Ithaca Defends Men's Cross Country Title at Saratoga Springs
Ithaca College will defend its men’s cross country conference championship at the Empire 8 Cross Country Championships at Saratoga Springs on Saturday.
The Bombers, who are seeking their fifth conference title and third in the past four years, finished fifth at last weekend’s New York State Collegiate Track Conference Championships ahead of three other Empire 8 schools.
Juniors Billy Savage and Nathan Bickell finished fourth and fifth, respectively, to earn all-conference first-team honors last year. Bickell has twice been named Runner of the Week this season. Classmate Mark Vorensky was named to the all-conference second-team last year with his ninth-place finish.
Sophomore Morgan Payne and freshman Cody Racha have been the top two finishers for Utica College all season. Racha was named NYSCTC Rookie of the Year for his 11th-place finish in the 112-runner field at the event. Payne was the Rookie of the Meet in last year’s championship as the top freshman runner. The two have combined to capture three Empire 8 Runner of the Meet awards this season.
Sophomore Michael Cahill paced Stevens Institute of Technology to a third-place finish in the 14-team Collegiate Track Conference Championships. He placed 13th in the 148-runner field.
Sophomore John Wojtech of Hartwick College set a meet record in winning the Hartwick Twilight 5K. He also finished second in the 141-runner field at the Cross Country Only Conference Championships.
Matt Fedrizzi was the top Nazareth College finisher at the NYSCTC meet, finishing 47th overall. Senior Ken Knoll led the way for Alfred University in the race as he placed 53rd.
St. John Fisher College will be competing in the Empire 8 championship for the first time. Cohen Miles-Rath became the first Cardinals’ runner to ever receive Empire 8 Runner of the Week honors.