Meet #1: Doug Watts Open
Date: Saturday, Sept. 6 | Edinboro, Pa. 
Start Times: Women's Race -- 11:10 AM | Men's Race -- 11:50 AM
Distances: 5K (women), 6K (men)
Live Timing

---

BACK AT IT
The Daemen University men's and women's cross country teams kick off the 2025 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 6 in Edinboro, Pa. at the Doug Watts Open. The women will run in the first of two collegiate races on Saturday, running a 5K at 11:10 AM, followed by the men's 6K at 11:50 AM. The Doug Watts Open is hosted by Edinboro. 

WHO'S RUNNING
The Wildcat women will have seven runners competing on Saturday, with six returners from the successful 2024 season heading back out onto the course along with freshman Grace Tag (North Tonawanda, N.Y.). Daemen's men will race eight runners, five returners and three freshmen, Ibrahim Hakizimana (Rochester, N.Y.), Andre Kannisto (Boston, N.Y.) and Brendan Smukall (Buffalo, N.Y.). 
 

RUNNER	PERSONAL BEST 5K TIME (DATE)
Lia Brasacchio	20:08.9 (9/28/24)
Christa Oates	19:19.9 (10/26/24)
Patsy Oberholzer	19:11.5 (10/21/23)
Kylie Piekarski	20:21.6 (10/26/24)
Hayley Pizur	21:27.8
Madeline Straub	20:40.5 (9/10/22)
Grace Tag	N/A

 

RUNNER	PERSONAL BEST 6K TIME (DATE)
Laertes Cushing	23:27.9 (9/3/22)
Ibrahim Hakizimana	N/A
CJ Johnson	20:46.1 (9/2/23)
Andre Kannisto	N/A
Ethan Keating	20.51.9 (9/7/24)
Brendan Smukall	N/A
Brad Tobin	22.32.0 (9/7/24)
Josh Trometer	21.58.1 (9/7/24)

HISTORICAL
This will be the third time since 2012 that Daemen has run in the Doug Watts Open. After a seventh-place finish in 2019, the Wildcat women placed third of six teams at the race in 2024 after placing two runners in the top-10 and three runners in the top-25. The Wildcat men placed sixth in the 2019 race, and are coming off a second place finish out of six teams in 2024 after their top five finishers placed in the top-23 runners in the race. 

UP NEXT
Daemen will be off for the next two weeks but resumes the season on Sept. 27 in Rochester, N.Y. at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational hosted by Roberts Wesleyan University on the Matt St. James Cross Country Course.

---

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen University cross country/track and field program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenXCTF.