WILLIAMSVILLE, NY – For the 10th year in a row, Roberts Wesleyan claimed the East Coast Conference Cross Country Championship titles, as the Redhawk women and men finished first at the 2024 ECC Cross Country Championship meet on Saturday morning at Bassett Park, hosted by Daemen. Both out of Roberts Wesleyan, senior Kylee Odell won the women's individual 5k title in 18:22.0 while senior Zachary Hall took home the men's individual 8k title in 25:48.5 to each earn ECC Runner of the Year honors.
COMPLETE RESULTS
In the women's race, four of the first five runners to cross the finish line were from Roberts Wesleyan, as Odell was followed by Rachel Horner-Richardson (18:24.9) in second, Lydia Roselund (18:39.3) in fourth, and ECC Rookie of the Year Paige Reeser (18:42.5) in fifth. Evelyn Schmit (19:56.0) closed the scoring for the Redhawks in 18th place while Gianna Tribotte (20th, 20:09.4) and Kennedy Mitchell (25th, 20:24.9) finishing as Roberts Wesleyan's No. 6 and No. 7 runners. In all, the champions turned in a 30-point showing and four All-ECC First Team performances.
Daemen followed in second place with 52 points as Courtney Merrill (6th, 18:48.3) and Camryn Bailey (7th, 18:50.7) recorded All-ECC First Team performances and Christa Oates (11th, 19:19.9) and Patsy Oberholzer (12th, 19:23.3) added All-ECC Second Team performances to guide the Wildcats. Emma Grzebinski (16th, 19:50.6) and Emma Cain (17th, 19:54.5) also finished in the top 20.
Led by a pair of All-ECC Second Team finishes from Sabrina Spezia (8th, 19:02.3) and Kathleen Healy (13th, 19:32.7), Molloy finished third as a team with 77 points.
All-ECC First Teamer Lainie Smith (3rd, 18:36.4) and All-ECC Second Teamer Lydia Smith (10th, 19:17.0) led D'Youville to fourth with 91 points.
Also of note, St. Thomas Aquinas' Zoe Merryman (9th, 19:13.4) and Queens' Rachel Mow (14th, 19:39.8) finished with All-ECC Second Team recognition while guiding their squads to fifth- and sixth-place finishes, respectively.
On the men's side, eight of the first 12 runners to cross the finish line were from Roberts Wesleyan, as Hall was followed by Owen White (25:48.8) in second, Caleb Belanger (26:18.1) in fifth, ECC Rookie of the Year Trevor Heitkamp (26:24.6), Jakob Zibbel (26:41.1), and Juvenal Diaz-Cortes (26:43.7) in seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively, and Landon Schreib (26:59.2) and Nathan Demarest (27:06.8) in 11th and 12th. In all, the champions turned in an 23-point showing and eight All-ECC performances.
Daemen followed in second place with 76 points as Aidan Kincaid (10th, 26:48.6) and Jon Moote (13th, 27:07.7) turned in All-ECC Second Team performances and Ethan Keating (16th, 27:27.0) and Josh Trometer (19th, 28:01.0) added top-20 finishes.
All-ECC First Teamer Peter Baggatine (4th, 26:16.9) and All-ECC Second Teamer Aiden Watson (14th, 27:15.4) led Molloy to a third-place team finish with 86 points.
Also of note was another pair of All-ECC First Team performers, as D'Youville's Henry Smith came through with a third-place finish (26:10.2), leading the Saints to their first team scoring performance, while Queens' John Ray crossed in sixth (26:19.4).
Roberts Wesleyan head coach Andrew Dorr was named the Women's and Men's ECC Coach of the Year after leading the Redhawks to a first-place finish in each race. This is the 11th consecutive year he has won the honor for both genders and the 12th straight year in the women's race.
Women's Team Results
1. Roberts Wesleyan - 30 points
2. Daemen - 52 points
3. Molloy - 77 points
4. D'Youville - 91 points
5. St. Thomas Aquinas - 121 points
6. Queens - 182 points
7. Staten Island - 205 points
8. District of Columbia - 211 points
Women's Cross Country All-Conference First Team
Kylee Odell, Roberts Wesleyan (18:22.0)
Rachel Horner-Richardson, Roberts Wesleyan (18:24.9)
Lainie Smith, D'Youville (18:36.4)
Lydia Roselund, Roberts Wesleyan (18:39.3)
Paige Reeser, Roberts Wesleyan (18:42.5)
Courtney Merrill, Daemen (18:48.3)
Camryn Bailey, Daemen (18:50.7)
Women's Cross Country All-Conference Second Team
Sabrina Spezia, Molloy (19:02.3)
Zoe Merryman, St. Thomas Aquinas (19:13.4)
Lydia Smith, D'Youville (19:17.0)
Christa Oates, Daemen (19:19.9)
Patsy Oberholzer, Daemen (19:23.3)
Kathleen Healy, Molloy (19:32.7)
Rachel Mow, Queens (19:39.8)
Women's Cross Country Individual Champion and Runner of the Year - Kylee Odell, Roberts Wesleyan
Women's Cross Country Rookie of the Year - Paige Reeser, Roberts Wesleyan
Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year - Andrew Dorr, Roberts Wesleyan
Women's Cross Country Elite 20 Award - Lainie Smith, D'Youville
Men's Team Results
1. Roberts Wesleyan - 23 points
2. Daemen - 76 points
3. Molloy - 86 points
4. St. Thomas Aquinas - 112 points
5. Queens - 114 points
6. D'Youville - 142 points
7. Staten Island - 179 points
Men's Cross Country All-Conference First Team
Zachary Hall, Roberts Wesleyan (25:48.5)
Owen White, Roberts Wesleyan (25:48.8)
Henry Smith, D'Youville (26:10.2)
Peter Baggatine, Molloy (26:16.9)
Caleb Belanger, Roberts Wesleyan (26:18.1)
John Ray, Queens (26:19.4)
Trevor Heitkamp, Roberts Wesleyan (26:24.6)
Men's Cross Country All-Conference Second Team
Jakob Zibbel, Roberts Wesleyan (26:41.1)
Juvenal Diaz-Cortes, Roberts Wesleyan (26:43.7)
Aidan Kincaid, Daemen (26:48.6)
Landon Schreib, Roberts Wesleyan (26:59.2)
Nathan Demarest, Roberts Wesleyan (27:06.8)
Jonathan Moote, Daemen (27:07.7)
Aiden Watson, Molloy (27:15.4)
Men's Cross Country Individual Champion and Runner of the Year - Zachary Hall, Roberts Wesleyan
Men's Cross Country Rookie of the Year - Trevor Heitkamp, Roberts Wesleyan
Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year - Andrew Dorr, Roberts Wesleyan
Men's Cross Country Elite 20 Award - Henry Smith, D'Youville