Women's Cross Country | 11/23/2021 12:55:44 PM
St. John Fisher junior Riley Corey was named Runner of the Year, as the Empire 8 announced its 2021 Women’s Cross Country award winners on Tuesday, Nov. 23. The individual awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Utica College first-year standout Jade Dening was named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, while the St. John Fisher College coaching staff, led by head coach Mike Henchen, was named E8 Coaching Staff of the Year.
Corey, a native of Waterloo, NY, represented the Empire 8 at the 2021 NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championship on Nov. 20, earning a top-100 finish. She won her second straight Empire 8 Championship in dominating fashion at the Washington County Fairgrounds on Oct. 30, finishing 45 seconds ahead of the field in a league championship record time of 22:04.4 over the 6,000-meter distance. Two weeks later on Nov. 13, Corey finished fourth overall at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championship hosted by SUNY Geneseo, which not only was the top performance ever by a St. John Fisher runner in that event, but also allowed her to qualify for nationals. Corey, who also won the Houghton Highlander Invitational on Oct. 9, was a six-time Empire 8 Runner of the Week in 2021.
Dening, a native of Remsen, NY, enjoyed a tremendous first season for the Pioneers in 2021. She finished fourth overall at the Empire 8 Championship on Oct. 30 in a season-best time of 23:08.6 over 6,000-meters. She was also the top first-year finisher among all Empire 8 runners at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championship hosted by SUNY Geneseo on Nov. 13. In that race, she earned All-Atlantic Region honors, placing 23rd overall. Dening, a two-time Empire 8 Runner of the Week, earned four top-10 finishes in 2021 and was an All-Empire 8 first team selection.
The St. John Fisher coaching staff, led by head coach Mike Henchen was honored as the 2021 Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. Henchen led St. John Fisher to its second consecutive Empire 8 Championship on Oct. 30. In addition, he mentored five all-league selections, including league champion and 2021 Empire 8 Runner of the Year Riley Corey in addition to fellow All-E8 first team picks Lauren DeMichele and Morgan Gould.
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Empire 8 first, second and third team all-conference selections were determined at the championship meet on Oct. 30 at the Washington County Fairgrounds, hosted by Russell Sage. Those selections were previously announced on Nov. 5.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2021 Women's Cross Country Sportswoman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference 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 sportswomen.
2021 Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country Award Winners
Runner of the Year: Riley Corey, Jr., St. John Fisher
Rookie of the Year: Jade Dening, Fr., Utica
Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John Fisher, led by Mike Henchen
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
Morgan Brothers, Gr., Alfred
Maddy Smith, Fr., Hartwick
Phebe Grant, Fr., Houghton
Bayli Fugle, Gr., Keuka
Megan Morin, Jr., Nazareth
Elizabeth Ingellis, Fr., Russell Sage
Morgan Gould, Sr., St. John Fisher
Sarah Sharpe, Jr., Utica