Men's Cross Country | 10/25/2023 9:55:49 AM
Nazareth University will look to earn its fourth straight league title, as the 2023 Empire 8 Men’s Cross Country Championship will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 28 at Parkview Fairways in Victor, NY, hosted by Nazareth. Eight teams will vie for the team title in the 8,000-meter event.The event will be streamed on the
Empire 8 Network and live results will be able from
www.leonetiming.com.
The Golden Flyers of
Nazareth University enter the 2023 championship looking to win their fourth straight Empire 8 title. The Golden Flyers return three of their top five finishers from last season’s E8 Championship winning team, including graduate student Nathan Bowers. Bowers is a three-time Empire 8 Championship runner-up and was named the 2022 Empire 8 Runner of the Year after earning All-Region honors. He will look to earn his fifth All-E8 honor in 2023. Cade Eells, the 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and 2022 All-E8 first team selection is back to look for his first individual title. He was named the E8 Runner of the Week on Oct. 16. All-E8 second team selection Antonio Benitez also returns after placing second among all first-year runners at last season’s championship. Fellow All-E8 selections Ethan Kenyon, Connor Jackson and Kenny Williams also return. Nazareth is ranked tenth in the current USTFCCCA Niagara Region rankings.
St. John Fisher University earned runner-up honors for the third season in a row in 2022 and will look to garner a league title this weekend. The Cardinals will return a strong group of upperclassmen, including 2022 Empire 8 Championship Runner of the Meet, senior, Ethan Billings. Billings is a three-time All-Empire 8 first team selection and was the Spring 2021 E8 Rookie of the Year. He was the E8 Runner of the Week on Sept. 18. Two-time All-E8 selection Bogdan Rozvora, along with former All-E8 picks Myles Andersen and Riley Nash also return to lead the way. The Cardinals add newcomers Nathan Canale and Jace Stuart who will look to jump right into an All-Conference role.
Houghton University has finished third in each of the last four Empire 8 Championships and will look to garner its first Empire 8 Championship in 2023. The Highlanders enter the meet ranked fourth in the USTFCCCA Niagara Region rankings, its highest spot in program history and are ranked just outside the top-35 nationally. Houghton returns each of their top-six runners from last season, including senior Caleb Kasper. Kasper finished fourth overall in 2022 to garnered All-E8 first team honors after earning second team accolades during the Spring 2021 season. Zachary Tucker and Amos Bixler were All-E8 second team selections, while Sam Lyon, Ben Allen and James Eustace were third team selections in 2022. Tucker placed fourth at the Highlander Invitational on Oct. 7, leading his team to runner-up accolades.
Utica University will look to improve on last year’s fourth place finish at the Empire 8 Championships. First-year standout Bennett Melita has enjoyed a tremendous season to date, having earned four Empire 8 Runner of the Week accolades to date in 2023. He won the SUNY Poly Wildcat Classic on Sept. 23 and has finished no worse than sixth in all five of his races this season. Melita will battle for the 2023 E8 individual title. Anthony Leotta placed 30th overall at the 2022 Empire 8 Championship and will look to earn All-E8 honors, along with Hayden Lohmann who placed 28th at the 2022 E8 Championship. Zach Brown and Tobias Jeralds will also be counted on to help lead the Pioneers.
Alfred University will look to improve its place in the Empire 8 Championships this weekend after finishing fifth in 2022. The Saxons return their top seven runners from last season in 2023 for first-year head coach Matt Phillips. Max Rasilla was Alfred’s top finisher at the 2022 E8 Championships, placing 45th overall. George Mecca Yuner Sesmas and Fin Dean also garnered top-50 finishes last season. All four student-athletes will be counted on to lead the way in 2023. Jacob Taylor and Carter Buckman will be key additions to the roster for the new season.
With two seasons under their belt,
Keuka College will look to improve at the 2023 Empire 8 Championship this weekend. Sophomore Jesse Bolster is poised to lead the Wolves for the second consecutive year. Newcomer Dominick Panko will be expected to make an impact right away for the Wolves.
Hartwick College will look to vault up the standings in the 2023 Empire 8 Championship under first year head coach Nathan Crews. Junior Aidan Freda is back after a being the top Hartwick finisher in both the 2021 and 2022 Empire 8 Championship events. Newcomer Erik Higgins will also be a key addition to the team.
Russell Sage College will look to make its way up the Empire 8 standings this fall. Christopher Pellegrini will be looked at to lead the way for the Gators. Robert Cusato and Isaac Langer will also contend. Jonathan Reese is an exciting newcomer that will help to complete the 2023 team.
The 2023 E8 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.
2023 Empire 8 Cross Country Championship Schedule
Saturday, October 28
Men’s Championship (8,000-meters) – 11:00 a.m.
Women’s Championship (6,000-meters) – 12:00 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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