Women's Indoor Track and Field | 6/8/2026 10:00:00 AM
SUNY Geneseo Cross Country and Track and Field standouts Jillian Ambler and Sierra Doody were named recipients of the 2026 Rich Funke Jr. & Jerry Flynn Local College Athlete Award Award, the Rochester Press-Radio Club announced. Both Ambler and Doody will be recognized during the Rochester Press-Radio Club's Celebration of Champions on Tuesday, June 9, at ESL Ballpark prior to the Rochester Red Wings contest against the Worcester Red Sox.
The award is presented to a student-athlete who excelled at the college level locally.
Ambler, a junior from Fairport, NY, has re-written the Empire 8 record books since joining the league in 2024. Last season, she claimed Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 60-meter hurdles and long jump, while earning NCAA First Team All-American honors in the 4 x 400-meters and second team accolades in the long jump and 60-meter hurdles. Ambler won 2025 Empire 8 Outdoor Track and FIeld Championships in the 100-meter hurdles, 4 x 100-meters and long jump, while earning E8 Championship Field Athlete of the Meet honors. She was a USTFCCCA Second Team All-American in the outdoor 100-meter hurdles, 4 x 100-meters, 4 x 400-meters and long jump.
During the 2025-26 indoor season, Ambler continued her Empire 8 dominance, winning the 60-meter hurdles, 200-meter dash, 4 x 400-meter relay and long jump at the league championships at Nazareth. She recorded a leap of 6.11 meters (20' 0.5") in the long jump, which smashed the all-time Empire 8 record in the event. She concluded her dominant indoor season by finishing as the runner-up nationally in the long jump and finished fourth in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Championships to earn First Team All-American honors in both events. She was the unanimous 2026 Empire 8 Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.
Ambler is the Empire 8's all-time record holder in the indoor 60-meter hurdles (8.49 seconds), 4 x 400-meter relay (3:49.20) and long jump (6.11 meters). She holds Empire 8 outdoor records in the 100-meter hurdles (14.06 seconds) and 4 x 100-meter relay (46.33 seconds).
Doody enjoyed an incredible four-year career for the Knights, excelling in both cross country and track and field. A standout on the cross country team, Doody led Geneseo to four conference titles (two SUNYAC and two Empire 8). She was a four-time first team all-conference selection, culminating in a third-place finish at the 2025 Empire 8 Championship. Doody was also a four-time United States Track and Field & Cross Country All-Niagara region selection, placing sixth at the regional championship in 2022, and tenth in both 2023 and 2025. She led the Knights to a pair of Niagara Regional Championships (2022 and 2023) and back-to-back fifth place finishes at the 2022 and 2023 NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championships in addition to a ninth-place finish in 2024.
Doody was a three-time Indoor Track and Field First Team All-American and two-time Second Team All-American, highlighted by national-runner up honors in the 800-meters in 2026. She was also a two-time Outdoor Track and Field Second Team All-American. Doody, the 2025-26 Empire 8 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, won back-to-back E8 Indoor Championships in the 800-meters and 4 x 400-meters and also won the mile run in 2025. She was the 2026 Empire 8 Outdoor Champion in the 800-meters and won the 1,500-meter run in 2025. Doody also won three SUNYAC Championship events.
Doody is the all-time Empire 8 record holder in the indoor 800-meters (2:08.82), outdoor 800-meters (2:08.09) and 4 x 400-meters (3:46.26). She competed at the NCAA Championships in 10 of her 12 opportunities while at Geneseo.