Women's Indoor Track and Field | 2/28/2026 7:22:57 PM
Nationally-ranked SUNY Geneseo set five Championship records over the two day event en route to scoring 265 points to win the 2026 Empire 8 Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship, held the Golisano Training Center on the campus of Nazareth University on Feb. 27-28.
The Knights won 12 events over two days and scored 257.5 points, while host Nazareth University finished as the runner-up with 105 points. St. John Fisher University was third with 97 points, while Utica University placed fourth with 90 points.
SUNY Geneseo sophomore Ari Reback was named the 2026 Empire 8 Indoor Track Athlete of the Meet. She won both long distance events, crushing the field by nearly 35 seconds in the 5,000-meter run on Friday night and coming back to win the 3,000-meters by 24 seconds in an Empire 8 Championship meet record time of 9:50.52 on Saturday, which moved her into the top-25 nationally in the event.
SUNY Geneseo junior Jillian Ambler earned 2025 Empire 8 Championship Field Athlete of the Meet honors after setting a championship and overall league record in the long jump, becoming the first student-athlete in E8 history to break six meters and 20 feet in the event. She moved into second nationally with a jump of 6.11 meters (20’0.5”) Friday. In addition, Ambler broke an E8 record in winning the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.49 in the preliminaries before winning the finals in 8.53 seconds. Ambler also won the 200-meters in 25.01 seconds was part of the 4 x 400-meter relay that set an E8 Championship record with a time of 3:49.99
On Saturday, Houghton University junior Victoria Brewster broke her own E8 Championship record in the 60-meter dash in a blazing fast time of 7.56 seconds, which is currently fifth in Division III this season. She has now won three straight league titles in the event. Brewster was runner-up in the 200-meters, 46 hundredths of a second behind Ambler.
Geneseo’s 4 x 400-meter relay team of Ambler, Nicole Gretzinger, Sierra Doody and Brynn Mooney set a meet record in winning the event by just under four seconds in an E8 Championship meet record time of 3:49.99.
Doody secured her second straight title in the 800-meters by just under three seconds, crossing the finish line in an E8 Championship meet record time of 2:11.67, just ahead of Gretzinger.
Lauren Jaklitsch of Geneseo won the weight throw with an impressive toss of 18.21 meters. Teammate Marisa Mazzacco picked up the win in the triple jump with a leap of 11.34 meters.
Sophomore Alexa Belanger of Houghton took the high jump for the second straight season, clearing 1.62 meters.
Below are all of the team scores in addition to individual and relay winners during the weekend’s events.
2025-26 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championship Team Scores
SUNY Geneseo – 257.5
Nazareth – 105
St. John Fisher – 97
Utica – 90
SUNY Brockport – 60.5
Houghton – 45
Alfred – 4
Hartwick – 2
Russell Sage – 1
2025-26 Empire 8 Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championship Individual Award Winners
Track Athlete of the Meet: Ari Reback, So., Distance, SUNY Geneseo
Field Athlete of the Meet: Jillian Ambler, Jr., Jumps/Sprints, SUNY Geneseo
2025-26 Empire 8 Indoor Track & Field Championship Individual Relay/Award Winners (Friday)
Mile run: Ethne Degan, SUNY Brockport – 5:02.52
400-meter dash: Brynn Mooney, SUNY Geneseo – :57.66
5,000-meter run: Ari Reback, SUNY Geneseo – 17:14.41
Distance medley relay: Hannah Wierer, Dakota Limbert, Dia Sweet, Maggie Kiebler, SUNY Geneseo – 12:23.22
Pole Vault: Isabel Morse, Nazareth – 3.91 meters (12’ 10”)
Shot Put: Erin McGuiness, St. John Fisher – 13.41 meters (44’ 0”)
Long Jump: Jillian Ambler, SUNY Geneseo – 6.11 meters (20’ 0.5”) (Empire 8 Championship Meet Record; Empire 8 All-Time Record)
Pentathlon: Mackenzie Kubat, SUNY Geneseo – 3,634 points
2025-26 Empire 8 Indoor Track & Field Championship Individual Relay/Award Winners (Saturday)
60-meter dash: Victoria Brewster, Houghton – :7.56 (Empire 8 Championship Meet Record)
60-meter hurdles: Jillian Ambler, SUNY Geneseo – :8.53 final (:8.49 prelims) (Empire 8 Championship Meet Record and Empire 8 Overall Record)
200-meter dash: Jillian Ambler, SUNY Geneseo – :25.01
800-meter run: Sierra Doody, SUNY Geneseo – 2:11.67 (Empire 8 Championship Meet Record)
3,000-meter run: Ari Reback, SUNY Geneseo – 9:50.52 (Empire 8 Championship Meet Record)
4 x 400-meter relay: Jillian Ambler, Nicole Gretzinger, Sierra Doody, Brynn Mooney, SUNY Geneseo – 3:49.99 (Empire 8 Championship Meet Record)
High jump: Alexa Belanger, Houghton – 1.62 meters (5’ 3.75”)
Triple jump: Marisa Mazzacco, SUNY Geneseo – 11.34 meters (37’ 2.5”)
Weight throw: Lauren Jaklitsch, SUNY Geneseo – 18.21 meters (59’ 9”)