(Riverdale, NY) - Senior Ari Shapiro (Los Angeles, CA/YULA) earned a medal, finishing in third place in an outstanding time of 31:07 to lead the YU men, and seniors Brianna Wasserman (Bexley, OH/Bexley) and Dana Faleck (West Hempstead, NY/HANC) earned top-30 finishes to lead the YU Women as the Yeshiva University Men's & Women's Cross Country teams enjoyed outstanding performances at the Baruch College Invitational, held Sunday morning at Van Cortlandt Park in Riverdale, New York. The Yeshiva Men's team earned a fifth place finish in a 13-team field, while the YU Women placed seventh out of 15 schools participating.
Shapiro was sensational, earning his best career finish, and a medal against some stiff competition. His 31:07 finish was less than two minutes behind the race's champion, and a full three seconds faster than his next competitor. Yeshiva finished with a score of 114, finishing behind eventual champion Cooper Union (47), Maritime College (53), Brooklyn College (84), and Mount Saint Vincent (92). Also enjoying terrific performances for Yeshiva were junior Samuel Grossman (Merrick, NY/DRS), who finished in 22nd place with a time of 33:58, and junior Isaac Bardos (Baltimore, MD/Pikesville) placed 26th with a time of 34:51.
Competing in their second varsity season, the YU showed tremendous improvement, placing seventh (150) behind Baruch College (48), Brooklyn College (85), Mount Saint Vincent (90), John Jay College (91), York College (124), and Saint Elizabeth (137). Wasserman finished 21st with a time of 32:25, while Faleck placed 27th in a time of 34:04. Also for YU, junior Leya Eisenman (Monsey, NY/Bat Torah Academy) earned a top-50 finish, finishing 44th with a time of 36:57.
Both Yeshiva teams return to action on Sunday, Sept. 14 when they compete at the Hunter College Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park.