Ramapo Runner Makes School History, Named Athlete Of The Year

MAHWAH, NJ — Ramapo College men's cross country runner Chris Andersen has been named NCAA Division III Cross Country Metro Region Athlete of the Year, the first time in the history of the program a Roadrunner has garnered the award.

Andersen is one of ten honorees from each NCAA region across the country.

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Andersen won the NCAA Metro Regional Championship last Saturday, the first time in program history, with a time of 25:03.2, six seconds faster than the second-place finisher.

He also won the NJAC Championship individual title on Oct. 30 with a personal best time of 24:57.3. Andersen has been named NJAC Runner of the Year, NJAC First Team All-Conference and NCAA Metro All-Region this season.

"Chris has worked extremely hard to attain his goals this season, these awards are a product of his success and hard work. He used the time during the pandemic to become stronger and more focused. He has made a huge impact on our program and is a great leader for our team," said Head Coach Justina Cassavell.

Andersen and teammate Steven Fiumefreddo will wrap up the cross country season at the 2021 NCAA Championships this Saturday. The pair, who qualified at the regional meet with a first and third place finish respectively, will run in the 8k race that begins at 11 a.m.

Live result and video links will be posted on www.ramapoathletics.com.