ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Hartwick men's and women's cross country teams are set to attend the 2025 NCAA Division III Niagara Regional Championships on Saturday, November 15th hosted by the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Hartwick will face a total of 26 opposing colleges and universities all vying for the top spot and a chance to compete in the NCAA DIII Championships. The men's 8k race is set to commence at 10:30 AM, with the women's 6k starting at 11:30AM. The races will be followed by an awards ceremony at 1:30 PM in Ritter Arena.

"The Empire 8 Championship course had a lot of rolling hills and made fast times challenging. But Rochester's course has the opportunity for the athletes to run fast against extremely high-level competition," says Head Coach Nate Crews. "Each workout this year has been specifically geared to prepare the athletes for the conference championship and the NCAA regional meet. Looking at both the men and women, both teams are the most prepared they have been all season. The meet will feature nearly 30 teams on the start line all looking for one last big performance on the season."

For the women's team, senior Brynita Haas (Red Creek, N.Y.) has been a standout all season. Despite falling just outside All-Conference honors with a 30th place finish at the E8 conference championship, Haas has shown grit and speed on even the most challenging courses this season, and will look to Regionals to hopefully run her first sub-24 minute 6k. Alongside her is returner Julia Weinschreider (Williamson, N.Y.), who has also posted impressive finishes including a 56th place finish in the E8 Championships where she overtook ten other runners.

"Weinshrider has been very consistent this season and waiting for a fast course to finally put down a big performance and set a new personal best and possibly her first sub-25 minute 6k," Crews says. "Two freshmen, Amelia Steitz (Fairport, N.Y.) and Emilia Murphy (Amsterdam, N.Y.), have also shown up throughout the season. Both ladies consistently ran in the 27:00 range all season. Wrapping up the scoring positions and battling for the 5th spot are Liliana Van De Water (King Ferry, N.Y.) and Addison Shank (Emmaus, Pa.). On any given day either of the women could be our fifth runner, but regardless of which one crosses the line first I believe both women are capable of sub-28 minute performances."

The men's team will look to improve upon a 21st place finish at Regionals last season, looking to first-year Avery Lungstrom (Bel Air, Md.) and upperclassmen Erik Higgins (Buffalo, N.Y.) to lead the way. In Empire 8 Championships, Lungstrom would clock in with a sub-30 minute finish to take 62nd place. Following up was Higgins and returner Devon Spalding (Mineola, N.Y.) to secure 81st and 82nd place, respectively.

"Lungstrom has led the pack throughout the season and has cemented himself as a sub-30 8k runner. Higgins has been at Lungstrom's heels through the year, also achieving the sub-30 mark multiple times, Crews says. "Following these men are Basil Metz (Highland, N.Y.), Larry McCumiskey (Delhi, N.Y.), and Spalding, who are all vying for their first sub-30 minute performance of the season."

There will be live results and video available for the 2025 NCAA DIII Niagara Regional Championship Meet. For more info, visit the RIT website here.

NCAA DIII Niagara Regional Cross Country Championship Schedule

Saturday, November 15th

Men's Championship (8,000-meters) – 10:30 AM

Women's Championship (6,000-meters) – 11:30 AM

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.