Houghton Attempts to Earn Second Straight League Title as 2024 Empire 8 Men’s Cross Country Season Begins

Men's Cross Country | 8/29/2024 1:59:33 PM

Houghton University will look to repeat as Empire 8 Champions, as the 2023 men’s cross country season gets underway on Aug. 30. The Empire 8 Championship will take place at Field of Dreams Park, hosted by Houghton on Saturday, Nov. 2.
 
The Empire 8 will have a new look in 2024 with SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Poly joining, giving the league 11 teams.
 
Amos Bixler, Houghton, Jr., Dalton, OH/Central Christian – Bixler earned All-Empire 8 first team honors after finishing fifth at the 2023 E8 Championship. He was also a 2023 All-Atlantic Region selection, placing 28th at the regional championship.
 
Jesse Bolster, Keuka, Jr., Stratford, NY/Dolgeville – Bolster, the Wolves Empire 8 Player to Watch for the third consecutive year, was their top finisher at both the 2022 and 2023 E8 Championship meets.
 
Finnegan Dean, Alfred, Jr., Potsdam, NY/Potsdam – Dean placed 27th overall at the 2023 Empire 8 Championship and will look to lead an emerging group of Alfred student-athletes in 2024.

Cade Eells, Nazareth, Sr., Ithaca, Ny/Ithaca NY – Eells was named 2023 Empire 8 Co-Runner of the Year and was runner-up in last year’s Empire 8 Championship. In addition, he earned All-Niagara Region honors, placing 17th at the Niagara Region Championship meet. He will look to earn his fourth straight All-Empire 8 first team accolade this fall.
 
William Hall, SUNY Geneseo, Fifth-Year, Penfield, NY/Penfield – Hall was the 2023 SUNYAC Individual Champion and earned All-Atlantic Region honors last season after placing sixth at the All-Atlantic Regional.
 
Erik Higgins, Hartwick, So., Buffalo, NY/Amherst – Higgins placed 49th at the Empire 8 Championships last fall.
 
Caleb McDermott, SUNY Poly, Sr., Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush – McDermott was among Poly’s top finishers at the 2023 North Atlantic Conference Championship.
 
Bennett Melita, Utica, So., Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West – Melita was named the 2023 Empire 8 Co-Runner of the Year and Rookie of the Year. He won the 2023 Empire 8 Championship in a meet record time of 24:54.
 
Christopher Pellegrini, Russell Sage, So., Loudonville, NY/Colonie Central High School – Pellegrini was Russell Sage’s top finisher at the 2023 Empire 8 Championships and will be counted on to lead the Gators in 2024.
 
Jared Smith, SUNY Brockport, Sr., Cazenovia, NY/Cazenovia – Smith earned 2023 All-SUNYAC first team accolades, All-Niagara Region accolades (placed eighth overall) and competed at the 2023 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship.
 
Jace Stuart, St. John Fisher, So., Apalachin, NY/Owego Free Academy – Stuart earned All-Empire 8 third team accolades after placing 17th overall at the 2023 Empire 8 Championships.
   
Houghton
Houghton garnered its first Empire 8 Championship in 2023 and will look to repeat as champions this season. While Houghton will have to replace three-time All-Empire 8 selection Caleb Kasper, the Highlanders return a strong nucleus of runners from last season’s championship team, including juniors Amos Bixler, James Eustace and Ben Allen, along with seniors Sam Lyon and Zach Tucker Both Bixler and Tucker were All-Empire 8 first team selections and earned All-Niagara Region accolades last season, while Lyon and Eustace were All-E8 second team picks and Allen was a third team selection. Head Coach Patrick Hager, the reigning Empire 8 Coach of the Year, brings in a trio of promising newcomers in Salim Ford, Connor Little and Lincoln McGrath. The Highlanders start the season ranked ninth in the USTFCCCA Niagara Region.
 
Nazareth
The Golden Flyers enter the 2024 season looking to get back to the top of the Empire 8 after earning runner-up honors last season. The Golden Flyers return four of their top five finishers from last season’s E8 Championship winning team, including senior Cade Eells. Eells was named 2023 Empire 8 Co-Runner of the Year and was runner-up in last year’s Empire 8 Championship. In addition, he earned All-Niagara Region honors and will look to earn his fourth straight All-Empire 8 first team accolade this fall. Senior Ethen Kenyon is back after earning All-E8 first team honors in 2023, while fellow multiple All-E8 selections Antonio Benitez and Connor Jackson return. While Nazareth will miss five-time All-Empire 8 selection Nathan Bowers, head coach Mike Heymann has a strong group of newcomers looking to step right in and contribute.
 
