Women's Flag Football | 4/19/2026 5:08:26 PM
SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Brockport, Hartwick College and Elmira College will vie for the inaugural 2026 Empire 8 Women’s Flag Football Championship, which starts with semifinal action on Tuesday, April 21 and championship game on Friday, April 24, with all games played at the higher seed.
Top-seed SUNY Geneseo will host No. 4 Elmira at 7 p.m. and No. 2 seed SUNY Brockport will host No. 3 seed Hartwick at 4 p.m. in semifinal games on Tuesday, April 21. The two semifinal winners will meet for the 2026 Empire 8 Championship on Friday, April 24 at the highest remaining seed.
2026 Empire 8 Women's Flag Football Championship Participating Teams
No. 1 – SUNY Geneseo (7-1 E8, 12-4 Overall)
No. 2 – SUNY Brockport (6-2 E8, 7-3 Overall)
No. 3 – Hartwick College (3-5 E8, 4-6 Overall)
No. 4 – Elmira College (3-5 E8, 5-5 Overall)
SUNY Geneseo claimed the inaugural Empire 8 regular season crown, finishing 7-1 in league play. The Knights are 12-4 overall heading into the league tourney. Ella Koopman has thrown for 30 touchdowns and 2,373 yards, while rushing for another 811 yards and eight scores. Natalia DiPalma has added 462 yards and five scores on the ground, while adding eight TDs and 511 yards receiving. Corina Dunn has 63 catches and 11 receiving TDs for the Knights, while Kenna McKenzie leads Geneseo with 663 yards receiving, averaging 17.9 yards per catch. Defensively, Emily McLouth has recorded 98 tackles, 12 pass breakups and eight interceptions. Jessica Chase has made 19 tackles for loss and has seven sacks, while Caitlyn Schutte has 77 total stops and Fiyorina Daniel has 72.
Second-seeded SUNY Brockport finished 6-2 in E8 play and are 7-3 overall this season. Madison Beardsley and Megan Gerber have led the way offensively for the Golden Eagles. Beardsley has thrown for 17 touchdowns to just three interceptions, while also rushing for 479 yards. Gerber has accounted for 821 yards on the ground and 12 scores with another eight passing TDs and two receiving scores. Addy VanDewater has 12 receiving touchdowns and is averaging nearly 17 yards per catch to lead Brockport. Defensively, Ariana Kennedy has 55 tackles and eight pass breakups, while Lauren Cundra leads Brockport with 10 pass breakups and five picks. Cymbri Jefferson has added 50 tackles, while
No. 3 seed Hartwick won three league games and enter the league championship with a 4-6 overall mark. First-year Audra Doll leads the Hawks offensively from the quarterback position. She has rushed for 1,379 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also throwing for 1,040 yards and 14 scores. Bailey McCoy and Ellie Kalbach have combined for 47 catches and eight scores, while Anne Stanavich has six receiving TDs. On defense, Kalbach leads the team with 92 tackles, while Reese Malfatone has 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks and Ziyon Harrison has 13 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. McCoy also leads Hartwick with four interceptions.
Fourth seeded Elmira also won three league contests and enter the 2026 E8 Championship with a 5-5 overall record. Hannah Smith has thrown for 1,982 yards and 25 touchdowns, while Jenica Jones leads the Soaring Eagles with 272 yards rushing. Faith Ingber and Kylie Hook have excelled in the receiving game. Ingber has 79 catches for 863 yards and 12 scores, while Hook has 76 catches for 750 yards and 10 touchdowns. Defensively, Hook also has 18 pass breakups and 46 tackles. Amorionah Dixon has a team-high seven interceptions, while Nyla Capen has 73 tackles, including seven for loss. Ingber has added 58 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Both semifinal matchups are meetings that ended the regular season. Geneseo knocked off Elmira on the road, 26-8 on April 18, while Brockport rallied to defeat Hartwick, 27-25, also on the road that day. Geneseo also defeated Elmira 33-13 at home on March 27, while Brockport also earned a 38-19 win over Hartwick on its home turf on April 10.
2026 Empire 8 Women’s Flag Football Championship Schedule
Tuesday, April 21 - Semifinals
No. 4 Elmira at No. 1 SUNY Geneseo – 7 p.m.
No. 3 Hartwick at No. 2 SUNY Brockport – 4 p.m.
Friday, April 24 - Championship
Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2 -– TBA (at highest remaining seed)
Admission
$10.00 – Adults
$2.00 - Students and seniors with ID
Free - Children under 12