Preble, NY - The State University of New York at New Paltz cross country programs came away with two sixth place finishes, two All-SUNYAC honorees and a Hall of Fame Inductee at the SUNYAC Championships in Cortland on Saturday.
SUNY New Paltz head coach Aislinn Ryan was proud of how their teams performed.
"I am very happy with how this team did," they said. "This was a really good day for this team this year. I am proud of how they conducted themselves, how they fought, and how
they never relented. I think everyone had a good race."Geneseo dominated both races with scores of 19 and 17 to win its seventh consecutive men's championship and 10th straight women's championship. In fact, both of its top sevens in each race finished in the top 10. The Hawks placed sixth in the men's 8K race, ahead of Plattsburgh, Buffalo State and Potsdam. In the 6K race, the women's side scored 127, just six points behind fifth place Oneonta, but well in front of Oswego, Buffalo State and Fredonia.
"Across the board, the Hawks were strategic and patient," Ryan said. "They kept their sights on where they wanted to go, conserving energy and waiting to make moves, which is crucial on a torn up, muddy course."
Senior Clara Flores-Reininger earned All-SUNYAC first-team honors with a fifth place finish, as she paced the Hawks with a time of 25 minutes, 10.6 seconds. Her performance inducted her into the SUNYAC Cross Country Hall of Fame, just the fifth SUNY New Paltz woman runner to earn induction. Junior Kate Cochran (25:19.8) came in sixth place, just 9.2 seconds behind Flores-Reininger, obtaining All-SUNYAC second-team honors.
"Clara and Kate both had the races I knew they could," Ryan said. "They held back in the first mile, which was the plan, and by midway, Clara was in fifth and maintained that spot to make it [to] first team All-SUNYAC and cement her place in the SUNYAC Hall of Fame. Kate was in seventh for most of the race, fighting off a pack behind her. She did not let that pressure get to her and she ended up sprinting down a Geneseo person for sixth place and second team All-SUNYAC."
Freshmen Marcella Candlin (27:38.3), Allison English (28:57.0) and sophomore Ginny Clifford (29:45.0)
placed 32nd, 52nd, and 64th, respectively, to finish the top five for the Hawks. Freshmen Emily Gonzalez (30:32), Jazmyne Daily-Simpson (30:33), Mikaya Cecora (30:37.9); and sophomore Erin Downs (31:13.5) nearly crossed the line simultaneously with 73rd, 74th, 75th and 77th place finishes, respectively. Freshman Ceren Cebeci (32:17.1) placed 80th.
The women's team endured a lot of challenges throughout the race, including a sick Candlin and Clifford, a muddy course made worse by the men's 8K race, and a shoe malfunction by Cecora that forced her to conclude the race barefoot. Still, for a young team that came into the season with zero collegiate experience outside of Flores-Reininger, it was an impressive performance.
"They were competing the whole time and it was great to see," Ryan said. "I am excited for this young team as they continue to run and gain experience. They have great attitudes and are taking all of these experiences in. It will only make them stronger in the future."
On the men's side, senior Jake Meyers finished first for SUNY New Paltz at 17th overall with a time of 28:15.3 seconds. While it was not the top five performance expectation that Ryan had set, he was the fourth non-Knight or Red Dragon runner to complete the race.
"He still ran fast and tough, but today it was a mental game," Ryan said. "The aggressive racing had him lose sight of how well he was actually doing midway. This was not helpful towards his race."
They also cited that Meyers was "being physically pushed around by a competitor," further impacting his time.
"His disappointment today will be fuel for the fire for him," they said. "Come regionals, he is going to be even more ready to keep his head up the whole time."
Senior Trey Hotaling crossed next for the Hawks and 26th overall with a time of 28:42, while graduate student Colin Battersby (29:08.8) finished 26.8 seconds after in 28th. Freshmen Luke Hoyt (31:17.5) and Vincent Mandraccia (31:20.6) came all the way back from 80th place at the halfway point and nearly finished back to back with 68th and 70th place results, respectively, to complete the scoring five for the Hawks. Senior Chris D'Antonio (31:51.8) and sophomore Jimmy Curley (33:19.3) placed 79th and 84th, respectively, rounding out the top seven.
"Trey ran an extremely impressive race," Ryan said. "He was calm, he was competitive, he ran smart and did not back down for a second today. Having Jake, Trey and Colin place within 11 places of each other is the type of tight placement we are hoping for within our top five for the future."
SUNYAC Cross Country Hall of Famer Reed Williams (36:46.5) won the Elite 20 Award for the third time and completed his SUNYAC Championship career with a 97th place finish.
With the SUNYAC Championships in the books, SUNY New Paltz will now turn its attention to the NCAA Regionals in Waterford, CT on Nov. 13. It will have a week off from competitive action to prepare for a chance at sending runners to the Championships in Kentucky. The start times are to be determined.
To view the full results from the 2021 SUNYAC Championships, click here.
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