Utica
Utica will look to improve on last year’s third place finish at the Empire 8 Championships and return virtually its entire roster from last season. Sophomore Bennett Melita was named the 2023 Empire 8 Co-Runner of the Year and Rookie of the Year. He won the 2023 Empire 8 Championship in a meet record time of 24:54. He was a six-time E8 Runner of the Week last season. Junior Tobias Jeralds returns after earned All-Empire 8 second team honors in 2023, while All-E8 third team selections Zach Brown and Anthony Leotta will also be counted to lead the way in 2024.
 
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher will look to get back to the top of the Empire 8 in 2024. The Cardinals will have a new look this season after the graduation of Ethan Billings, 2022 Empire 8 Champions and four-time All-Empire 8 first team selection. All-E8 second team selection, senior Riley Nash, and sophomore Jace Stuart, an All-E8 third team pick are both back to lead the way in 2024. Junior Reid Hooker and newcomer Connor Stanton will look to make a key impact this season.
 
Alfred
Alfred will look to improve its place in the Empire 8 after finishing fifth overall in 2023. The Saxons return six of their top seven runners from last season in 2024 for head coach Matt Phillips. Finnegan Dean was Alfred’s top finisher at the 2023 E8 Championships, placing 27th overall. Jacob Taylor, Yuner Sesmas and Max Rasilla also garnered top-50 finishes last season. All four student-athletes will be counted on to lead the way in 2024. Aidan Bieron, Damon Brown, and Garrett Farabaugh will be key additions to the roster for the new season.
 
Hartwick
The Hawks will look to vault up the standings in the 2024 Empire 8 Championship under head coach Nathan Crews. Sophomores Erik Higgins and Ethan Benedict will be counted on to lead the way in 2024. Newcomers Kevin Cando and Devon Spalding will also be expected to step right in contribute for the Hawks.
 
Keuka
With three seasons under their belt, Keuka will look to improve at the 2024 Empire 8 Championships under first year head coach Ryan Johnson. Junior Jesse Bolster is poised to lead the Wolves for the third consecutive year. Jacob Coluci will also be expected to contribute for the Wolves.
 
Russell Sage
Russell Sage 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, while Robert Cusato and Isaac Langer will also be contenders this season. Pellegrini was Russell Sage’s top finisher at the 2023 Empire 8 Championships.
 
SUNY Brockport
The Golden Eagles of SUNY Brockport begin their first season in the Empire 8 in 2024, fresh off a runner-up finish at the 2023 SUNYAC Championship and third place finish at the NCAA Niagara Region Championships. In addition, Brockport had three student-athletes compete at the 2023 NCAA Championships, including Jared Smith and Jonathan Zavala, who return for head coach John Davis. Smith placed fifth at the 2023 SUNYAC Championships, was eighth at the All-Atlantic Regional to qualify for nationals and placed 125th at the NCAA Championship. Zavala finished sixth at the 2023 SUNYAC Championships and was ninth at the All-Atlantic Regional, qualifying for nationals. In addition, Patrick Klinger and graduate transfer Charlie Alekson from Union College will look to lead the way in 2024. Brockport starts the season ranked third in the USTFCCCA Niagara Region and 30th in the USTFCCCA Division III National poll.

SUNY Geneseo
National powerhouse SUNY Geneseo makes its Empire 8 debut this fall. The Knights finished their run in the SUNYAC with nine straight league titles and 21 league championships overall. Last season, Geneseo won both the SUNYAC and Niagara Region Championships and sent a team to nationals for the 20th straight season. Geneseo placed third nationally at the 2022 NCAA Championships and were national runners-up in 2016. Led by head coach Dan Moore, Geneseo returns a strong group of student-athletes from last season, including fifth-year standout William Hall, who was the 2023 SUNYAC Champion and placed sixth overall at the All-Atlantic Regional Championship. Fellow All-SUNYAC selections Austin Schoen (2023 first team) in addition to Charlie Wilson (2023 second team) and Nick Bauman (second team) also return. Geneseo begins the season as the top-ranked team in the USTFCCCA Niagara Region and 16th in the USTFCCCA Division III National poll..
 
SUNY Poly
SUNY Poly makes its Empire 8 debut in 2024 after competing in the North Atlantic Conference last season. Head coach Jerry Tine enters his first season with the Wildcats and has five student-athletes returning, including senior Caleb McDermott and junior Noah Breedy.
 
Final 2023 Empire 8 Men’s Cross Country Championship Results ^
Houghton – 31 Points – League Champions
Nazareth – 44
Utica – 70
St. John Fisher – 71
Alfred – 152
Hartwick – 178
Keuka – No Team Score
Russell Sage – No Team Score
 
^ SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Poly are making its Empire 8 debut in 2024. Brockport and Geneseo competed in the SUNYAC, while Poly competed in the North Atlantic Conference in 2023.
 
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 and YouTube
 
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