STONY BROOK, N.Y. — The Stony Brook men's cross country got their 2026 season started with a win on Saturday as they soundly bested the competition in the Stony Brook Season Opener. The Seawolves finished with 28 points, followed by Fordham with 35, Quinnipiac with 85, and Sacred Heart with 94. 

Leading the way for Stony Brook was Henry Gartner, who collected his first career cross country victory with a time of 19:21.3 in the 6K. Right behind him in the two spot was fellow senior Peter Fogarty with a time of 19:28.2. These two were the only ones out of the race's 50 participants to finish under 19:30.0.

In total, the Seawolves had five runners in the top 10, with Gavin Catherwood (sixth), Chris Tardugno (ninth), and Ryan Hesler (10th) rounding out the group. Another five Seawolves were also inside the top 20, as Danny Casatelli (11th), Percy Moser (12th), Alexander Medina (18th), Joseph Bertola (19th), and Finn Burke (20th) all turned in solid performances.

HIGHLIGHTS

• With today's win, the Seawolves have now made it seven straight victories in the Stony Brook Season Opener. 
• Gartner's 19:21.3 is just a tick behind his time last year when he finished in second with a time of 19:15.80.
• Bertola also PR'd today, knocking off 17 seconds from his previous best in the 6K with a final time of 20:30.4.
• Catherwood's time of 19:39.0 was also a six-second improvement over his time in the the 2025 race for a new PR.
• Likewise, Tardugno shaved 11 seconds off his time from last year with a 19:47.4 today.
• Casatelli was Stony Brook's top newcomer of the day, as the freshman led the group with a time of 19:52.5, making him one of just 11 runners to finish sub-20 minutes.
• Moser was right behind Casatelli with a 20:05.06 in his Seawolves debut.
• Medina rounded out the newcomers today with a time of 20:24.1

UP NEXT
The Seawolves return to action in two weeks when they head over to Haverford, Pa. for the Main Line Invitational, hosted by Haverford, on Friday, September 18 at 4:45 PM.

For an inside look at the Seawolves cross country program, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.