Women's Cross Country | 12/2/2025 11:00:00 AM
League champion SUNY Geneseo swept all three individual honors, as the Empire 8 announced its 2025 Women’s Cross Country award winners on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The individual awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Geneseo senior Ann Brennan was named the 2025 Empire 8 Runner of the Year, freshman Kaitlyn Hotaling 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.
Brennan, a native of Honeoye Falls, NY, wrapped up a tremendous 2025 season, She won both the individual title at the Empire 8 Championship and annexed the Niagara Region Championship in a time of 21:38.2. Brennan, who also earned runner-up honors at the University of Rochester Yellowjacket Invitational, broke 22 minutes in a race four times in 2025 and recorded a personal-best time of 21:24.1 over 6,000-meters at the Connecticut College Invitational on Oct. 8. Brennan was a five-time E8 Runner of the Week and placed 83rd overall at the NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championships.
Hotaling, a native of Liverpool, NY, enjoyed an excellent season for the Knights, earning NCAA All-Region honors after placing 19th at the Niagara Region Championship in a time of 22:32.6 on Nov. 15. She also represented the Knights and placed 125th overall at the 2025 NCAA Division III Championships. She began her collegiate career by finishing third overall at Terry Rodenbeck Invitational at St. John Fisher and was tenth overall at the University of Rochester Yellowjacket Invitational. Hotaling ran under 23 minutes for 6,000-meters five times, including a season-best time of 22:07.5 at the Paul Short Run on Oct. 3.
The SUNY Geneseo coaching staff, led by head coach Dan Moore and assistant coach Chris Popovici was honored as the 2025 Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year for the second straight season. Moore and Popovici led Geneseo to its second straight Empire 8 Championship on Nov. 1. In addition, the Knights were second as a team at the Niagara Region Champions and 22nd at the 2025 NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championships. Moore mentored 11 all-league selections and seven All-Region honorees, including Brennan, who was the E8 and Atlantic Region individual champion.
The Empire 8 first, second and third team all-conference selections were determined at the championship meet on Nov. 1 from St. John Fisher University’s Murphy Field Cross Country Course.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2025 Women’s Cross Country Tomorrow’s Leaders Team. This team honors a student-athlete who has emerged as a leader not only on the field of play, but in the classroom and in the community. In addition, they “compete with honor and integrity” and have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
“Developing character and integrity is a hallmark of the Empire 8,” said E8 Executive Director
Chuck Mitrano. “This series is proof that Empire 8 and our member institutions are committed to intercollegiate athletics’ important role in higher education.”
2025 Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country Award Winners
Runner of the Year: Ann Brennan, Sr., SUNY Geneseo
Rookie of the Year: Kaitlyn Hotaling, Fr., SUNY Geneseo
Coaching Staff of the Year: SUNY Geneseo, led by head coach Dan Moore
2025 Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country All-Conference Selections
Empire 8 First Team
Salma Moumen, Fr., SUNY Brockport (Canton, NY/Canton)
Ann Brennan, Sr., SUNY Geneseo (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima)
Sierra Doody, Sr., SUNY Geneseo (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder)
Annika Hurley, Sr., SUNY Geneseo (Glastonbury, CT/Glastonbury)
Jillian O’Rourke, Jr., SUNY Geneseo (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park)
Ari Reback, So., SUNY Geneseo (Fairport, NY/Fairport)
Noelle Linenfelser, Sr., Houghton (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island)
Ella Impaglia, Sr., Nazareth (Gouverneur, NY/Gouverneur)
Marlo Townsend, Jr., Utica (Rome, NY/Rome)
Empire 8 Second Team
Ethne Degan, So., SUNY Brockport (Bainbridge, NY/Bainridge Guilford)
Katie Bauman, Fr., SUNY Geneseo (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit)
Annabelle Czekanski, Fr., SUNY Geneseo (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park)
Ella Grinnell, So., SUNY Geneseo (Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post)
Greylynn Guyer, Fr., SUNY Geneseo (Sag Harbor, NY/Pierson)
Alexa Kosier, Fr., SUNY Geneseo (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland)
Amy Collins, Fr., Houghton (Kemptville, Ontario/North Grenville)
Emberlynn Nolt, So., Houghton (Dalton, OH/Dalton)
Catherine Manna, So., Utica (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro)
Empire 8 Third Team
Sierra Basco, Gr., SUNY Brockport (Albany, NY/Shaker)
Emily Leo, Sr., SUNY Brockport (Fairport, NY/Fairport)
Esther Nankumba, Jr., SUNY Brockport (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Academy for Visual & Performing Arts)
Lily Benza, Fr., SUNY Geneseo (Highland Mills, NY/Monrow Woodbury)
Jenna Binney, So., Houghton (Lewisburg, PA/Homeschool)
Aria Larson, Jr., Houghton (Granville, OH/Homeschool)
Meghan Moyer, Jr., Nazareth (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool)
Bailey Visingard, Jr., Nazareth (Victor, NY/Victor)
Olivia Grinnell, Sr., St. John Fisher (Elmira, NY/Corning-Painted Post)
Empire 8 Tomorrow’s Leaders
Nyah Allen, Fr., Alfred (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen)
Maeve Robarge, Sr., SUNY Brockport (Hornell, NY/Canisteo-Greenwood)
Sierra Doody, Sr., SUNY Geneseo (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder
Amelia Steitz, Fr., Hartwick (Fairport, NY/Fairport)
Aria Larson, Jr., Houghton (Granville, OH/Homeschool)
Laura Barrett, Sr., Keuka (Fuquay-Varina, NC/Southern Wake Academy)
Nadia Dudley, So., Nazareth (Cato, NY/Cato-Meridian)
Michalyn Fagan, Gr., SUNY Poly (Milton, VT/Milton)
Aniya Jade-Bailey, Fr., Russell Sage (Troy, NY/Tamarac)
Maggie Bacon, Jr., St. John Fisher (Dansville, NY/Dansville)
Marlo Townsend, So., Utica (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy)