Women's Outdoor Track and Field | 6/2/2026 1:58:53 PM
The Empire 8 Conference announced its 2026 Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Conference awards on Tuesday, June 2. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
National Champion Ryan Hagan of SUNY Geneseo was named the 2026 Empire 8 Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. Hagan, junior from Liverpool, NY, won the 1,500-meter run at the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship, crossing the finish line in a time of 3:44.29 and was runner-up in the 800-meters in 1:49.17 to earn First Team All-American honors in each event. Hagan twice shattered the all-time Division III record in the 1,500-meters this season, with his fastest clocking of 3:37.19 set at Duke University on May 3. He shattered all-time Empire 8 records in the 800-meters (1:48.09), the 1,500-meters and 5,000-meters (13:55.68). Hagan was also a USTFCCCA All-Niagara Region selection in the 800-, 1,500- and 5,000-meters.
Senior Gabe Giannini of St. John Fisher University was named the 2026 Empire 8 Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year. Giannini, a native of Rochester, NY, earned NCAA First Team All-American honors in the decathlon, smashing the all-time Empire 8 record with 6,797 points to finish sixth at nationals. Giannini excelled at the 2026 Empire 8 Championship, winning the pole vault, clearing a career-best 4.89 meters (16’0.5”) and 4 x 100-meter relay, while placing second in both the long jump and javelin. A multi-event standout, Giannini earned USTFCCCA All-Niagara Region honors in an unprecedented five events during the outdoor season, including the decathlon, long jump, javelin, pole vault, and 4 x 100-meter relay. He was part of Brockport’s 4 x 100-meter relay team that shattered an Empire 8 record with a time of 41.14 seconds.
Wayne Spencer of Utica University was named the 2026 Empire 8 Outdoor Track & Field Rookie of the Year. Spencer, who hails from Rochester, NY, enjoyed a tremendous debut for the Pioneers, winning the long jump at the E8 Championship, with a leap of 7.29 meters, which was a personal best and qualified him for the NCAA Championships in the event. He also recorded a season-best leap of 14.48 meters in the triple jump at the All-Atlantic Region Championships, a top 35 leap nationally. Spencer also earned USTFCCCA All-Niagara Region honors in both the long jump and triple jump. He is Utica’s fourth straight Empire 8 Rookie of the Year recipient and eighth in program history.
SUNY Geneseo head coach Chris Popovici and his staff of assistant coaches Dan Moore, Christian Johnson, Kierna Sheridan, Gwen Shephardson, Dan Reynolds and Ken Rasmussen was named the 2026 Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. The Knights won their second consecutive Empire 8 Outdoor Track & Field Championship and placed fourth at the NCAA Championships. Overall, Geneseo had 23 different student-athletes earn All-Conference honors, while Ryan Hagan (1,500-meters) and the 4 x 400-meter relay team of Arjun Ojha, Andrew Kent, Sam Belmont, and Jacob Miller were NCAA Champions. Seven different Knights earned First Team All-Americans honors. The Knights shattered three E8 Outdoor Track and Field Championship records and six overall league marks in 2026.
The Empire 8 first, second and third team all-conference selections were determined at the championship meet on May 1-2 from the Polisseni Track and Field Complex, hosted by St. John Fisher University.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2026 Empire 8 Men’s Outdoor 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 sportsmen.
“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.”
2026 Empire 8 Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Award Winners
Track Athlete of the Year: Ryan Hagan, Jr., SUNY Geneseo
Field Athlete of the Year: Gabe Giannini, Sr., SUNY Brockport
Rookie of the Year: Wayne Spencer, Fr., Utica
Coaching Staff of the Year: SUNY Geneseo, led by head coach Chris Popovici
Empire 8 Tomorrow’s Leaders Team
Riley Ciamarra, Jr., Alfred (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas)
Mitchell Ellsworth, Jr., SUNY Brockport (Saranac Lake, NY/Saranac Lake)
Sam Belmont, Jr., SUNY Geneseo (Williamson, NY/Williamson)
Larry McCumiskey, Fr., Hartwick (Delhi, NY/Delhi)
Amos Bixler, Sr., Houghton (Dalton, OH/Central Christian)
Jack Healy, Jr., Nazareth (Naugatuck, CT/Naugatuck)
Stephen Fleury, Sr., Russell Sage (Cadyville, NY/Saranac)
London Premo, Fr., St. John Fisher (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker)
Spencer Borghardt, Sr., Utica (Smithtown, NY/St. Anthony’s)
2026 Empire 8 Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship All-Conference Selections
100-Meter Dash
First Team: Derek Grimshaw, Jr., SUNY Brockport – :10.75
Second Team: Cody Bazemore, So., Hartwick – :10.98
Third Team: Ethan Fox, Sr., St. John Fisher – :11.02
110-Meter Hurdles
First Team: Will Hawken, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – :14.75
Second Team: Trystan Biller, So., St. John Fisher – :15.26
Third Team: Jeremy Chen, Sr., SUNY Brockport – :15.27
200-Meter Dash
First Team: Derek Grimshaw, Jr., SUNY Brockport – :21.81
Second Team: Ethan Fox, Sr., St. John Fisher – :21.95
Third Team: Michael Durski, Sr., SUNY Brockport – :22.02
400-Meter Dash
First Team: Jacob Miller, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – :47.81
Second Team: Andrew Kent, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – :47.99
Third Team: Arjun Ojha, So., SUNY Geneseo – :48.33
400-Meter Hurdles
First Team: Sam Belmont, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – :52.40 (Empire 8 Championship Record)
Second Team: Ayden Grinion, Sr., SUNY Brockport – :52.89
Third Team: Timothy Smith, So., SUNY Brockport – :53.42
800-Meter Run
First Team: Tim Sheahan, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 1:52.06
Second Team: Owen Arbocus, Jr., SUNY Brockport – 1:52.20
Third Team: Dawson Wadsworth, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 1:53.23
1,500-Meter Run
First Team: Jace Stuart, Jr., St. John Fisher – 3:56.81
Second Team: Connor Hitt, So., SUNY Geneseo – 3:57.14
Third Team: Cameron Garofalo, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 3:57.40
3,000-Meter Steeplechase
First Team: Pierce Young, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 8:58.96 (Empire 8 Championship Record)
Second Team: Emerson Comer, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 9:01.76
Third Team: Bennett Melita, Jr., Utica – 9:04.22
5,000-Meters
First Team: Bennett Melita, Jr., Utica – 14:40.47
Second Team: Collin Brown, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 14:45.94
Third Team: Pierce Young, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 14:54.72
10,000-Meters
First Team: Jared Smith, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 31:00.92 (Empire 8 Championship Record)
Second Team: Mike Taranto, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 31:20.14
Third Team: Cameron Almy, Sr., Nazareth – 31:21.85
4 x 100-Meter Relay
First Team: Logan Thompson, Fr., Derek Grimshaw, Jr., Michael Durski, Sr., Gabriel Giannini, Sr., SUNY Brockport – :41.57
Second Team: Trey Feirman, Jr., Andrew Kent, Sr., Jack Towns, So., Nate Gonyeau, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – :42.02
Third Team: Jaiden Deacon, So., Shane Hunte, Fr., Patrick Conteh., Sr., Cody Bazemore, So., Hartwick – :43.14
4 x 400-Meter Relay
First Team: Arjun Ojha, So., Dawson Wadsworth, Jr., Sam Belmont, Jr., Jacob Miller, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 3:13.97 (Empire 8 Championship Record)
Second Team: Michael Durski, Sr., Ayden Grinion, Sr., Malakye Moss, Fr., Owen Arbocus, Jr., SUNY Brockport – 3:17.51
Third Team: Khamani Hunter, Jr., Riley Ciamarra, Jr., JJ Hodges, So., Finnegan Dean, Sr., Alfred – 3:21.36
4 x 800-Meter Relay
First Team: Frank Calhoun, So., Brayden Mahoney, Fr., Eduardo Salinas, Fr., Tim Smith, So., Houghton – 7:54.11
Second Team: Evan Geer, Fr., Henry Sardina, So., Connor Little, So., Amos Bixler, Sr., Houghton – 7:55.50
Third Team: Brandon Yanguas, So., Cayden Roblemo, So., Patrick Klehr, Fr., Ryan Hagan, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 7:58.51
Pole Vault
First Team: Gabriel Giannini, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 4.89 meters
Second Team: Hayden Penna, So., St. John Fisher – 4.84 meters
Third Team: Oren Welch, Fr., St. John Fisher – 4.69 meters
High Jump
First Team: Sekou Camara, So., Utica – 1.96 meters
Second Team: Marquis Jones-Mckinney, Sr., Hartwick – 1.93 meters
Second Team: Cardin Chau, So., SUNY Brockport – 1.90 meters
Long Jump
First Team: Wayne Spencer, Fr., Utica – 7.29 meters
Second Team: Gabriel Giannini, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 7.22 meters
Third Team: Dennis Bobbitt, So., SUNY Brockport – 6.96 meters
Triple Jump
First Team: Zion Baitey, So., Alfred – 14.51 meters
Second Team: Dennis Bobbitt, So., SUNY Brockport – 14.33 meters
Third Team: Wayne Spencer, Fr., Utica – 14.26 meters
Shot Put
First Team: Graeden Heichberger, So., Nazareth – 16.91 meters (Empire 8 Championship Record)
Second Team: Ray Trottier, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 15.99 meters
Third Team: Nick Wright, So., SUNY Brockport – 14.59 meters
Discus Throw
First Team: Daniel Davis, So., St. John Fisher – 43.94 meters
Second Team: Duncan Harbin, So., SUNY Brockport – 41.64 meters
Third Team: Deklan Semo, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 41.38 meters
Hammer Throw
First Team: Brandon Kaplan, Sr., St. John Fisher – 59.57 meters
Second Team: Graeden Heichberger, So., Nazareth – 56.48 meters
Third Team: David Dobrowolski, Jr., Nazareth – 54.88 meters
Javelin Throw
First Team: Allen Reome, So., SUNY Brockport – 47.43 meters
Second Team: Gabriel Giannini, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 47.16 meters
Third Team: Tobias Jeralds, Sr., Utica – 45.25 meters
Decathlon
First Team: Daniel Pagan, So., SUNY Geneseo – 6,162 points
Second Team: Aaron Lund, Sr., Nazareth – 5,910 points
Third Team: Jack Pomykaj, Sr., Nazareth – 5,765 points