Women's Indoor Track and Field | 3/24/2026 9:59:46 AM
League Champion SUNY Geneseo won three of the four major individual awards, as the Empire 8 Conference announced its 2025-26 Women’s Indoor Track & Field All-Conference awards on Tuesday, March 24. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
NCAA National Runner-up Sierra Doody of SUNY Geneseo was named the Empire 8 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. Doody, a native of Webster, NY, earned NCAA Championship runner-up honors in the 800-meters at on March 14 with a time of 2:09.01. She was also part of the 4 x 400-meter relay team that earned NCAA Second Team All-American honors by placing 11th at nationals. Doody, who holds the Empire 8 record in the 800-meters (2:08.82), won the league championship in the event in addition to an Empire 8 title in the 4 x 400-meter relay, both for the second straight season. She also earned USTFCCCA All-Niagara Region honors in the 800-meters and mile in addition to the 4 x 400-meter relay.
SUNY Geneseo junior Jillian Ambler was named the 2025-26 Empire 8 Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. Ambler, a native of Fairport, NY, enjoyed an incredible season, placing second in the long jump at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 13 and fourth in the 60-meter hurdles the following day to earn First Team All-American honors in both events. Ambler was also part of the 4 x 200- and 4 x 400-meter relay teams at the All-Atlantic Region Championships. Ambler was named the Empire 8 Indoor Championship Field Athlete of the Meet, setting a league record with the sixth-best long jump in Division III history at 6.11 meters. She also won the 60-meter hurdles, 200-meter run and 4 x 400-meter relay at the E8 Championship. Ambler earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors in five events, the 60-meters, 60-meter hurdles, 200-meters, 4 x 400-meter relay, and long jump. Ambler holds the Empire 8 record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.49 seconds and 4 x 200-meter relay (1:42.59) in addition to the long jump mark.
Makenna Keough of St. John Fisher University was named the 2025-26 Empire 8 Indoor Rookie of the Year. Keough, who hails from Elmira, NY, enjoyed a tremendous debut season for the Cardinals, earning runner-up honors in the long jump and triple jump at the Empire 8 Indoor Championship. In addition, Keough finished second overall in the triple jump at the All-Atlantic Region Championship with a leap of 11.35 meters, which placed her in the top 50 nationally in the event. Keough garnered All-Niagara Region honors in the triple jump.
SUNY Geneseo head coach Chris Popovici and his staff of assistant coaches Dan Moore, Christian Johnson, Kieran Sheridan and Gwen Shepardson was named the 2025-26 Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year for the second straight season. The Knights won their second straight Empire 8 Indoor Track & Field Championship and placed seventh at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Overall, Geneseo had 18 different student-athletes earn All-Conference honors, while Ambler, Doody, and Lauren Jaklitsch earned First Team All-American honors. The Knights, who had 16 different student-athletes combine to earn 31 USTFCCCA All-Region accolades, shattered five E8 Indoor Track and Field Championship records and five overall league marks in 2025-26.
The Empire 8 first, second and third team all-conference selections were determined at the championship meet on Feb. 27-28 from the Golisano Training Center, hosted by Nazareth University.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2025-26 Women’s Indoor Track and Field 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.”
