Men's Cross Country | 4/8/2021 12:54:53 PM
Utica College will look to win its fourth straight league title, as the 2021 Empire 8 Spring Men’s Cross Country Championship will take place at 5:25 p.m. on Friday, April 9 at Field of Dreams Course on the campus of Houghton College. Six Empire 8 institutions will vie for the team title in the 6,000-meter event.
Utica won its third straight league title in 2019, finishing two points ahead of runner-up Nazareth and seven up on third place Houghton. The Pioneers return All-Empire 8 first team selection Hunter Reed in addition to fellow standouts Kyler Ford, Tyler Stephens, Zach Mosher and Alex Waterman. Freshmen Brian Glantz, Hayden Lohmann and Robert Scocca will also be counted on to be key contributors.
Nazareth looks well positioned to make a run at the 2021 spring championship, as six All-Empire 8 members return from the 2019 squad that was two points shy of the league title. Sophomore Nathan McNally finished fourth in 2019 to earn All-Empire 8 first team accolades and Rookie of the Year honors. Senior Chris Celecki was also an All-E8 first team selection after finishing sixth. Senior Mike Brown, juniors Jake Suddaby and Josh Tomaka and sophomore Nathan Bowers were All-Empire 8 second team selections in 2019. Bowers was named E8 Cross Country Runner of the Week on March 30 after winning the Terry Rodenbeck Invitational. He also won the 5,000-meters at the Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championship on March 20.
Houghton just missed sweeping the E8 Cross Country Championships in 2019 and will be well positioned to be a strong contender this spring. Junior Dave Russo earned All-Empire 8 first team honors in 2019 and was fourth at the 2021 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 5,000-meter run on March 20. Classmate Dillon Bell was third in that same event three weekends ago and 24th overall at the 2019 E8 Cross Country Championships. Junior Dylan Beckhorn and senior Joel Wheeler placed 17th and 20th overall respectively and both earned All-E8 Second Team honors in 2019 as well.
St. John Fisher will look to improve off a fourth place finish at the 2019 E8 Championship. Junior Andrew Ford returns after earning a third place finish at the 2019 championship on his way to garnering All-E8 First Team accolades. Junior Grant Stokoe is a top contender after winning the 1,500- and 3,000-meter races the 2021 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championship on March 20 and was named E8 Track Athlete of the Meet. Freshman Ethan Billings was runner-up in the 5,000-meters at the Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championship as well. Sophomores Brandon Nicosia and Bogdan Rozvora placed 11th and 15th overall respectively and both earned All-E8 Second Team honors in 2019 as well.
Alfred will look to improve after a fifth place finish in 2019. Juniors Gavin Wilbert and Kyle Jenkins earned top-30 finishes for the Saxons at the 2019 E8 Championship and will look to earn all-league honors in 2021. Grant Baldwin, Ethan Billings, Anthony Brandl, Kevin Flint, Kyle Full and George Mecca are primed to make an impact for the Saxons.
Russell Sage is set to make a strong push in 2021. First-year standout Dominic Nova, the 2021 Empire 8 Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championship Rookie of the Meet is set to make an impact on the cross country side. He competed in the 800-meters, mike run and 3,000-meters at the indoor meet. Holden Maynard, along with Jared Young, Brett Labier and Carlos Temple cane make an impact as well.
The 2021 E8 Spring Championship schedule is below. For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on Twitter (@Empire8). Live results will be available at
www.leonetiming.com.
2021 Empire 8 Spring Cross Country Championship Schedule
Friday, April 9
Women’s Race – 4:45 p.m.
Men’s Race – 5:25 p.m.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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