PURCHASE, N.Y. – Heading into this weekend's season-opening race, the Manhattanville University men's cross country team has been voted fifth in the Skyline Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The women's team has been voted seventh in the conference, recipients of one first place vote.

On the men's side, the Valiants enter 2025 with momentum following last fall's results when Manhattanville took fourth in the Skyline Conference Championship meet in November. The finish was the Valiants' best placement at a conference championship since 2019, with many of the key contributors to that performance returning this season.

Coming off his second-consecutive All-Conference Second Team honor in 2024, junior Joey DeMilio (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) leads the pack of returning Valiants after placing eighth at last year's championship. Zach Garrant (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill High School), Darlig Delgado (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore Senior) and Dan Baldessarre also all factored into the 2024 championship scoring, each cracking the top 30 to lead to Manhattanville's best showing in five years.

Courtney Brown (Clarendon, Jamaica/Mount Vernon), Shai Graham (Bronx, N.Y./Bronx Theatre High School) and Aka Udeagha (Rye, N.Y./Rye) join the cross country team after previously competing in the indoor and outdoor track seasons. Rounding out the 2025 roster are a pair of freshmen, Danny Noia (Honolulu, Hawaii/McKinley) and Khalil Williams (Menands, N.Y./Shaker).

The women's team will feature many a new face, with only sophomores Jennifer Oliveros (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) and Adelina Rodriguez (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) having run in a cross country race for the Valiants last season. Alicia Bibi (Marlborough, Mass./Marlborough) has joined the team after competing in soccer last fall and running track for the Valiants in the winter and spring, while junior Lill Savnik and freshmen Sam Delgado (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle), Kristen Mejia (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester), Saage Palmer (Brooklyn, N.Y./Medgar Evers College Preparatory School) and Samiyah Samuels () look to make some noise in heir first years with the Valiants.

The Valiants open up the season this Saturday at the Suffolk University Invitational in Massachusetts, the first of four regular-season races. The Skyline Conference Championship is scheduled for Sunday, October 26 at neighboring Purchase College.

2025 Skyline Conference Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank, Team (first-place votes), Pts.
1. Merchant Marine (9), 107
2. Saint Joseph's Long Island (1), 87
3. Maritime, 83
4. Farmingdale, 82
5. Manhattanville, 79
6. Purchase, 75
7. Sarah Lawrence, 65
8. Mount Saint Mary (1), 53
9. Yeshiva, 51
10. Mount Saint Vincent (1), 45
11. Old Westbury, 33
12. Saint Joseph's Brooklyn, 32

2025 Skyline Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank, Team (first-place votes), Pts.
1. Merchant Marine (7), 108
2. Maritime (1), 99
3. Mount Saint Mary (1), 86
4. Farmingdale (1), 78
5. Sarah Lawrence, 77
6. Saint Joseph's Long Island, 76
7. Manhattanville (1), 65
8. Purchase, 57
T9. Mount Saint Vincent (1) & Saint Joseph's Brooklyn, 38
T11. Old Westbury & Yeshiva, 35

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