Men's Cross Country | 9/1/2021 8:57:44 AM
Nazareth College will look to earn its second Empire 8 Championship in just over six months, as the 2021 men’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.
Players to Watch (Sorted Alphabetically by Name)
Dan Barry, Keuka, Sr., East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa – Barry returns as Keuka’s top runner from 2019 and will be poised to be in contention for all-league honors in 2021.
Nathan Bowers, Nazareth, Jr., Endicott, NY/Owego Free Academy – Bowers, the 2021 Empire 8 Championship runner-up, will look to earn his third straight All-Empire 8 accolade and lead Nazareth to back-to-back titles this fall.
Kyle Jenkins, Alfred, Sr., Marcellus, NY/West Genesee – Jenkins will look to earn All-Empire 8 honors after placing 31st overall at last spring’s league championship.
Hayden Lohmann, Utica, So., West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham – Lohmann was Utica’s top finisher at the 2021 Spring Empire 8 Championships and will look to earn all-league honors this fall.
Caleb Mallery, Hartwick, Sr., Endicott, NY/Union Endicott – Mallery is expected to be Hartwick’s top competitor as the 2021 season begins. He was named to the Empire 8 President’s List in both Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.
Holden Maynard, Russell Sage, Gr., Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen – Maynard will look to earn All-Empire 8 honors as Russell Sage’s top returning runner.
Dave Russo, Houghton, Sr., Depew, NY/Depew – Russo is a two-time All-Empire 8 first team selection, most recently having finished sixth overall at the Spring 2021 E8 Cross Country Championship.
Grant Stokoe, St. John Fisher, Sr., Cortland, NY/Homer – Stokoe won the Spring 2021 Empire 8 Men’s Cross Country individual title and was named Runner of the Year. He will look to repeat as league champion this fall.
Team Capsules (Sorted by Spring 2021 Championship Results)
Nazareth
The Golden Flyers looks well positioned to repeat as league champions, as eight All-Empire 8 members return from last spring’s title winning team. Junior Nathan Bowers was the Spring 2021 Empire 8 runner-up, while teammates Matt Reimann, Nathan McNally, Mike Brown and Josh Brown earned first team accolades. Jake Suddaby, Kenny Williams and Ethan Glashauer also return after earning All-Empire 8 second team honors. Brown, a graduate student, returns for his fifth season after being named the 2021 Empire 8 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Newcomers Cade Eells and Lucas Rorick will look to compete for a spot in Nazareth’s crowded top-six.
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher just missed winning its first Empire 8 Championship last spring and return five All-Empire 8 selections. Senior Grant Stokoe was the 2021 Empire 8 Individual Champion, while sophomore Ethan Billings placed third, earning Empire 8 Rookie of the Year accolades. Juniors Brandon Nicosia and Bogdan Rozvora are both looking to earn their third straight All-Empire 8 honors. Rozvora garnered first team accolades last spring, while Nicosia was a second team selection. Senior Ryan Allen will look to repeat as an All-E8 pick, while classmate Andrew Ford returns after earning a third place finish at the 2019. Ford was also the 2018 E8 Rookie of the Year.
Houghton
Houghton finished a strong third at the 2021 Empire 8 Spring Cross Country Championship and return five all-conference selections. Senior Dave Russo earned All-Empire 8 first team honors in both 2019 and Spring 2021, finishing sixth overall at the most recent championship. Classmate Dillon Bell placed ninth last spring to earn All-E8 first team accolades. Senior Dylan Beckhorn along with sophomores Seth Greene and Caleb Kasper all garnered second team honors. Junior Adam McCutcheon will also battle to earn a spot in the top-six. Newcomers Sam Lyon and James Eustace may also contribute right away for Houghton, who is looking for its first league title.
Alfred
Alfred will look to make its ascent up the league standings, placing fifth in 2019 and fourth last spring. Seniors 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 this fall. Grant Baldwin, Ethan Billings, Anthony Brandl, Kevin Flint and George Mecca are primed to make an impact for the Saxons. In addition, first-year runners DJ Sloan and Yuner Sesmas will also vie for a starting role.
Utica
Utica will look to improve on last spring’s fifth place finish at the Empire 8 Championship. Sophomore Hayden Lohmann was Utica’s top finisher at the 2021 Spring Empire 8 Championships and will look to earn all-league honors this fall. Classmate Brian Glantz will also vie for all-conference honors. Freshmen Jaevon Ardrey and Tristan Vargo will also look to make an immediate impact.
Russell Sage
Russell Sage is set to make a strong push this fall. Graduate student Holden Maynard, along with seniors Brett Labier and Noah Vice, along with junior Joe Degiorgio and first-year runners Chad Hicks and Isaac Langer can make an impact as well. Maynard placed 28th overall at the 2021 Spring E8 Championship.
Hartwick
The Hawks return five student-athletes from the 2019 team that placed sixth at the Empire 8 Championships. In addition, head coach Tom Hartnett has added a group of highly touted newcomers who will be counted on to contribute. Seniors Caleb Mallery, Will May, Mark Garceau, Omar Nelson and Sean Waltman are expected to lead the way as returners. First-year standouts Aidan Freda and Pablo Gutierrez along with Lewis Mbogo will look to crack Hartwick’s top-six right away.
Keuka
Keuka makes its Empire 8 debut in 2021. The Wolves placed eighth overall at the NEAC Championships in 2019 and feature senior Dan Barry and junior Nicholas Grinell. 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 Men’s Cross Country Championship Results
Nazareth – 28 Points – League Champions
St. John Fisher – 43
Houghton – 55
Alfred – 128
Utica – 143
Russell Sage – No Team Score
^ Hartwick did not compete during the Spring 2021 season. Keuka is making its Empire 8 debut this fall.
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