represent her home country of Norway at the 2025 World Athletics Championship in Tokyo last month as a member of the 4x400 meter relay. Last season, the senior ran a season-best 2:03.49 in the 800m at the NCAA East First Round in May. At the European Athletics U23 Championships in July, she recorded a personal-best time 2:01.60 in the same event.
Upon the conclusion of the race, St. John's will turn its attention to the ECAC Cross Country Championships next weekend in The Bronx at Van Cortlandt Park.
Since 2021, the Red Storm have secured four podium finishes as a team. In 2023 Head Coach Elliot Blount and his squad claimed the team title.
Ezgi Yasar, Ana Dobsa and Cristina Stanescu all ran on the 2023 title team and will return to lead the Red Storm this year.
Last year at the Metropolitan XC Championship, the Johnnies ran to a third-place team finish as Yasar led the pack with a fifth-place time of 18:17 in the 5k race. Dobsa finished 24th,
stopping the clock in 19:26. Rounding out the top three was Naiara Garcia, who came in right behind her teammate with a 25th place showing and a time of 19:33.
One of 10 Johnnies in the field, as Nora Haugen is set to make her cross country debut. Haugen recently was selected to represent her home country of Norway at the 2025 World Athletics Championship in Tokyo last month as a member of the 4x400 meter relay. Last season, the senior ran a season-best 2:03.49 in the 800m at the NCAA East First Round in May. At the European Athletics U23 Championships in July, she recorded a personal-best time 2:01.60 in the same event.
Upon the conclusion of the race, St. John's will turn its attention to the ECAC Cross Country Championships next weekend in The Bronx at Van Cortlandt Park.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
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