Men's Cross Country | 9/1/2022 9:38:43 AM
Nazareth College will look to earn its third consecutive Empire 8 Championship, as the 2022 men’s cross country season gets underway on Sept. 1. The Empire 8 Championship will take place at Field of Dreams Park, hosted by Houghton University on Saturday, Oct. 29.
Empire 8 Runners to Watch (Sorted Alphabetically by Name)
Ethan Billings, St. John Fisher, Jr., Wantage, NJ/High Point Regional – Billing was the Spring 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and is a two-time All-Empire 8 first team selection.
Jesse Bolster, Keuka, Fr., Stratford, NY/Dolgeville – Bolster will be counted on to lead the Wolves in 2022.
Nathan Bowers, Nazareth, Jr., Endicott, NY/Owego Free Academy – Bowers was the runner-up in each of the last two Empire 8 Championship races. He will look to earn his third straight All-Empire 8 accolade and lead Nazareth to three straight team titles this fall.
Joe Degiorgio, Russell Sage, Sr., Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen – Degiorgio will look to earn All-Empire 8 honors as Russell Sage’s top returning runner. He placed 34th at the 2021 E8 Championship
Aidan Freda, Hartwick, So., Westtown, NY/Minisink Valley – Freda is expected to be Hartwick’s top competitor as the 2022 season begins. He placed 40th at the 2021 Empire 8 Championship.
Max Rasilla, Alfred, So., Moraga, CA/Midland – Rasilla will look to earn All-Empire 8 honors in 2022 after placing 35th overall at last year’s league championship.
Michael Roberts, Utica, Jr., Remsen, NY/Remsen – Roberts was Utica’s top finisher at the 2021 Empire 8 Championship, placing 24th overall and will look to earn all-league honors this fall.
Caleb Kasper, Houghton, Jr., Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park – Kasper earned All-Empire 8 second team honors during the Spring 2021 season.
Joshua Wolski, Medaille, So., Amherst, NY/Amherst – Wolski placed 15th at the 2021 Allegheny Mountain Championship and will be counted on to lead Medaille in their first season as an Empire 8 member.
Team Capsules (Sorted by 2021 Championship Results)
Nazareth
The Golden Flyers enter the 2022 season looking to win their third straight Empire 8 title. In addition, the Golden Flyers are sixth in the preseason USTFCCCA Niagara Region rankings. The Golden Flyers return their top five finishers from last season’s E8 Championship winning team and seven All-Empire 8 selections overall. Senior Nathan Bowers was the Empire 8 runner-up in each of the last two conference championship races, while teammate and classmate Nathan McNally finished third overall last year. Sophomore Cade Eells was the 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and earned All-E8 first team accolades, while Matt Reimann and garnered All-E8 second team honors and Jake Suddaby and Lucas Sharron also return after earning All-Empire 8 third team honors.
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher just missed winning its first Empire 8 Championship last fall and return four All-Empire 8 selections. While the Cardinals will look to replace two-time Empire 8 Champion Grant Stokoe, junior Ethan Billings, the Spring 2021 E8 Rookie of the Year is back to lead the way in 2022. He placed sixth overall at last year’s championship. Nick Ferri (second team), Myles Andersen (third team) and Riley Nash (third team) also return for the Cardinals. Newcomers Will Chubb and Ben Long will also vie for time in St. John Fisher’s top-six this season.
Houghton
Houghton finished third at the 2021 Empire 8 Championship but will need to replace the loss of four All-E8 selections due to graduation. Junior Caleb Kasper returns as Houghton’s top runner in 2022. He garnered All-E8 second team honors during the Spring 2021 season and placed 22nd overall last fall. Sophomores James Eustace and Zach Tucker will also challenge for all-conference accolades. Newcomers Ben Allen, Amos Bixler and Mitchel Felix 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 after placing fourth in each of the last two seasons. Sophomore Max Rasilla placed 35th overall at the 2021 E8 Championship and will look to earn all-league honors this fall. Kevin Flint, George Mecca and Yuner Sesmas are primed to make a key impact for the Saxons this season. In addition, first-year runners Finnegan Dean and Nick Erickson will also vie for a starting role.
Utica
Utica will look to improve on last year’s fifth place finish at the Empire 8 Championship, as its top-five runners return from 2021. The duo of juniors Michael Roberts and Hayden Lohmann will both look to earn all-league honors this fall after top-25 finishes at the 2021 Empire 8 Championship. Sophomore Tristan Vargo and junior Andrew Wieder will be counted on to earn valuable points for the Pioneers. Newcomers Zach Brown, Tobias Jeralds and Anthony Leotta will also look to make an immediate impact.
Hartwick
The Hawks will look to improve of last season’s fifth place finish. Sophomore Aidan Freda is back after a 40th place finish at the 2021 E8 Championship. First-year Sam Bagley will also be counted on to make an immediate impact for Hartwick.
Russell Sage
Russell Sage will look to make its way up the Empire 8 standings this fall under first year head coach Regan Grube. Senior Joe Degiorgio along with sophomore Isaac Langer will lead the way for the Gators in 2022. Degiorgio placed 34th overall at the 2021 E8 Championship. Newcomers Robert Cusato and Christopher Pellegrini will also look to make an immediate impact.
Keuka
Keuka enters its second season as an Empire 8 cross country program in 2022. First-year runner Jesse Bolster is poised to lead the Wolves in 2022. Keuka begins its season on Sept. 17 at the University of Rochester Yellowjacket Invitational.
Medaille
Medaille makes its Empire 8 debut in 2022 for head coach Dave Sardo. The Mavericks placed third overall at the AMCC Championship in 2021 and feature sophomore Joshua Wolski and junior Brandon Davis. Wolski placed 15 at last season’s AMCC Championship.
Final 2021 Empire 8 Men’s Cross Country Championship Results
Nazareth – 32 Points – League Champions
St. John Fisher – 38
Houghton – 58
Alfred – 143
Utica – 158
Hartwick – 158
Russell Sage – 182
Keuka – No Team Score
^ 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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