Women's Cross Country | 9/1/2022 1:31:51 PM
St. John Fisher University will look to earn its third consecutive Empire 8 Championship, as the 2022 women’s cross country season gets underway on Sept. 1. The Empire 8 Championship will take place at the Field of Dreams Course on the campus of Houghton University on Saturday, Oct. 29.
2022 Empire 8 Players to Watch (Sorted Alphabetically by Name)
Amanda Burrichter, Houghton, Jr., Fillmore, NY/Fillmore – Burrichter finished second overall at the 2021 Empire 8 Champion, is a three-time All-Empire 8 first team selection and will be among the top runners in the conference in 2022
Riley Corey, St. John Fisher, Jr., Waterloo, NY/Waterloo – Corey will look to win her third straight E8 Championship this fall and potentially garner All-American honors. She won the 2021 Empire 8 Championship race by nearly 45 seconds, placed fourth at regionals and competed at nationals.
Jade Dening, Utica, So., Remsen, NY/Remsen – Dening was the 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, earned All-Empire 8 first team accolades and earned All-Region honors, narrowly missing out on a spot at nationals.
Alison Reigle, Keuka, Jr., Hilton, NY/Hilton – Reigle was Keuka’s top performer in 2021, finishing 29th overall at the Empire 8 Championships.
Mackenzie Feeney, Russell Sage, So., Saugerties, NY/Saugerties – Feeney was the Spring 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and earned All-E8 second team accolades last season after finishing ninth at the league championship meet.
Erin Hardick, Medaille, Sr., Amherst, NY/Sacred Heart Academy – Hardick was named the 2021 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Newcomer of the Year and finished third at the AMCC Championship.
Mari Jablonski, Alfred, Jr., Monticello, GA/Jasper County – Jablonski will be counted on to lead the Saxons in 2022 after an impressive 14h place finish at the 2021 Empire 8 Championships. She earned All-E8 second team accolades.
Megan Morin, Nazareth, Jr., Martville, NY/Hannibal – Weaver placed seventh at the 2021 Empire 8 Championships on her way to earning All-E8 first team honors.
Maddy Smith, Hartwick, So., Oneonta, NY/Edemston Central – Smith is expected to be Hartwick’s top competitor as the 2022 season begins. She placed 33rd at the 2021 Empire 8 Championship.
Team Capsules (Sorted by 2021 Championship Results)
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher won its second straight E8 Championship in 2021 and return three of its the top five finishers from that event, including a pair of All-Empire 8 first team and one second team selection. Senior Riley Corey, the 2021 Empire 8 Runner of the Year, will look to win her third straight E8 Championship this fall and potentially garner All-American honors. She won the 2021 Empire 8 Championship race by nearly 45 seconds, placed fourth at regionals and competed at nationals. The duo of juniors Lauren DeMichele and Laura Witt will also be counted on to lead the way. DeMichele placed third at the 2021 E8 Championship, while Witt garnered All-E8 second team accolades. were fourth and fifth respectively. Abigail Perry, Angelea Collins and Sophia Prouty will also compete for position in St. John Fisher’s top-six in 2022, while newcomers Lauren Dunn, Olivia Grinell and Caitlin Voloshen will challenge for scoring roles. The Cardinals are sixth in the preseason USTFCCCA Niagara Region rankings.
Nazareth
The Golden Flyers have five all-conference runners returning in senior Megan Morin (first team), senior Emily Weaver (second team), junior Lilianna Hanning (first team), sophomore Peyton Tripp (third team) and senior Giselle Rainville (third team) in an effort to improve on last spring’s second-place finish at the Empire 8 Championships. Morin, Weaver, Hanning and Rainville have all earned All-E8 honors in multiple seasons and will lead a veteran Golden Flyers team in 2022. The Golden Flyers enter the season seventh in the preseason USTFCCCA Niagara Region rankings.
Houghton
Seniors Amanda Burrichter and Rachel Domaracki will look to lead Houghton to its second league title in four seasons in 2022. Burrichter is a three-time All-Empire 8 first team selection who finished second at the 2021 championship. Domracki emerged as an All-E8 first team selection in 2021 after placing sixth overall at the championship meet. Sophomore Tabitha Clark returns after a strong first season in which she finished 18th overall at E8 Championship and earned third team accolades. In addition, newcomers Kyra Binney, Noelle Linenfelser and Rachael Smith are expected to contribute right away.
Russell Sage
The Gators of Russell Sage enjoyed a strong fourth place finish last fall and will look for more success in 2022 under first-year head coach Regan Grube. Junior Mackenzie Feeney was the Spring 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and earned All-E8 second team accolades last season after finishing ninth at the league championship meet. She will look for her third All-E8 honor in 2022. Sophomore Elizabeth Ingellis earned All-E8 third team accolades in 2021 after placing 20th overall at the E8 Championship.
Utica
Utica returns four of its top five scorers from last season, including Jade Dening, the 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. She earned All-Empire 8 first team accolades and garnered All-Region plaudits, narrowly missing out on a spot at nationals. Seniors Sarah Sharpe and Alyssa Wineberg, along with junior Priya Katwala will look to play a larger role in 2021. Newcomer Gianna Welker and All-E8 track and field standout Janayia Cruz will also look to crack the starting lineup.
Alfred
Alfred returns five of its top seven runners from 2021 and will look to improve off last season’s sixth place finish at the Empire 8 Championship. Junior Mari Jablonski will be counted on to lead the Saxons in 2022 after an impressive 14h place finish at the 2021 Empire 8 Championships. She earned All-E8 second team accolades. Graduate student Mackenzie Grosskopf, along with juniors Sam Arthurs and Sarah Lutkins and sophomore McKenzie Hall will also look to lead the Saxons. Former E8 Champion swimmer Ivy Vallely will look to add depth to the Saxons in 2022.
Keuka
Keuka will look to make strides in its second Empire 8 season after placing seventh at the 2021 league championship meet. Junior Alison Reigle is back after placing 29th overall at the 2021 E8 Championship.
Hartwick
The Hawks return five student-athletes from last season’s team Sophomore standouts Maddy Smith and Sophie Ridgway are expected to lead Hartwick in 2022. Smith was Hartwick’s top finisher at the 2021 Empire 8 Championship, placing 33rd overall, while Ridgway was 44th.
Medaille
Medaille makes its Empire 8 debut in 2022 for head coach Dave Sardo. The Mavericks placed fourth overall at the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championships last season and feature senior Erin Hardick and junior Katherine Bobowicz. Hardick was named the 2021 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Newcomer of the Year and finished third at the AMCC Championship. Bobowicz placed sixth at the AMCC Championship last season.
Final 2021 Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country Championship Results
St. John Fisher – 30 Points
– League Champions
Nazareth – 61
Houghton – 75
Russell Sage – 105
Utica – 156
Alfred – 156
Keuka – 186
Hartwick – 196
^ Medaille 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
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