Women's Indoor Track and Field | 1/18/2024 2:00:21 PM
Nazareth University will look to earn its second straight indoor and outdoor Empire 8 Championship, as the 2023-24 women’s track and field season kicks into high gear this month as the second semester gets underway. The 2023-24 Empire 8 Indoor Championship will take place at Houghton University’s Kerr-Pegula Field House on Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24. The 2024 Empire 8 Outdoor Track and Field Championships are set to take place at St. John Fisher University’s Polisseni Track and Field Complex on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4. Below are two athletes to watch from each institution. Below are two athletes to watch from each institution.
2024 E8 Athletes to Watch (Sorted by Institution)
Olivia Gilbert, Alfred, Jr., Middle Distance, Ontario, NY/Wayne Central – Gilbert is the reigning Empire 8 Champion in both the indoor and outdoor 800-meter events. She will also look to contend in the 400-meters and anchor Alfred’s distance medley relay.
Anne Spila, Alfred, Jr., Multi-Events, Mechanicsburg, PA/Trinity – Spila enters the season as a top contender in the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon. She was third in the pentathlon at the 2023 E8 Indoor Championship and fourth in the heptathlon at the 2023 All-Athletic Region Outdoor Championship.
Brynita Haas, Hartwick, So., Distance, Red Creek, NY/Red Creek – Haas is Hartwick’s top distance runner and will be expected to contend for All-E8 honors in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter events in 2024.
Giovanna Wall, Hartwick, Jr., Multi-Events, West Hurley, NY/Onteora – Wall is an emerging contender for the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon in 2023. She has a career-best score of 2,630 in the heptathlon.
Noelle Linenfelser, Houghton, So., Middle Distance Grand Island, NY/Grand Island – Linenfelser won the 2023 Empire 8 Cross Country Championship and earned All-Niagara Region honors this past fall. She was part of the winning distance medley relay team at the 2023 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Madison Palmer, Houghton, Gr., Throws, East Aurora, NY/East Aurora – Palmer, who previously excelled at Alfred University, is competing at Houghton for her graduate transfer year. She is one of the top throwers in the league, as she won the 2021 Empire 8 Outdoor shot put title and was runner-up at the 2020 E8 Indoor Championship in both the shot put and weight throw and 2022 Outdoor Championship in the shot put.
Lauren Bendall, Nazareth, Sr., Multi, Syracuse, NY/Westhill – Bendall enters the season as a top contender in the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon. She was fifth in the pentathlon at the 2023 E8 Indoor Championship and third in the heptathlon at the 2023 E8 Outdoor Championship. Bendall was also part of the victorious 4 x 100-meter relay team at the 2023 E8 Outdoor Championship.
Lea Richard, Nazareth, Jr., Throws, Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls – Richard is a three-time Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Champion in the weight throw and was back-to-back reigning E8 Outdoor Track and Field Champion in the hammer throw. In addition, Richard competed in the weight throw at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and is Nazareth's record holder in the indoor weight throw (17.52 meters) and outdoor hammer throw (50.37 meters).
Mackenzie Feeney, Russell Sage, Sr., Distance, Saugerties, NY/Saugerties – Feeney placed third in the 800-meters at the 2022 E8 Outdoor Championships, third in the 1,500-meters at the 2023 E8 Outdoor Championships and was the Spring 2021 Empire 8 Cross Country Rookie of the Year. She was part of the distance medley relay team that was second in at the 2021 E8 Indoor Championships.
Elizabeth Ingellis, Russell Sage, Jr., Distance, Kingston, NY/Kingston – Ingellis is expected to be a top distance runner in both the indoor and outdoor seasons after earning her second straight All-Empire 8 first team selection, finishing sixth at the 2023 E8 Cross Country Championships. Ingellis was fourth in the 10,000-meters and sixth in the 5,000-meters at the E8 Outdoor Championships last spring.
Ciarra Franz, St. John Fisher, Jr., Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps, Pittsford, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima – Franz is a seven-time Empire 8 Champion. She is the reigning two-time E8 Champ in the indoor 60-meter hurdles, outdoor 100-meter hurdles, 4 x 100-meter dash and won the individual 100-meter dash in 2023. She also competed in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Franz was the 2021-22 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year.
Michaela Kurbs, St. John Fisher, Sr., Jumps/Sprints, Lockport, NY/Lockport – Kurbs is a five-time Empire 8 Champion, winning the long jump on two occasions and is a three-time member of the victorious 4 x 100-meter relay team at E8 Outdoor Championships. She has represented St. John Fisher in the long jump at the 2022 and 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships and 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Jane Fahy, Utica, Throws, Gr., Oriskany, NY/Oriskany – Fahy earned All-American honors in the shot put at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships, placing sixth overall. She is the three-time defending Empire 8 Indoor Champion in the shot put and two-time defending champion in the same event at the E8 Outdoor Championships. Fahy is expected to be a top contender nationally in the shot put in 2024.
Mackenzie Mix, Utica, Jr., Sprints, Camden, NY/Camden – Mix qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400-meters in 2022 and was named the 2022 Empire 8 Outdoor Track Athlete and Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. Mix is a two-time E8 Indoor Champion in the 200-meters and swept 2022 E8 Outdoor Championships in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash events.
Final 2022-23 Empire 8 Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship Results
Nazareth – 192 Points – League Champions
St. John Fisher – 146.5
Utica – 81
Houghton – 57
Alfred – 39.5
Hartwick – 8
Russell Sage – 3
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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