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2023 USCAA National Champions
ESF Cross Country Teams Make USCAA History with Three-Peat Championships
Men’s, Women’s Mighty Oaks take top honors
Men's 2023 Cross Country championship team
LEMONT FURNACE, PA. – Nov. 12, 2023 - It’s a history-making three-peat for ESF’s cross country teams. ESF is the only school in United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) history to win three consecutive titles in the same sport for both women’s and men’s teams.
The Mighty Oaks men's and women's cross country teams successfully defended their 2021 and 2022 USCAA national cross country titles this weekend at the national championships in Lemont Furnace, Pa. becoming the only school in USCAA history (all sports) to win three consecutive titles in the same sport, both genders.
The men’s team had eight runners in the top 14 led by senior Sean Dristle (Elbridge, NY) who won the race in 27:26.5 on the hilly 8k course. All eight Mighty Oaks were placed on the first- or second-team USCAA All-American team.
For the women, senior Savannah Kuhr (Clay, NY), won the individual title with a time of 23:44. Kuhr ran away with the race from the start and was 70 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher from Johnson and Whales University. Eight other ESF women runners rounded out the top 14 and were designated as first- or second-team USCAA All-Americans.
"You don't often hear about three-peats in sports, they are rare,” said Mike Melfi, ESF cross country coach. “We were able to do it with both the men’s and women’s teams and that’s rarer still. I have been incredibly lucky to coach runners at ESF over the last seven years. This year’s team in particular were all dedicated and trained smart while managing challenging academic course loads. To say I am beyond proud would be an understatement.”
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.