Victor, N.Y. – The Hartwick Cross Country traveled to compete in the Empire 8 Cross Country Championships and had a record day.

 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Hartwick got their morning started with the Men's 8K and showed out as five talented runners set new personal records as the men finished with a team average of 31:35.

• Jodi Johnson(Seaford, Del.) was the first to cross the finish line for the men with an impressive time of 27:37, beating his previous mark by 53 seconds to earn a 31st place finish.

• Hans Higgins(Buffalo, N.Y.) finished the race with a time of 29:16, shedding a minute and 54 seconds off his previous best.

• Oliver Forsha(Loudon, N.H.) was strong, carrying momentum from his previous races by crossing the finish line in a time of 32:03. Forsha smashed his previous mark by three minutes and 48 seconds.

• Frank Guenther(Dolgeville, N.Y.) is returning to form as he finished with a time of 32:33, setting a new mark by 66 seconds. Ethan Benedict(Apalachin, N.Y.) also set a new mark with a time of 37:54, a 91 second improvement in a strong showing for the Men.

• The Women followed with a great outing as well in their 6K race, also setting six new personal records.

• Brynita Haas(Red Creek, N.Y.) was the top finisher for the women, clocking in at 24:31 for a 67 second improvement and a 36th place finish.

• Maddy Smith(Oneonta, N.Y.) came across the line with a solid time of 25:39, just twelve seconds short of her best mark but still a great showing

• Sophia Kehr(Charlotte, Vt.) was next to cross the line as she finished with a time of 26:44, taking a minute and forty seconds off her previous record. 

• Taylor Stalker(Lowville, N.Y.) finished with a time of 27:43, beating her previous mark by two minutes and 36 seconds. Sophie Ridgway(Albany, N.Y.) set a new mark as well with a 42 second improvement for a time of 28:29.

• Stephanie Cohen(Westtown, N.Y.) finished with a personal record of 29:21 for a two minute and nineteen second improvement. Lisa Powless(Oneida, N.Y.) crushed her previous mark by six minutes and 57 seconds with a finish of 33:52.

• The Women's squad finished with a team average of 26:37, two minutes faster than last year's conference meet and beating their best average this year by a minute and forty two seconds set at SUNY Poly.

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The Hawks will hit the road and participate in the NCAA Niagara Regional Championship in Houghton, New York in two weeks.

HARTWICK COLLEGE

One of the oldest colleges in the country, Hartwick has continually evolved for 225 years. The College's exciting new chapter is called FlightPath, a future-focused approach to education. Offering a distinctive blend of curricular, co-curricular and real-world work experiences, FlightPath builds on Hartwick's long history of integrating broad-based studies with experiential learning.

Hartwick College is a nationally ranked independent college of the arts and sciences located in picturesque Oneonta, NY, in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. The College offers 35 courses of study leading to a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree, two master's degrees in the sciences, and a graduate certificate in nursing education. For more information, visit www.Hartwick.edu.