Mick Byrne's Iona College men's team scored 18 points (1-2-4-5-6) to win the 2002 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Cross Country Championships on Friday, 1st November at Van Courtlandt Park in the Bronx, New York City.

The Iona Gaels were led by Richard Kiplagat (Marakwet, Kenya) who crossed the finish line for the five-mile race in 24.26.0, setting a new meet record.

Next up for Iona was Graeme Reid (Buchlyvie, Scotland) in second (24.31.9), followed by Sligo's Mark Smyth in fourth (24.59.2), and St. Malachy's Joe McAlister in fifth (25.11.6) and Sean Connolly from Tallaght running 26.00.6 for 15th spot in the meet.

Ray Treacy's Providence College men's cross country team scored 49 points and finished second behind Villanova (39 points) at the Big East Conference Cross Country Championship on Friday, 1st November at Franklin Park in Boston, Massachsetts. The Friars went into the meet ranked 17th in the current NCAA Cross Country Poll.

Friar senior Adam Sutton (Preston, England) captured the individual men's title, marking the eighth time a Providence men's runner has won the individual crown and the first time since Keith Kelly (Drogheda, Co. Louth) won in 2000. Sutton's time of 23.33 was the second fastest ever run at Franklin Park for the Big East Men's Cross Country meeting. It is second to Kelly's time of 23.21 in 2000, the year he won the NCAA Individual honours. The top Irish finisher was Patrick Guidera (Co. Tipperary) placing 18th - 24.34 and Martin Fagan (Co. Westmeath) in 30th - 25.08.

The women's team who are presently ranked 14th, placed fourth with 89 points fourth behind Notre Dame (69), Georgetown (70 points) and Villanova (88 points).

The Providence women continued their strong 1-2 combination led by senior Róisín McGettigan (Co. Wicklow) who finished in fifth place in a time of 20.38 and Mary Cullen (Co. Sligo) in sixth in a time of 20.40.

Next in for Providence was graduate student Heather Cappello of Lockport, New York. (17th - 21:22), Emily Tallen of Kingston, Ontario (28th - 21:49), Deirdre Byrne (Co. Wicklow) in 33rd with a time of 22.04, Limerick's Emer O'Shea placing 35th in 22.12 and Róisín Quinn (Co. Waterford) in 51st covering the 6-kilometre course in 22.42.