Women's Indoor Track and Field | 3/25/2025 1:58:52 PM
League Champion SUNY Geneseo won three of the four major individual awards, as the Empire 8 Conference announced its 2024-25 Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference awards on Tuesday, March 25. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
NCAA National Champion Brynn Mooney of SUNY Geneseo was named the Empire 8 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. Mooney won the NCAA Championship in the 400-meters at Nazareth University on March 15 with a time of 55.69 seconds. She was also part of the 4 x 400-meter relay team that earned NCAA First Team All-American honors by placing seventh at nationals. Mooney was named the Empire 8 Indoor Track Athlete of the Championship meet after setting championship records in winning the 200- and 400-meters, while finishing runner-up in the 60-meters. She also earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors in the 200- and 400-meters in addition to the 4 x 400-meter relay. Mooney set Empire 8 records in 200-meters (24.97) and 400-meters (55.32) and was part of the 4 x 400-meter relay team that set an E8 record with a time of 3:49.20.
SUNY Geneseo senior Janelle Eckl was named the 2024-25 Empire 8 Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. Eckl enjoyed an incredible season, culminating by placing fifth in the pentathlon at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 14 with 3,657 points to earn First Team All-American honors. Eckl won the 800-meter run at the All-Atlantic Region Championships and won the pentathlon and was a part of the victorious 4 x 400-meter relay team at the 2025 E8 Indoor Championships. She was also named the Empire 8 Indoor Championship Field Athlete of the Meet. Eckl earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors in five events, the pentathlon, 800-meters, 4 x 400-meter relay, high jump, and long jump. On Feb. 14, Eckl set an Empire 8 record in the 800-meters with a time of 2:11.81 and was part of the 4 x 400-meter relay team that set an E8 record with a time of 3:49.20.
Alexa Belanger of Houghton University was named the 2024-25 Empire 8 Indoor Rookie of the Year. Belanger enjoyed a tremendous debut season for the Highlanders, finishing ninth in the high jump at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships to earn Second Team All-American honors. She cleared 1.68 meters in the high jump, first to win the All-Atlantic Region Champion and qualify for the NCAA Championships and then at nationals. Belanger won the Empire 8 Championship in the high jump, clearing 1.63 meters. Belanger is Houghton’s second consecutive E8 Indoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year, joining 2024-25 NCAA First Team All-American Victoria Brewster.
SUNY Geneseo head coach Chris Popovici and his staff of assistant coaches Dan Moore, Christian Johnson, Kieran Sheridan, Gwen Shepardson and Kyle Rollins was named the 2024-25 Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. The Knights won their first Empire 8 Indoor Track & Field Championship in dominant fashion and placed sixth at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Overall, Geneseo had 18 different student-athletes earn All-Conference honors, while Mooney was national champion in the 400-meter dash, Eckl, Penelope Greene and Geneseo’s 4 x 400-meter relay team earned First Team All-American honors. The Knights, who had 12 different student-athletes combine to earn 26 USTFCCCA All-Region accolades, shattered eight E8 Indoor Track and Field Championship records and five overall league marks in 2024-25.
The Empire 8 first, second and third team all-conference selections were determined at the championship meet on Feb. 28-March 1 from the Todd and Jen Hutton Sports and Recreation Center, hosted by Utica University.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2023-24 Women's Indoor Track & Field 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.
