UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's and women's cross country teams are set to begin their 2026 campaigns at the SUNY Poly Short Course Invitational, hosted by SUNY Poly, on September 5. Start time is set for 10am from the SUNY Poly Cross Country Course in Utica, NY.
Follow Along: Live results will be available as the event draws closer. Keep an eye on the Cross Country Schedules tab for all information.
A Look Back: The Pioneers are coming off a breakthrough 2025 season that saw the program make significant strides both within the Empire 8 and at the regional level. Utica opened the year with a team victory at the SUNY Poly Short Course Invitational before continuing to build toward the postseason, including an 11th-place finish in a 35-team field at the Rowan Border Battle and a second-place showing at the Hamilton Tune-Up. The Pioneers carried that momentum into the E8 Championship, claiming an individual title and placing second out of 11 teams before producing their best regional performance in program history two weeks later. Utica finished sixth out of 27 teams at the NCAA Niagara Regional, placing all five scoring runners inside the top 70 to secure the program's first-ever top-10 finish at the event. The performance also sent a Pioneer to the NCAA Division III National Championship for the second consecutive season.
In the Rearview: The 2025 season saw some great successes on the women's side with several top of the pack finishes and stellar individual performances. The team opened the season with a second place finish at the SUNY Poly Short Course Invitational with a pair of Pioneers finishing within the top five overall. The team continued to keep the momentum going with a 6th place finish at the first Hamilton event of the season, and an 11th place team finish against a loaded field of competition at the Rochester Yellowjacket Invitational. Utica then turned in another second place finish at the Hamilton Invitational, with another top five individual performance, and followed that up with a third place team finish at the final meet of the regular season, the Hamilton Tune-Up Invitational. The Pioneers came flying into postseason contention, taking fifth place at the 2025 Empire 8 Cross Country Championship, and a 15th place finish at the 2025 NCAA Niagara Regional.
Race Day Roadmap: Utica will compete in seven regular-season events before postseason action begins at the end of October, with the men's and women's teams following the same schedule throughout the fall. Both squads open the year on September 5 at SUNY Poly, giving them an early look at the same course that will host the E8 Championships on October 31. Utica will also make three trips to Hamilton College during the regular season, while meets at Lehigh University on October 2 and Rowan University on October 17 will provide two of the largest tests on the schedule. Following the final regular-season race at Hamilton on October 24, the Pioneers will turn their attention to the E8 Championships, the NCAA Niagara Regional on November 14 in Fredonia, and potentially the NCAA Division III Championships on November 21 in Northfield, Minnesota.
Leading the Pack: Utica's returning group is headlined by senior Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville), who enters 2026 as the reigning E8 individual champion and a two-time NCAA Division III Championship qualifier. Melita won three races during the 2025 season, including the E8 Championship, before placing fifth at the NCAA Niagara Regional, earning an at-large bid to nationals. Sophomore Killian Bauer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherill) also returns after a strong debut season in which he earned Third Team All-E8 honors and finished 65th at the Niagara Regional as one of Utica's five scoring runners. Senior Timothy Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central) adds another proven postseason performer after earning Third Team All-Conference honors and finishing 70th at Regionals, while fellow senior Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central) returns with additional experience after contributing to the scoring lineup during the 2025 campaign.
She's Out in Front: The Pioneers are continuing to be led by Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) and Catherine Manna (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), who each landed on Empire 8 All-Conference Teams last season. Townsend, a First-Team All-Conference honoree collected three top-five finishes last season, headlined by a third place overall at the Poly Short Course Invitational, a fourth place finish at the Hamilton Invitational, and a fifth place finish at the Empire 8 Championships. Townsend also showed prowess against top competition, collecting a 21st place finish at the Rochester Yellowjacket Invitational, a 28th place finish at the Rowan Border Battle, and a 30th place finish at the Niagara Regional. Townsend also set all new personal bests in each distance last season, with a time of 15:00.2 in the 4k, 18:37.8 in the 5k, and 22:31.3 in the 6k. Manna, a Second-Team All-Conference selection last season, also built upon previous successes with several top finishes, including a fifth place finish at the Poly Short Course, and a sixth place finish at the Hamilton Tune-Up Invitational. Manna also set a new personal best in the 4k last season, with a time of 15:20.5.