2025-26 Empire 8 Women’s Indoor Track & Field Award Winners
Track Athlete of the Year: Sierra Doody, Sr., SUNY Geneseo
Field Athlete of the Year: Jillian Ambler, Jr., SUNY Geneseo
Rookie of the Year: Makenna Keough, Fr., St. John Fisher
Coaching Staff of the Year: SUNY Geneseo, led by head coach Chris Popovici
Empire 8 Tomorrow’s Leaders Team
Natalya Ryckman, Gr., Alfred (New Eagle, PA/Ringgold)
Savana Henry, So., SUNY Brockport (Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili)
Lauren Jaklitsch, Sr., SUNY Geneseo (Mt. Sinai, NY/Mt. Sinai)
Julia Weinschreider, So., Hartwick (Williamson, NY/Williamson)
Jozie Zickafoose, So., Houghton (Chillicothe, OH/Unioto)
Kelsey Fahy, Jr., Nazareth (Victor, NY/Victor)
Ashley Bovee, Fr., Russell Sage (Wilton, NY/South Glens Falls)
Maggie Bacon, Jr., St. John Fisher (Dansville, NY/Dansville)
Riley King, Jr., Utica (Oswego, NY/Oswego)
2025-26 Empire 8 Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship All-Conference Selections
60-Meter Dash
First Team: Victoria Brewster, Jr., Houghton – :7.56 (Championship Record)
Second Team: Laura Suppa, Gr., Utica – :7.72
Third Team: Alaina Morley, Sr., Nazareth – :7.80
60-Meter Hurdles
First Team: Jillian Ambler, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – :8.49 (Championship and Empire 8 Conference Record)
Second Team: Laura Suppa, Gr., Utica – :8.70
Third Team: Samantha Luba, Sr., Nazareth – :8.97
200-Meter Dash
First Team: Jillian Ambler, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – :25.01
Second Team: Victoria Brewster, Jr., Houghton – :25.47
Third Team: Laura Suppa, Gr., Utica – :25.56
400-Meter Dash
First Team: Brynn Mooney, So., SUNY Geneseo – :57.66
Second Team: Stella Riley, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – :58.77
Third Team: Nicole Gretzinger, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 58.93
800-Meter Run
First Team: Sierra Doody, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 2:11.67 Championship Record)
Second Team: Nicole Gretzinger, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 2:14.45
Third Team: Dakota Limbert, So., SUNY Geneseo – 2:16.10
Mile
First Team: Ethne Degan, So., SUNY Brockport – 5:02.52
Second Team: Shelby Boise, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 5:04.94
Third Team: Alexa Kosier, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 5:05.12
3,000-Meter Run
First Team: Ari Reback, So., SUNY Geneseo – 9:50.52 (Championship Record)
Second Team: Ann Brennan, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 10:14.85
Third Team: Annika Hurley, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 10:20.07
5,000-Meter Run
First Team: Ari Reback, So., SUNY Geneseo – 17:14.41
Second Team: Ann Brennan, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 17:49.18
Third Team: Annika Hurley, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 18:08.64
4 x 400-Meter Relay
First Team: Jillian Ambler, Jr., Nicole Gretzinger, Sr., Sierra Doody, Sr., Brynn Mooney, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 3:49.99 (Championship Record)
Second Team: Alexis Lasher, Sr., Amber Hayes, Fr., Mariah LeGrow, Fr., Samantha Luba, Sr., Nazareth – 4:01.89
Third Team: Arianna McClendon, Jr., Lilly Messler, So., Lacey Simmons, Fr., Shiann Williams, So., Utica – 4:03.89
Distance Medley Relay
First Team: Hannah Wierer, Jr., Gigi Ferro, Jr., Dakota Limbert, So., Shelby Boise, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 12:23.22
Second Team: Kelsey Fahy, Jr., Abigail Bowman, So., Mariah LeGrow, Fr., Ella Impaglia, Sr., Nazareth – 12:29.26
Third Team: Catherine Manna, So., Lilly Messler, So., Lacey Simmons, Fr., Marlo Townsend, Jr., Utica – 12:39.27
Pole Vault
First Team: Isabel Morse, Sr., Nazareth – 3.91 meters
Second Team: Kiara Tornusciolo, Sr., Nazareth – 3.65 meters
Third Team: Rosie Morse, Sr., Nazareth – 3.45 meters
High Jump
First Team: Alexa Belanger, So., Houghton – 1.62 meters
Second Team: Hannah Allison, Jr., Utica – 1.59 meters
Third Team: Lainey Flatz, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 1.56 meters
Long Jump
First Team: Jillian Ambler, So., SUNY Geneseo – 6.11 meters (Championship and Empire 8 All-Time Record)
Second Team: Makenna Keough, Fr., St. John Fisher – 5.35 meters
Third Team: Sasha Schramm, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 5.34 meters
Triple Jump
First Team: Marisa Mazzacco, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 11.40 meters
Second Team: Makenna Keough, Fr., St. John Fisher – 11.25 meters
Third Team: Kianna Naval, So., St. John Fisher – 11.14 meters
Shot Put
First Team: Erin McGuinness, Sr., St. John Fisher – 13.41 meters
Second Team: Allie Cary, So., Utica – 13.31 meters
Third Team: Trinity Dees, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 12.68 meters
Weight Throw
First Team: Lauren Jaklitsch, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 18.21 meters
Second Team: Christina Valicenti, Sr., St. John Fisher – 15.30 meters
Third Team: Riley King, Jr., Utica– 15.26 meters
Pentathlon
First Team: Mackenzie Kubat, So., SUNY Geneseo – 3,634 points
Second Team: Samantha Luba, Sr., Nazareth – 3,470 points
Third Team: Chloe Abbott, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 2,951 points