Cross Country continues solid performances at invitationals this past week
The SUNY Geneseo men’s and women’s cross-country teams each competed in two invitationals this past week, garnering positive results. On Friday, Sept. 16, the teams traveled to East Lansing, Michigan to compete at the Spartan Invitational, an event put on by BIG10 school Michigan State University.
The women’s team took home third place overall with 127 points, finishing as the top NCAA Division III group at the meet. The team finished only behind Michigan State (NCAA Division I) and Grand Valley State (NCAA Division II), and ahead of notable competitors such as Cincinnati (NCAA Division I) and the defending NCAA Division III National Champion Johns Hopkins. Seniors Kathleen McCarey and Windsor Ardner finished eighth and 19th at the invitational, with respective times of 21:43.07 and 22:18.78. Freshman Sierra Doody placed 41st overall, with a time of 22:46.66. Senior Marcie Hogan and sophomore Lilly Fowler-Conner finished in the top-50 in the 47th and 48th spots, with crossing times of 22:52.08 and 22:52.63, respectively. Other top-100 finishers at the event included Rachel Hirschkind, Gabby McCarthy, and Katherine Vogel.
The men’s team finished eighth at the Spartan Invitational, ahead of NCAA Division I schools such as Morehead State and Northern Kentucky. Senior Nick Andrews finished first for the team, coming in 16th overall after crossing at 25:13.31. Junior Alex Hillyard finished within the top-50 at 36th overall with a time of 25:38.93 while fellow junior William Hall earned 53rd overall crossing at 25:52.74. Junior Nick Bauman ended the day 72nd overall, with a time of 26:15.02. Other top-100 finishers for the Knights included senior Ryan Mitchell (95th), freshman Peter Fulgieri (97th), and senior Ezra Ruggles (99th).
The two teams looked to extend their hot streaks as they competed at the Yellowjacket Invitational hosted by the University of Rochester on Saturday, Sept. 17. The women’s team finished in fourth overall at the event, behind only NYU, Ohio Northern University, and Trine. The team finished ahead of the host University of Rochester, as well as local competitor St. John Fisher and others. Senior Erin Eivers finished as the first Knight across at 16th overall with a time of 23:44, while junior Raechel Zielinski came in 20th with a time of 23:48.0. Sophomores Veronica Szygalowicz and Penelope Green, along with freshman Ann Brennan, finished within the top five for Geneseo, while sophomore Lejla Borcilo and freshman Isabel Marzec ended their days notably as well.
The men’s team also came in fourth overall at the Invitational, finishing behind NYU, Buffalo, and Ohio Northern University, and ahead of Trine, the University of Rochester, and Cortland. Led by some exceptional individual performances, the team came away with 161 points overall. Senior Ben Timmons crossed at 26:16.4 and finished within the top-10 at the event, at eighth overall. Junior Dillon McClary came in 19th with a time of 26:37.1, while sophomore Charles Canero finished in 35th at 26:57.6. Freshman Anson Butler (41st), junior Justin Thang (60th), and sophomores Aidan Glynn and Dawson Tooker finished within the top-75 at the meet.
After their solid finishes this week, the two SUNY Geneseo teams will shift their focus to the Harry F. Anderson Invitational hosted by Roberts Wesleyan University on Saturday, Sept. 24.