Back for More: The Pioneers also return several runners who will look to provide depth throughout the 2026 season. Seniors Joseph Santiago (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam), Nathan Sand (Beekmantown, NY/Beekmantown), and Eddy Corporan (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C Ketcham) return with multiple years of experience in the program, while juniors Jack Centola (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas), Cameron Hoffis (Queensbury, NY/Lake George), and Evan Humphrey (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) give Utica another group of familiar faces in the lineup. Santiago turned in his strongest showing at the Hamilton Invitational, leading the Pioneers with a 19th-place finish in 28:34.5, while Sand also scored at the event with a 32nd-place finish in 31:52.2. Humphrey opened the year with a top-20 showing at SUNY Poly in 22:38.3, while Centola and Corporan also competed throughout the 2025 campaign and Hoffis returns for his junior season as the group looks to take on larger roles following the departures of Tobias Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham) and Anthony Leotta (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West).
Welcome Back!: On the women's side, the Pioneers are set to return key runners in Emma Charboneau (Fultonville, NY/Fonda-Fultonville), Kamryn Williams (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), and Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill). Charboneau turned in a stellar sophomore campaign last season, setting new personal bests in all three race distances, as well as a pair of top-25 finishes. The courses at nearby Hamilton College proved fast for Charboneau, as two new personal bests in the 4k (17:13.9) and 5k (21:56.1), which both were good for 23rd place at their respective races, were set on the campus of the Continentals. Williams also set a new personal best in the 4k last season, clocking in with a time of 18:43.7, which was good for 31st place at the Hamilton Tune Up. Simmons also turned in a new career best time in the 5k, turning in a 20:39.9 to take a top-15 finish at the Hamilton Invitational.
Fresh Legs: Utica will welcome four freshmen to the program in 2026 in Brandon Knisley (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham), Exavier Garcia (Fonda, NY/Fonda-Fultonville), Chris Lincourt (Plattsburgh, NY/Beekmantown), and Liam Maxson (Ilion, NY/Central Valley Academy). Knisley arrives after a decorated high school career that included multiple CSC All-Star selections, a Section III 4x800 championship, and a Section III 3,000-meter steeplechase title, while also earning CSC Scholar Athlete recognition throughout all four years. Garcia brings extensive experience in cross country and track and field, highlighted by multiple state-qualifying appearances and a pair of Section II Class C cross country team championships. Lincourt earned Section VII All-Star recognition across cross country and track and field, including honors in the 400 meters, while Maxson collected a long list of accolades that included a Section III Class B championship, multiple TVL All-Star selections, cross country and indoor track MVP honors, and a 2026 TVL Pioneer Division steeplechase title.
New Face, New Place: The Pioneers are set to welcome a trio of new athletes to the women's ranks this season in freshman Tara Fobare (Sauquoit, NY/New Hartford), sophomore Courtney Pettit (Walworth, NY/Wayne), and graduate transfer Nicole Arnhold (Hampton, NY/Granville). Fobare is a graduate of nearby New Hartford High School, where she was a 2022 Cross Country Team Unsung Hero, and received a team MVP award in 2023. Pettit is a graduate of Walworth High School, where she was an 11 time Scholar Athlete, two-time cross country captain, a three time Outdoor Track Divisional Champion, and has a 4x800 All-League selection to her name as well. Arnhold joins the Pioneers by way of Ripon College, where the graduate student was a four-time Midwest Conference Champion, helping the program capture both the 2023 and 2024 Midwest Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Arnhold also earned Ripon's Most Valuable Field Event Athlete team award in 2026 and was part of USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams in cross country in 2024 and 2025 and track and field from 2023 through 2026. She set a new personal best in the 6k at the Midwest Conference Championship last season, clocking in with a time of 23:43.1.
Up Next: The team will take on the Hamilton Short Course Invitational, hosted by Hamilton College, on Saturday, September 12. Start time for the women is slated for 11am, while start time for the men is set for 11:45am.
