2021 Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country Season Gets Underway

Women's Cross Country | 9/1/2021 1:57:51 PM

St. John Fisher will look to earn its second Empire 8 Championship in just over six months, as the 2021 women’s cross country season gets underway on Sept. 1. The Empire 8 Championship will take place at the Washington County Fairgrounds, hosted by Russell Sage College on Saturday, Oct. 30.
   
Morgan Brothers, Alfred, Gr., Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia – Brothers will be counted on to lead the Saxons in 2021. She placed 36th overall at the 2021 Empire 8 Championships.
 
Amanda Burrichter, Houghton, Jr., Fillmore, NY/Fillmore – Burrichter is a two-time All-Empire 8 first team selection and will be among the top runners in the conference this season.
 
Riley Corey, St. John Fisher, Jr., Waterloo, NY/Waterloo – Corey won the 2021 Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country individual title and Runner of the Year and was also the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2019. She will look to become a repeat champion
 
Kristin Daino, Utica, Gr., Johnson City, NY/Maine-Endwell – Daino earned All-Empire 8 second team honors for the second straight season last spring after placing 13th at the league championship meet.
 
Bayli Fugle, Keuka, Gr., Attica, NY/Attica – Fugle was an All-North Eastern Athletic Conference third team selection in 2019 and will look to earn All-E8 honors for the Wolves in 2021.
 
Mackenzie Feeney, Russell Sage, So., Saugerties, NY/Saugerties – Feeney was named the Spring 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and earned All-E8 first team accolades after finishing third at the league championship meet.
 
Sophia Kehr, Hartwick, So., Charlotte, VT/Champlain Valley Union – Kehr is expected to be Hartwick’s top competitor as the 2021 season begins. She was named to the Empire 8 President’s List in Spring 2021.
 
Emily Weaver, Nazareth, Jr., Martville, NY/Hannibal – Weaver placed sixth at last spring’s Empire 8 Championships to earn All-E8 first team honors.  
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher rolled to the Spring Empire 8 2021 Championship and return four of the top five finishers from that event, five All-Empire 8 first team and two second team selections. Junior Riley Corey won the 2021 Empire 8 Championship race by nearly 34 seconds and will look to repeat and earn national prominence this fall. Senior Morgan Gould placed second last spring, while sophomores Lauren DeMichele and Laura Witt were fourth and fifth respectively. Chelsea Lamphere also returns as an All-Empire 8 first team selection, while senior Alivia Collins is a two-time All-E8 second team pick. Abigail Perry, Angelea Collins and Sophia Prouty will also compete for position in St. John Fisher’s top-six in 2021.
 
Nazareth
The Golden Flyers have six all-conference runners returning in junior Emily Weaver (first team), sophomore Lilianna Hanning (first team), sophomore Paige Ackley (second team), senior Claire Bargabos (second team) and juniors Megan Morin (second team) and Giselle Rainville (second team) in an effort to improve on last spring’s second-place finish at the Empire 8 Championships. Graduate student Elizabeth Decker was an Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Champion in the 800-meter run and is competing in cross country for the first time. In addition, first-year Hailey Bloom will look to crack the starting lineup.
 
Russell Sage
The Gators of Russell Sage enjoyed a strong third place finish last spring and will look to run to even greater success in 2021, as eight student-athletes return. Sophomore Mackenzie Feeney was the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year last spring after placing third overall at the league championship, earning first team accolades. Classmate Emma Cronin also earned All-E8 first team honors after placing seventh. Senior Kristin McAlonen is back after earning All-Empire 8 second team accolades in 2019, while junior Molly Kane placed 21st last spring. Newcomers Elizabeth Ingellis, Crystal Ivery and Elizabeth Marshall will also look to crack the starting lineup this fall.
 
Houghton
Juniors Amanda Burrichter and Rachel Domracki will look to lead Houghton to its second league title in three seasons in 2021. Burrichter is a two-time All-Empire 8 first team selection who finished sixth at the 2019 championship and tenth last Spring. Domracki has finished just outside the top-20 in each of her first two seasons. Senior Elise Kettinger and sophomore Alexa Binney will also be counted on to lead the way for the Highlanders. In addition, first-year standouts Tabitha Clark and Phebe Grant are expected to contribute right away.
 
Utica
Utica returns six student-athletes from last spring’s roster, including two-time All-Empire 8 second team selection Kristin Daino, along with junior Sarah Sharpe, who placed 21st overall in 2019. Senior Laura Levi, junior Alyssa Wineberg and sophomore Priya Katwala will look to play a larger role in 2021. Newcomer Jade Dening will also look to crack the starting lineup.
 
Alfred
Alfred returns four of its top five runners from the Spring, graduate student Morgan Brothers, senior Sally Johnston, junior Mackenzie Grosskopf and Mari Johnson along with sophomore Sam Arthurs and first-year Cassidy Phillips. The Saxons will look to improve on a sixth place finish last spring at the Empire 8 Championships.
 
Hartwick
The Hawks return four student-athletes from the 2019 team that placed sixth at the Empire 8 Championships. In addition, head coach Tom Hartnett has added eight highly touted newcomers who will be counted on to score. Sophomore Sophia Kehr, along with senior Anne Baskwill and Taylor King are expected to lead the way as returners. First-year standouts Sophie Ridgway and Maddy Smith should earn time in Hartwick’s top-six right away.
 
Keuka
Keuka makes its Empire 8 debut in 2021. The Wolves placed second overall at the NEAC Championships in 2019 and feature graduate student Bayli Fugle and junior Colleen Ulrich. Fugle was an All-NEAC third team selection in 2019. First-year head coach Mike Rahr brings over 40 years of high school coaching experience at Canisteo-Greenwood Central School. Keuka begins its season on Sept. 11 at the SUNY Cobleskill Steven A. Warde Invitational.
 
Final Spring 2021 Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country Championship Results
St. John Fisher – 21 Points – League Champions
Nazareth – 51
Russell Sage – 86
Houghton – 110
Utica – 129
Alfred – 139
 
^ Hartwick did not compete during the Spring 2021 season. Keuka is making its Empire 8 debut this fall.
 
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 and YouTube
 
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