May 4, 2012
Photo Gallery
Bronx, N.Y. -
As the 2011-12 season begins to wind down, the Fordham University Athletic Department held its 78th annual Block F Awards Dinner at the Villa Barone Manor on May 2nd to honor Fordham University's student-athletes for their accomplishments during the academic year.
Among those honored was Julian Saad (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) who was named the 2011 Men's Cross Country MVP.
Saad, a Psychology major, finished fourth at the 2011 Atlantic 10 Men's Cross Country Championships in a time of 24:36.7 to earn All-Atlantic 10 honors. His fourth place finish is the best ever showing for a Fordham runner at the Atlantic 10 Championships, surpassing the previous best of a tenth-place finish by Matt Flynn in 2005.
On the year, Saad also became the first Fordham runner to win the Metropolitan Championship and IC4A individual titles, crossing the line in a time of 25:15 on October 7th at the Metropolitan Championships, surpassing his previous career-best time of 25:45.21 set earlier this year at the Fordham Fiasco. The time was just 25.6 seconds off the Fordham school record of 24:49.4 set by Pat Lavery in 1988.
At the IC4A Championships, Saad gave the Rams their first-ever individual winner at the IC4A Cross Country Championship, crossing the line in first place in 25:28, a full nine seconds ahead of second place finisher Jeffrey Lusignan of Sacred Heart (25:39).
Saad also won the individual championship at the Purple Valley Classic at Williams College on September 24th, pacing the entire field over the 8K distance with a time of 26:13.27, and finished 32nd overall at the 2011 NCAA Division I Northeast Regional Championships at the Audubon Golf Course in Buffalo.
Saad was also named to the 2011 Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team for men's cross country.
