Melita rolled to the individual title at the 2023 Empire 8 Men’s Cross Country Championship at Parkview Fairways in Victor, NY on Saturday, building an insurmountable lead while cruising to the finish line nearly 13 seconds ahead of the field in a time of 24:54.0 and a 5:01 mile rate. It was the fastest E8 Championship time in the league's 25-year history. Melita has now earned six Empire 8 weekly accolades during the 2023 season.