Brockport, NY - The Brockport men's and women's cross-country teams will begin the 2026 season at Sweden Town Park for the Tom Balon Alumni Classic on Saturday, September 5th at 11 am. Saturday's meet will mark the fourth annual Tom Balon Alumni Classic hosted by SUNY Brockport.

Men's 2025 Recap: The Golden Eagles men's cross country team enjoyed several excellent individual performances, with JJ Montemaro (2nd), Aidan Mayer (3rd), and Caleb Belanger (3rd) all earning Empire 8 All-Conference honors following Brockport's fourth-place finish at Empire 8 Championships. As a team, the squad earned solid finishes at the Tom Balon Classic (5th place) and Kara Hall Memorial XC Invitational in Fredonia (3rd place), finishing the 2025 slate with an 8th-place finish at NCAA Regionals from Rochester. In January, the team earned USTFCCCA 2025 Team Academic honors with a 3.45 team GPA, with Aidan Meyer named a USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete.  

Key Returners: Despite losing several top runners from last season, the Golden Eagles return multiple key runners who look poised to make an impact in 2026. Senior Howie Vargas returns as one of Brockport's top runners from 2025, earning a team third-best finish at NCAA Regionals (58th). Caleb Belanger is back for his senior season with the Green and Gold, finishing 2025 as Brockport's fourth-best finisher at NCAA Regionals, taking 63rd place overall. After a breakout outdoor track season, Tim Smith will be looking to shine in his second season with Brockport Cross Country, earning 2^nd-Team All-American status in the 400-meter hurdles last outdoor track season. Nahuel Gutierrez, Kyle Lovenguth, Matthew Strasser, and Logan Iversen all return to Brockport as potential top seven runners for the Green and Gold.

Fresh Faces: The Golden Eagles welcome freshman additions Dylan Bachman, Daniel Cibirka, Oliver Fernaays, Louden Heller, Avery Heretz, Karsten Homer, Brayden Mahoney, Karter Maslowsky, and Porter Sheen. Brockport also added graduate transfer Jace Stuart, formerly of St. John Fisher. A multiple-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection, Stuart earned an 8th-place finish at the Empire 8 Championships and an excellent 32nd-place finish at the NCAA Division III Niagara Regional Championship. Stuart and the 2026 freshman class look poised to make an immediate impact for the Green and Gold.

Women's 2025 Recap: The Brockport women's cross country team opened the 2025 season with a team victory at the Tom Balon Alumni Classic, earning strong team finishes at the Highlander Invitational (3rd place), Kara Hall Invitational (4th place), and a third-place finish at Empire 8 Championships. Five Golden Eagles earned All-Conference honors, including Salma Moumen (1st), Ethne Degan (2nd), Emily Leo (3rd), Esther Nankumba (3rd), and Sierra Basco (3rd). The women's team was also honored as a USTFCCCA 2025 Academic Team with a 3.46 GPA, with Salma Moumen and Ethne Degan each named USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes. The Golden Eagles' season ended at NCAA Regionals with an eighth-place finish (201 points).

They're Back: Despite losing three of the squad's five all-conference selections, the Golden Eagles return their top two runners from last year. Salma Moumen will look to build off an incredible freshman season that included excellent finishes at the Tom Balon Invite (4th), Empire 8 Championship (8th), and NCAA Niagara Regionals (27th). Ethne Degan returns for her junior season following an excellent sophomore season that saw her secure multiple Empire 8 Athlete of the Week awards as one of Brockport's most consistent runners. Degan took 3rd place at the Tom Balon Invite and finished as Brockport's top runner in multiple different meets. Salvatrice Piccolo, Natalie Heselton, Abigail Polus, Taylor Nugent, Rachael Gray, and Megan Wilson all return and will look to make an impact following strong 2025 seasons.

Welcome to Brockport: The women's team brings on freshman Michala Faulkner, Jaelyn Jordan, Grace Kosmoski, Avalon Krieger, Resse Roberts, Alexa Ruppe, Adeline Tibbitts, and Sabine Yannone. The 2026 women's cross country team will have an intriguing mix of returning talent and potential upside. 

Schedule Outlook:
Sep 5th @ 11 am - Tom Balon Alumni Classic @ SUNY Brockport
Sep 19th @ 10 am – Yellowjacket Invitational @ University of Rochester 
Sep 26th @ TBA – Harry F. Anderson Invitational @ Roberts Wesleyan
Oct 2nd @TBA – Paul Short Run @ Lehigh University
Oct 10th @ TBA – Highlander Invitational @ Houghton 
Oct 16th @ TBA - Mike Woods Invitational @ Geneseo  
Oct 31st (Time TBD) – Empire 8 Championships @ Houghton University 
Nov 14th (Time TBD) – NCAA Niagara Region Championships @ RIT 
Nov 21st (Time TBD) - NCAA Cross Country Championships (Must Qualify)

Up Next: The Golden Eagles head to Rochester for the Yellowjacket Invitational hosted by the University of Rochester on Saturday, September 19th at 10 am.