XC Men Repeat as Conference Champs; Women 2nd

10/31/2016

The Mighty Oaks men's cross-country team repeated as league champions Oct. 30 as they won the 2016 Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Championship race at the Hudson Valley Sportsdome in Milton, New York. The women's team finished second.

Led by the overall individual champion, senior Michael Perrson, ESF finished with eight runners in the top 10. Perrson improved on his third-place time last year by nearly 50 seconds, covering the 8K course in 28:12. It was the fastest time on the track in the three years the championship has been contested at the Sportsdome. Perrson was also named 2016 Runner of the Year and led the field of 56 runners across eight teams.

Following Perrson for ESF were juniors Dana Carris (28:36, 3rd) and Ryan Shaw (29:01, 5th) and sophomores Nick Girodano (29:20, 6th) and Ethan Appelgren (29:23, 7th) rounding out the scoring five, with just 1:12 separating the Mighty Oaks' first and fifth runners.

Albany Pharmacy finished in second place overall while Pratt Institute came in third.

The following Mighty Oaks were named to the 2016 All-HVIAC Men's Cross Country Team:
Ethan Appelgren
James Boyd
Dana Carris
Nick Girodano
Michael Persson
Ryan Shaw
Benjamin Wasserman

In the women's race, Albany Pharmacy had the top three runners and won the championship. ESF placed in the following four spots to secure a second-place finish. The Mighty Oaks were led by sophomore Marissa Lathrop's fourth-place finish with a time of 21:56. Senior Samantha Hollister finished fifth (22:47) followed by freshman Eden Zickler (6th - 22:53) and sophomore Erin Cuddihy (7th - 23:01). Junior Emily Verbeck was ninth (23:33).

Zickler was named the HVIAC 2016 Rookie of the Year. The following runners were named to the 2016 All-HVIAC Women's Cross Country Team:
Allison Cronk
Erin Cuddihy
Samantha Hollister
Marissa Lathrop
Emily Steenkamer
Emily Verbeck
Eden Zickler

"I am so proud and humbled to be this team's coach. The pride, determination, sportsmanship and character both teams displayed today — and everyday — is what makes these ladies and gentleman an absolute pleasure to coach," said Cross-Country Head Coach John View. View was named the 2016 HVIAC Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Both the women's and men's teams will complete at the USCAA Cross Country National Championship in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Nov. 10-11.