BROCKPORT, NY - The Brockport men's and women's cross-country teams prepare for the Empire 8 Championships at the SUNY Poly Cross Country Course in Utica, NY, on Saturday, October 31st. The event will open at 11 am with the women's 6,000-meter championship, followed by the men's 8,000-meter championship at noon. 

Live Results | Conference Preview

Regular Season Recap

The Golden Eagles women's team provided multiple excellent meet performances this season, finishing in first place at both the Tom Balon Alumni Classic and Highlander Invitational at Houghton. The Tom Balon Alumni Classic saw Ethne Degan lead the women's team with a second-place finish (19:47), followed by Brockport freshman Jaelyn Jordan (7th, 20:44) and Resse Roberts (9th, 20:47). At the Highlander Invite, Degan led Brockport to victory again, finishing fourth overall with her 22:17 finish. Madison Kirkpatrick turned in an excellent outing, finishing in 9th place (23:07.05) ahead of Brockport freshmen Roberts (16th) and Grace Kosmoski (18th). The Golden Eagles enter the weekend ranked #9 in the Niagara Region.

Brockport's men's team posted a strong regular season, including top-five finishes at the Tom Balon Alumni Classic (3rd), Harry F. Anderson Invitational (5th), and Highlander Invite (4th). Graduate transfer Jace Stuart made a strong impression in his first race as a Golden Eagle, finishing fourth overall (16:03) at the Tom Balon Alumni Classic. Timothy Smith was right on his heels, finishing 7th overall in 16:20.9 alongside Brady Ruediger (13th, 16:36). At the Harry F. Anderson Invite from Roberts Wesleyan, Stuart led the pack once again, finishing fourth overall in 25:22. Brady Ruediger finished as Brockport's number two, clinching 11th place with a 25:55.3 performance. Sam Faga had a strong day as well, taking 40th place (26:40.2) overall as Brockport's third runner. Stuart led Brockport once more at Houghton, taking 3rd place (25:01.3) ahead of Ruediger (16th), Faga (19th), Thomas Canestrari (22nd), and Caleb Belanger.

Championship Preview

Saturday will mark Brockport's third Empire 8 Championship meet since joining the conference in 2024, with both squads looking for their best finish to date. The men's team made a strong impression in 2024, earning a second-place finish (50 points) and six individual All-Conference finishers. The Golden Eagles are looking to improve on their fourth-place finish (102 points) at the 2025 Empire 8 Championships, where Caleb Belanger earned All-Conference honors. The men's team returns two of their top-seven runners from the 2025 Empire 8 Championship, including Belanger and Ethan Stauffer

After a fifth-place finish at the squad's first Empire 8 Championship, the women's team earned 3rd place (83 points) at the 2025 Empire 8 Championships from St. John Fisher. Ethne Degan finished second on the team and 11th overall (23:19.7), finishing as one of five Golden Eagles who earned All-Conference honors. The Golden Eagles return two of their top-seven finishers from last year's Empire 8 Championship, including Degan and Natalie Heselton. 

Up Next: Brockport will await the NCAA Niagara Region Championships from Fredonia, NY, on Saturday, November 14th, beginning at 11 am.