ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The cross country teams posted a strong finish to their season at the Empire 8 Cross Country Championships at St. John Fisher University, with the women's team placing 7th and the men's team placing 8th overall.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The men's 8k kicked off the day on a rainy St. John Fisher course, with Avery Lungstrom (Bel Air, Md.) again leading the pack to secure his third sub-30 finish this season and placing 62nd overall. Erik Higgins (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Devon Spalding (Mineola, N.Y.) were close behind, clocking in only ten seconds apart and claiming 81st and 82nd place, respectively.

The women's 6k began at noon, as Brynita Haas (Red Creek, N.Y.) finished a great day by clocking in at 24 minutes and 35 seconds to take 30th place, only 3 spots away from Third Team All-Conference honors. Julia Weinschreider (Williamson, N.Y.) would finish less than two minutes later with an impressive run to overtake ten of her opponents, with Amelia Steitz as the third Hawk to cross the finish line for the women and matching her previous personal best at 27 minutes and 22 seconds.

Overall, the men's cross country team would secure 8th place in team scoring, placing above SUNY Poly, Russell Sage, and Keuka. The women's team would snag 7th place overall, overtaking both Alfred and Keuka to post a solid end to a great season.

Results from the day can be found here.

COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH NATE CREWS

"The men continue to claw forward in the conference. The Fisher course isn't built to be particularly fast so the mindset going into today had to be position-focused. Despite the challenging rolling hills and muddy conditions, Lungstrom managed to run under 30 minutes for the 3rd time this season and finished 62nd overall. Erik Higgins and Spalding stayed close through the race finding 81st and 82nd, respectively. Larry McCumiskey (Delhi, N.Y.) wasn't far behind in 91st, followed by Jayden Perera (Middle Village, N.Y.) in our last scoring position in 101st, putting up 62 points. The ladies defeated Alfred for the second year in a row In our journey to climb the conference rankings. Haas led the way only finishing 3 spots outside of all conference honors. Weinschreider climbed 10 spots mid race to finish top 60 and only just behind Alfred's 1st runner scoring 41 points. Steitz matched her personal best on a rather challenging course running 27:22 and placing 73rd overall scoring 45 points. Steitz also overtook 8 runners in the late stages of the race. Finally Emilia Murphy (Amsterdam, N.Y.) and Liliana Van De Water (King Ferry, N.Y.) sealed the deal finishing 84th and 86th scoring 50 and 52 points respectively."

About Hartwick College:
Hartwick, often referred to as The Life Balance College, is a private liberal arts and sciences institution in Oneonta, N.Y. Through its distinctive FlightPath approach, Hartwick blends academic excellence, career preparation and an active campus life to help students achieve a balanced and fulfilling college experience. With transparent tuition and a focus on health and wellness, Hartwick prepares students for lifelong success—both professionally and personally.