Men's Cross Country | 10/29/2025 11:00:00 AM
Nationally-ranked SUNY Geneseo will look to repeat as league champions, as the 2025 Empire 8 Men’s Cross Country Championship will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 1 at Murphy Field Cross Country Course in Pittsford, NY, on the campus of St. John Fisher University. Eleven teams will vie for the team title in the 8,000-meter event. Live results will be able from
www.leonetiming.com.
National powerhouse
SUNY Geneseo looks to repeat as Empire 8 Champions on Saturday. Geneseo is currently ranked fifth nationally in the latest USTFCCCA Division III national poll and have won four team titles this season. The Knights have won 10 straight league titles between the E8 and SUNYAC. Last season, Geneseo won both the E8 Championship, was second at the Niagara Region Championships and sent a team to nationals for the 21st straight season., placing sixth overall. Led by head coach Dan Moore, Geneseo has a deep group of student-athletes set to compete, including three-time Empire 8 Runner of the Week Ryan Hagan, who was also the 2024 Empire 8 Individual Champion. Juniors Emerson Comer and Pierce Young, senior Anson Butler, junior Mike Taranto, sophomore Ethan Becker and sophomore James Tette return as reigning All-Empire 8 selections.
The Golden Eagles of
SUNY Brockport finished as the runner-up finish at the 2024 Empire 8 Championship and third place finish at the NCAA Niagara Region Championships. The Golden Eagles have a host of runners looking to earn All-Empire 8 accolades, including Brady Ruediger, Nahuel Gutierrez, Thomas Canestrari, Kyle Deromanis, Owen Arbocus and Colin Fletcher-Foster, The Golden Eagles enter the weekend ranked ninth in the USTFCCCA Niagara Region poll.
Houghton University garnered its first Empire 8 Championship in 2023 and will look to improve on last season’s third place finish. Senior Amos Bixler has enjoyed a strong 2025 season, earning a pair of E8 Runner of the Week honors. Bixler was a 2023 All-Empire 8 first team selection and earned All-Niagara Region accolade for the second straight year in 2024. Classmate Ben Allen is a former All-Empire 8 selection, while junior Luke Ellis, sophomore Connor Little, will look to garner All-E8 accolades. The Highlanders enter the weekend ranked eighth in the USTFCCCA Niagara Region poll.
The Golden Flyers of
Nazareth University enter the 2025 championship looking to get back to the top of the Empire 8 after finishing fourth last season. Seniors Cam Almy, Connor Jackson, Gavin McCallister, and Joe Cataldo, first-year standouts Kaeden Leonidas, Rylan Powell and Edward Popp and junior Brendan Farr will look to lead the way for Nazareth on Saturday.
Utica University will look to improve on last year’s fifth place finish at the Empire 8 Championships. Junior 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 then-meet record time of 24:54 and finished nearly 30 seconds faster in a fifth-place finish at the 2024 E8 Championship. Melita earned his first trip to the NCAA Championships last season after an impressive ninth place finish at the NCAA Niagara Region Championship. This season, Melita has earned a pair of Empire 8 Runner of the Week honors and won individual titles at the SUNY Poly Short Course Invitational and Hamilton Tune-Up Invitational. Senior Tobias Jeralds earned All-Empire 8 second team honors in 2023, while former All-E8 third team selections Zach Brown and Anthony Leotta in addition to Killian Bauer will also be counted to lead the way this weekend. The Pioneers enter the weekend ranked seventh in the USTFCCCA Niagara Region poll.
St. John Fisher University will look to get back to the top of the Empire 8 standings in 2025. Junior Jace Stuart will lead the way for the host Cardinals on Saturday. He finished eighth at the Highlander Invitational on Oct. 11 and recorded an impressive 23rd place finish at Rowan University’s Inter Regional battle the following weekend in a career-best time of 25:14.2 over 8,000-meters. Landon Wertz, Nathan Canale, Connor Stanton and Will Chubb will also look to excel for the Cardinals, who last hosted the E8 Championship meet in 2019.
Alfred University Alfred will look to improve its place in the Empire 8 after finishing seventh overall in 2024. First-year Seth Stevens will look to compete for All-Conference honors, along with Jacob Taylor, Evan Foran, Damian Brown, JJ Hodges, and Evan Bieron.
Hartwick College will look to vault up the standings in the 2025 Empire 8 Championship under head coach Nathan Crews. Hans Higgins and Avery Lungstrom will be counted on to lead the way this weekend, along with Devon Spalding, Lawrence McCumiskey, Christopher Fitzpatrick, Jayden Perera and Richard Higgins.
With four seasons under their belt,
Keuka College will look to improve at the 2025 Empire 8 Championships under head coach Ryan Johnson. Senior Jesse Bolster is poised to lead the Wolves for the fourth consecutive year. Alston Hernandez, Garrett Fleming, Benjamin Holcomb and Jackson Melton are also be expected to contribute for the Wolves.
Russell Sage College will look to make its way up the Empire 8 standings this fall. First-year Christopher Whalen was an Empire 8 Runner of the Week earlier in the season, while senior Christopher Pellegrini will also be looked at to lead the way for the Gators. Jacob Haynes, Dylan Lawless, Mason Remington and Oluwasgen Tijani will also contend. Pellegrini was Russell Sage’s top finisher at both the 2023 and 2024 Empire 8 Championships.
SUNY Poly has a group of student-athletes looking to compete for All-E8 honors, including first-year runners Ethan LaMore, Ethan Baker and Brian Doyle in addition to seniors Noah Breedy, Alexander Whiteman and Jack Mohat.
The 2025 E8 Championship schedule is below. For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on X and Instagram (@Empire8). Live results will be available at
www.leonetiming.com.
2025 Empire 8 Cross Country Championship Schedule
Saturday, November 1
Men’s Championship (8,000-meters) – 11:00 a.m.
Women’s Championship (6,000-meters) – 12:00 p.m.