Mens and womens cross country teams win SUNYAC titles again
The Geneseo Knights made history on Saturday, Oct. 28. The men’s cross country team won their ninth-consecutive SUNYAC title, and it wasn’t the only one claimed on Saturday, as the women’s team followed suit. The women claimed their 12th-straight SUNYAC title, with both programs having proven to be a major contribution to the success of Geneseo athletics over the last decade, and will surely continue to do so.
Junior William Hall led the men’s team, as he claimed the top spot in the eight-kilometer race with a time of 25:10.3. Fellow junior Austin Schoen was hot on his heels, finishing at 25:12.3, just seconds behind. Schoen took second place, and graduate student Nick Andrews took third with a time of 25:13.2. Clearly, the Knights travel in a pack, as they claimed six of the top ten spots. Seniors Charlie Wilson, Nick Baumann, and Kyle Gronau, along with junior Micah McCulley, were a part of the prestigious ten.
In cross country, the team with the least number of points is deemed victorious. Any score at or below 27 is a nearly automatic win, and the Knights finished in first with 21 points, crushing the competition. Brockport came in second place with 54, and Cortland took third with 88 points. This title tops off the longest SUNYAC title streak in conference history, as Geneseo has dominated for many years. It is important to note that Geneseo will soon be transitioning to the Empire 8 conference, where their times and results are still worthy of titles. The Knights will next participate at the Niagara Region Championship on Saturday, Nov. 11, hosted by Houghton College.
The women’s team also earned themselves a banner and trophy, along with an unbelievable team score. Sophomore Penelope Greene took first place in the race with an astonishing time of 21:57.2. Fellow sophomores Lilly Fowler-Conner and Katie Grossman were only a few seconds behind, with times of 22:14.0 and 22:24.6, respectively. Senior Rachel Hirschkind claimed fourth at 22:34.3, while senior Katherine Vogel took fifth place at 22:37.8.
Taking all of the top-five spots awards a team with the best possible score of 15 points. The Knights guaranteed their win there but also took spots six through nine. Freshman Ann Brennan came in sixth, with sophomore Sierra Doody only a few seconds behind, taking seventh. Junior Emily Miller crossed the line at 22:53.3 and an eighth-place finish. Freshman Jillian O’Rourke rounded out the Knights' top performers with a ninth-place finish at 23:00.9.
The performance put on by Geneseo was unmatched, as they blew out all of their opponents. Geneseo has an immaculate 15, while second place, Oneonta, had 69 points. Cortland took third with 83, and Plattsburgh sat fourth with 142 points. The Geneseo victory marks their 12th-consecutive SUNYAC title, as they also dominate the conference. The switch to the Empire 8 will be tough, but Geneseo’s strong program will almost certainly prevail.
The women’s team will next be joining the men at the Niagara Region Championship on Saturday, Nov. 11, as they will also look to expand on an already amazing season.