UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's and women's cross country teams competed at the 2026 Empire 8 Championships on Saturday afternoon at the SUNY Poly Cross Country Course. The men's team finished fourth out of 11 teams with 99 points, while the women's team placed fifth out of 11 teams with 117 points.

On the men's side, Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) led the way for Utica, finishing as the conference runner-up with a time of 25:15.8 in the 8k race. The senior finished just 5.7 seconds behind individual champion Collin Brown of SUNY Geneseo, who crossed the finish line in 25:10.1. Killian Bauer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherill) followed closely behind, turning in an impressive fourth-place finish with a time of 25:33.8. The duo accounted for two of the top four finishers in the championship field.

Timothy Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central) was the next Pioneer across the finish line, placing 23rd overall with a time of 27:13.9. Liam Maxson (Ilion, NY/Central Valley Academy) followed in 47th place, completing the course in 28:16.1, while Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central) rounded out Utica's five scoring runners with a 56th-place finish in 28:55.9.

Ben Bellinger finished just outside the scoring five, placing 59th overall with a time of 29:07.7. Evan Humphrey (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) followed in 72nd place with a time of 30:45.2, while Nathan Sand (Beekmantown, NY/Beekmantown) completed Utica's lineup with an 87th-place finish in 33:16.0.

SUNY Geneseo captured the conference championship with 24 points, followed by Houghton University in second with 81 points and SUNY Brockport in third with 86. Utica finished fourth with 99 points, holding off fifth-place Nazareth University, which totaled 113 points.

On the women's side, Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) led the Pioneers with an 11th-place finish, crossing the line in 22:30.2. The senior was among the top individual competitors in the conference field, finishing as Utica's leading runner. Catherine Manna (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) followed with another strong performance, placing 16th overall with a time of 23:06.2, giving the Pioneers two finishers inside the top 20.

Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) was Utica's third finisher, placing 37th overall with a time of 24:32.2. Nicole Arnhold (Hampton, NY/Granville) followed just five seconds behind, crossing the finish line in 24:37.6 to take 40th place. Freshman Tara Fobare (Sauquoit, NY/New Hartford) rounded out the Pioneers' scoring five, finishing 49th overall with a time of 25:05.7.

Emma Charboneau (Fultonville, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) was the next Pioneer to complete the course, placing 75th overall with a time of 28:33.0. Courtney Pettit (Walworth, NY/Wayne) rounded out Utica's championship lineup with an 82nd-place finish, recording a time of 29:49.2.

SUNY Geneseo claimed the Empire 8 title with a perfect team score of 15 points, sweeping the top five individual scoring positions. Nazareth University finished second with 78 points, followed by SUNY Brockport in third with 84 and Houghton University in fourth with 100. Utica rounded out the top five with 117 points, finishing ahead of sixth-place St. John Fisher University, which totaled 143 points.

Both teams return to action on Saturday, November 14 as both teams travel to Fredonia, NY to take on the 2026 NCAA Niagara Regional, hosted by SUNY Fredonia. Start time of the women's race is set for 11am, with the men to follow at 12pm.