RIT Chases Fifth Consecutive Empire 8 Men's Cross Country Title
October 22, 2008
ROCHESTER, NY – Four-time defending champion Rochester Institute of Technology will defend its men’s cross country conference championship at the Empire 8 Cross Country Championships held in conjunction with the Saratoga Invitational at Saratoga Springs on Saturday.
The Tigers are ranked sixth in the New York State Collegiate Track Conference and 10th in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Atlantic Region poll. Sophomore Zach Miller was the Tigers’ top finisher this past weekend at the Albany Invitational, where the Tigers finished 10th of 22 teams at the predominantly Division I meet. Freshman Mike Kurvach earned Empire 8 Runner of the Week honors earlier this season.
Ithaca College enters this year’s championship ranked sixth in the Atlantic Region and second in the state. Senior Drew Hodge earned back-to-back Empire 8 Runner of the Week accolades this season, including after placing first in a 103-runner field at Misericordia on Sept. 20. Junior Curt Bell earned first-team all-conference honors in last year’s championship.
Nazareth College is led by graduate student Nick Stenuf, the reigning indoor and outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in the Empire 8, who has earned first-team all-conference honors each of the past two years and was named conference Runner of the Week last week.
Mitchell Boise of Utica College was the top freshman finisher in last year’s championship meet and earned Empire 8 Rookie of the Year honors.
Jesse Schuster was the top Alfred University finisher at the University of Rochester Yellowjacket Cross Country Invitational on Saturday. Sophomore Bradford Antes led Stevens Institute of Technology to its best finish in school history at the recently held Collegiate Track Conference Championship. Tim Sattler led Hartwick at the Williams College Plansky Invitational on Saturday.