Hitchcock, Chappell and Bomber Coaching Staff Sweep Top Honors
Ithaca College added to its Empire 8 men’s cross country championship with a trio of top honors. The Bombers’
Sawyer Hitchcock was named the Runner of the Year while
Tim Chappell garnered Rookie of the Year and the
Ithaca College Coaching Staff picked up the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year.
Hitchcock was the lone Empire 8 representative at the 2014 NCAA National Championships, where he finished 111
th out of 280 with a time of 25:26.4. It marked the second time in his career competing in the championship. Hitchcock earned his NCAA bid by virtue of a ninth place finish (25:26) at the Division III Atlantic Regional meet. Prior to regionals and nationals, Hitchcock became the sixth Ithaca runner in E8 history to cross the finish line first at the Empire 8 championship meet in a time of 26:00.1. His season best performance came on Oct. 4 at the Lehigh Paul Invitational as he clocked a time of 25:16.
Chappell was the top rookie at the conference championship with a fifth-place finish (26:33.9) to lead the Bombers to their fifth straight Empire 8 team title. He was the sixth freshman at the NCAA Regional meet as he placed 68th. His personal best time of the season came at the Lehigh Paul Invitational (26:29).
Head Coach Jim Nichols and the Bomber coaching staff earned the top-coaching award. Ithaca claimed its fifth straight conference title in October, marking its seventh title overall– 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Ithaca had eight runners finish in the top-20 at the league meet with five earning first-team All-Empire 8 honorees and another one who earned second-team recognition this season. The Bombers concluded their season with a ninth place finish out of 41 teams at the NCAA Regional Championship.
In addition to the top year-end awards, one member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2014 Men’s Cross Country Sportsman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.
Empire 8 2014 Men’s Cross Country Awards
Player of the Year: Sawyer Hitchcock, Ithaca
Rookie of the Year: Tim Chappell, Ithaca
Coaching Staff of the Year: Ithaca College
Sportsman of the Year
Name, School
Kevin Dixon, Alfred University
Chris Shaw, Hartwick College
Luke Deboer, Houghton College
Dennis Ryan, Ithaca College
Patrick Neureuter, Nazareth College
Evan Magnussen, St. John Fisher College
Zach McKeehan, Stevens Institute of Technology
Jamie McNamara, Utica College
Don't forget to become a fan of the Empire 8 on
Facebook and follow
@Empire8 on Twitter.