Women's Cross Country | 12/2/2024 9:57:00 AM
League champion SUNY Geneseo swept all three individual honors, as the Empire 8 announced its 2024 Women’s Cross Country award winners on Monday, Dec. 2. The individual awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Geneseo senior Penelope Greene was named the 2024 Empire 8 Runner of the Year, freshman Ari Reback was named Rookie of the Year and the Geneseo coaching staff, led by head coach Dan Moore was named E8 Coaching Staff of the Year.
Greene, a native of Sag Harbor, NY, wrapped up an incredible 2024 season, culminating with a third place finish and All-American honors at the NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championships. She won four races in 2024, including the Empire 8 Championship in a meet record time of 21:26.1, her second straight Niagara Region Championship win, University of Rochester Yellowjacket Invitational and SUNY Geneseo’s Mike Woods Invitational, which she completed in a personal-best time of 20:39.7 over 6,000-meters. Greene was a five-time E8 Runner of the Week and became the Empire 8’s first Women’s Cross Country All-American since 2016.
Reback, a native of Fairport, NY, enjoyed an excellent season for the Knights, earning All-Empire 8 first team accolades after placing ninth at the league championship. She began her collegiate career by winning the Terry Rodenbeck Invitational at St. John Fisher and was sixth overall at the University of Rochester Yellowjacket Invitational. Reback ran under 23 minutes for 6,000-meters three times, including a season-best time of 22:25.4 at the Paul Short Run. She also represented Geneseo at the NCAA Division III Championships.
The SUNY Geneseo coaching staff, led by head coach Dan Moore and assistant coach Chris Popovici was honored as the 2024 Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. Moore and Popovici led Geneseo to the Empire 8 Championship in its first season as a league member on Nov. 2, scoring a league-record low 15 points. In addition, the Knights were second as a team at the Niagara Region Champions and ninth at the 2024 NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championships. Moore mentored 11 all-league selections and six All-Region honorees, including Greene, who was the E8 and Atlantic Region individual champion and placed third overall at the NCAA Championships to earn All-American honors.
The Empire 8 first, second and third team all-conference selections were determined at the championship meet on Nov. 2 from Field of Dreams Park, hosted by Houghton University.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2024 Women's Cross Country Sportswoman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
2024 Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country Award Winners
Runner of the Year: Penelope Greene, Sr., SUNY Geneseo
Rookie of the Year: Ari Reback, Fr., SUNY Geneseo
Coaching Staff of the Year: SUNY Geneseo, led by head coach Dan Moore
2024 Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country All-Conference Selections
Empire 8 First Team
Mia Vizcaino, Gr., SUNY Brockport (Slate Hill, NY/Minisink Valley)
Ann Brennan, So., SUNY Geneseo (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima)
Sierra Doody, Jr., SUNY Geneseo (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder)
Lilly Fowler-Conner, Sr., SUNY Geneseo (Tully, NY/Tully)
Penelope Greene, Sr., SUNY Geneseo (Sag Harbor, NY/Pierson)
Gabriella McCarthy, Jr., SUNY Geneseo (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool)
Jillian O’Rourke, So., SUNY Geneseo (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park)
Ari Reback, Fr., SUNY Geneseo (Fairport, NY/Fairport)
Noelle Linenfelser, Jr., Houghton (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island)
Empire 8 Second Team
Leija Borcilo, Jr., SUNY Geneseo (Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius)
Emma Evans, Fr., SUNY Geneseo (Lockport, NY/Barker)
Annika Hurley, Jr., SUNY Geneseo (Glastonbury, CT/Glastonbury)
Isabel Marzec, Jr., SUNY Geneseo (Avon, NY/Avon)
Ella Impaglia, Jr., Nazareth (Gouverneur, NY/Gouverneur)
Olivia Grinnell, Jr., St. John Fisher (Elmira, NY/Corning-Painted Post)
Caitlin Voloshen, Jr., St. John Fisher (Bethlehem, PA/Nazareth Area)
Catherine Manna, Fr., Utica (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro)
Marlo Townsend, So., Utica (Rome, NY/Rome)
Empire 8 Third Team
Sierra Basco, Gr., SUNY Brockport (Albany, NY/Shaker)
Julianne Wilson, Sr., SUNY Brockport (Ridge, NY/Longwood)
Paige Ackley, Gr., Nazareth (Waverly, NY/Waverly)
Kennedy Doran, So., Nazareth (Lockport, NY/Lockport)
Kelsey Fahy, So., Nazareth (Victor, NY/Victor)
Meghan Moyer, So., Nazareth (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool)
Sabrina Antonini, Sr., St. John Fisher (Hilton, NY/Hilton)
Jade Dening, Sr., Utica (Remsen, NY/Remsen)
Maria Stuhlman, So., Utica (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro)
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
Alivia Kocan, Fr., Alfred (Hornell, NY/Arkport)
Mia Vizcaino, Gr., SUNY Brockport (Slate Hill, NY/Minisink Valley)
Lilly Fowler-Conner, Sr., SUNY Geneseo (Tully, NY/Tully)
Julia Weinschreider, Fr., Hartwick (Williamson, NY/Williamson)
Aria Larson, So., Houghton (Granville, OH/Homeschool)
Christiana Curtis, Fr., Keuka (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia)
Kelsey Fahy, So., Nazareth (Victor, NY/Victor)
Rosalea Claeys, Sr., SUNY Poly (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville)
Charisma Losee, Jr., Russell Sage (Troy, NY/Lansingburgh)
Megan O’Malley, So., St. John Fisher (Fayetteville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt)
Marlo Townsend, So., Utica (Rome, NY/Rome)
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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