2024-25 Empire 8 Women’s Indoor Track & Field Award Winners
Track Athlete of the Year: Brynn Mooney, Jr., SUNY Geneseo
Field Athlete of the Year: Janelle Eckl, Sr., SUNY Geneseo
Rookie of the Year: Alexa Belanger, Fr., Houghton
Coaching Staff of the Year: SUNY Geneseo, led by head coach Chris Popovici
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
Annabelle Townsend, Sr., Alfred (Woodsville, NH/Woodsville)
Alexis Rodriguez, Jr., SUNY Brockport (Williamson, NY/Williamson)
Penelope Greene, Sr., SUNY Geneseo (Sag Harbor, NY/Pierson)
Giovanna Wall, Sr., Hartwick (West Hurley, NY/Onteora)
Gracie Gasparri, Fr., Houghton (Williamson, NY/Williamson)
Kelsey Fahy, So., Nazareth (Victor, NY/Victor)
Alexis Olen, So., Russell Sage (Woodstock, NY/Onteora)
Victoria Rogoyski, Fr., St. John Fisher (North Chili, NY/Byron Bergen)
Amelia Petersen, So., Utica (Fonda, NY/Fonda-Fultonville)
2024-25 Empire 8 Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship All-Conference Selections
60-Meter Dash
First Team: Victoria Brewster, So., Houghton – :7.59 (Championship Record)
Second Team: Brynn Mooney, So., SUNY Geneseo – :7.79
Third Team: Ciarra Franz, Sr., St. John Fisher – :7.88
60-Meter Hurdles
First Team: Ciarra Franz, Sr., St. John Fisher – :8.82 (Championship and Empire 8 Conference Record)
Second Team: Jillian Ambler, So., SUNY Geneseo – :8.89
Third Team: Samantha Luba, Jr., Nazareth – :9.28
200-Meter Dash
First Team: Brynn Mooney, So., SUNY Geneseo – :24.97 (Championship and Empire 8 Conference Record)
Second Team: Marissa Wise, Sr., SUNY Brockport – :25.59
Third Team: Victoria Brewster, So., Houghton – :25.75
400-Meter Dash
First Team: Brynn Mooney, So., SUNY Geneseo – :57.01
Second Team: Marissa Wise, Sr., SUNY Brockport – :57.98
Third Team: Lexi Rodriguez, Jr., SUNY Brockport – 59.49
800-Meter Run
First Team: Sierra Doody, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 2:12.31 Championship Record)
Second Team: Ethne Degan, Fr., SUNY Brockport – 2:16.69
Third Team: Jaylah Cossin, Gr., SUNY Brockport – 2:16.85
Mile
First Team: Sierra Doody, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 5:00.33 (Championship Record)
Second Team: Mia Vizcaino, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 5:05.08
Third Team: Caitlin Voloshen, Jr., St. John Fisher – 5:05.21
3,000-Meter Run
First Team: Penelope Greene, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 9:52.37 (Championship Record)
Second Team: Lilly Fowler-Conner, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 9:52.75
Third Team: Ann Brennan, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 9:54.42
5,000-Meter Run
First Team: Penelope Greene, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 16:49.73 (Championship Record)
Second Team: Lilly Fowler-Conner, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 16:49.90
Third Team: Annika Hurley, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 18:23.61
4 x 400-Meter Relay
First Team: Janelle Eckl, Sr., Nicole Gretzinger, Jr., Sierra Doody, Jr., Sophia Barclay, So., SUNY Geneseo – 3:56.71 (Championship Record)
Second Team: Lexi Rodriguez, Jr., Monica Cammarota, Fr., Courtney Bostic, Jr., Marissa Wise, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 4:00.27
Third Team: Grace Wright, Sr., Emma Wright, Sr., Sophia Leach, So., Abigail Dorunda, Fr., St. John Fisher – 4:00.57
Distance Medley Relay
First Team: Kelsey Fahy, So., Abigail Bowman, Fr., Ava Baker, So., Ella Impaglia, Jr., Nazareth – 12:48.22
Second Team: Catherine Manna, Fr., Lilly Messler, Fr., Madalyn Haaf, Fr., Marlo Townsend, So., Utica – 112:52.13
Third Team: Chloe Kirgan, So., Ava Brogan, Fr., Ruthie Weinmann, Fr., Abbey Moose, So., SUNY Geneseo – 12:52.45
Pole Vault
First Team: Isabel Morse, Jr., Nazareth – 3.77 meters
Second Team: Kiara Tornusciolo, Jr., Nazareth – 3.47 meters
Third Team: Kathryn Hilliard, Fr., St. John Fisher – 3.32 meters
High Jump
First Team: Alexa Belanger, Fr., Houghton – 1.63 meters
Second Team: Kathryn Hilliard, Fr., St. John Fisher – 1.63 meters
Third Team: Hannah Allison, So., Utica – 1.58 meters
Long Jump
First Team: Jillian Ambler, So., SUNY Geneseo – 5.71 meters (Championship Record)
Second Team: Alaina Morley, Jr., Nazareth – 5.44 meters
Third Team: Sasha Schramm, Jr., SUNY Brockport – 5.42 meters
Triple Jump
First Team: Katie Jacques, Sr., Nazareth – 11.40 meters
Second Team: Sydney LaSalle, Jr., Nazareth – 11.14 meters
Third Team: Elyse Klump, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 11.07 meters
Shot Put
First Team: Erin McGuinness, Jr., St. John Fisher – 12.60 meters
Second Team: Payton Mehalick, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 12.27 meters
Third Team: Rebecca Heuler, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 12.15 meters
Weight Throw
First Team: Lea Richard, Gr., Nazareth – 17.81 meters
Second Team: Zoe Connor, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 17.74 meters
Third Team: Lauren Jaklitsch, So., SUNY Geneseo – 16.96 meters
Pentathlon
First Team: Janelle Eckl, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 3,656 points (Championship Record)
Second Team: Lanna Wandy, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 3,347 points
Third Team: Samantha Luba, Jr., Nazareth – 3,246 points
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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