Women's Cross Country | 12/5/2023 3:53:34 PM
The Empire 8 Conference is celebrating the league’s 25th Anniversary season in 2023-24, honoring student-athletes, teams, coaches and administrators who have played a key role in the league’s success over the last 25 years. Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country has enjoyed several individuals and teams that have excelled at the conference, national and regional levels.
Ithaca College was a perennial power, winning the Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country Championships 14 straight years from the inaugural season of 2003 until its final season as a league member in 2016. Utica University earned its first two titles in 2017 and 2018 before Houghton University earned its first E8 title in 2019. St. John Fisher University earned its first Empire 8 crown in the Spring of 2021 and won titles in Fall 2021 and 2022 before Nazareth University won its first league championship in 2023.
Ithaca head coach Bill Ware was a nine-time Empire 8 Coach of the Year from 2003-2011, before Erin Dinan earned four Coach of the Year accolades for Ithaca from 2012-16. Mike Henchen of St. John Fisher garnered three E8 Coach of the Year accolades.
Amy Regan of Stevens Institute of Technology was a four-time Empire 8 Runner of the Year, three-time NCAA All-American (2013, 2014, 2016), was the NCAA Division III National Champion in 2014 and 2016 and Division III Honda Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 2016. She is one of two student-athletes to earn E8 Runner and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season (2012), joining fellow NCAA All-American Jenn Randall of Ithaca College (2009). Kaitlyn Stinson of Utica was a three-time Empire 8 Runner of the Year, earning the honor in consecutive years from 2017-19. Overall, 10 different student-athletes have earned All-Empire 8 first team honors four times.
In addition to Regan, teammate Mary Visca of Stevens was a USTFCCCA All-American in 2016. Ithaca standout Taryn Cordani was a two-time All-American in 2015 and 2016, while fellow Bombers Jenn Randall (2013), Lindsey Nadolski (2008) and Rachel Blasiak (2006) also garnered All-American accolades. As a team, Ithaca competed at nationals 11 times, with an eighth-place team finish in 2005.
Below we are honoring members of the Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country 25th Anniversary Team. Recipients were chosen by the league office and were named either a Runner of the Year, Empire 8 Individual Champion, All-American or earned All-Empire 8 first team honors at least three times in their collegiate careers.
Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country 25th Anniversary Team
Heidi Baumbach, Ithaca
Rachel Blasiak, Ithaca
Amanda Burrichter, Houghton
Taryn Cordani, Ithaca
Riley Corey, St. John Fisher
Hayley Cronin, Nazareth
Kasey Currier, Ithaca
Lauren DeMichele, St. John Fisher
Adrienne Gagnier, RIT
Lilianna Hanning, Nazareth
Alissa Kersey, Ithaca
Shelby Langlois, Houghton
Amanda Laytham, Ithaca
Gabrielle Lebihan, Nazareth
Noelle Linenfelser, Houghton
Melanie McCormick, Ithaca
Lindsey Nadolski, Ithaca
Bridgette Pilling, Ithaca
Jen Randall, Ithaca
Amy Regan, Stevens
Alexa Rick, Ithaca
Trisha Sliker, RIT
Kaitlyn Stinson, Utica
Ashton Villenueve, Utica
Mary Visca, Stevens
Emily Weaver, Nazareth
Founded in 1999, the Empire 8 has developed into one of the premier NCAA Division III athletic conferences, both on the field and in the classroom. The conference has created and implemented innovative and groundbreaking sportsmanship programming over this time, many of our which have received great publicity, including features in USA Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The NCAA News, and various athletic profession publications. The Empire 8 has also been highly influential in helping to shape the Division III landscape, passing many legislative proposals along with individuals who hold leadership roles at the national level.
Feature stories and series’ celebrating the league’s 25th anniversary will be highlighted on the conference's website and social media platforms throughout the 2023-24 season, starting in September. The conference will also be using the #E825 and #E8Anniversary hashtags on its Twitter and Instagram platforms as a way for fans to follow along throughout the year.
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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