Women’s cross country places 8th of 10, men finish last at SUNYACs

Buffalo State Sports Information

Junior Austin Becker was the second-best finisher for the men’s team, placing 79th overall with a time of 28:28 in the 8k course.

Johnny Wozniak, Reporter
November 4, 2015

Buffalo State’s men and women’s cross country teams competed in the SUNYAC Championship meet in Pittsburgh on Halloween.

The women’s team managed to finish 8th out of 10 teams in action on the day.

Leading the way for Bengals was Sharae Smith, who finished 37th out of a field of 111 runners, with a time of 23:49.

Following Smith’s lead was Kat McNamara who finished 47th with a time of 23:58.

McNamara felt the race was a positive moving forward for the team.

“I felt really good about it. The course was interesting, but I felt good about my performance and my fellow teammate’s performances as well,” McNamara said. “Of course I wish we finished higher, but our top girls all came in super close together which was really awesome for us to see.”

Closely behind McNamara was freshman Ronni Kordrupel, who finished the day with a time of 24:06 and managed to be the 50th runner to cross the finish line.

The men came into the season expecting to improve their finish from last year, but ultimately fell short, placing 10th out of 10 teams.

All year long, the runners and coaches talked about how they expected to knock out some top teams in competition, so the poor finish is a disappointment.

The men were led by Felipe Yanez, who ran the 8k course in an overall time of 27:47, finishing 63rd in a field of 119 runners.

For the first time in the last four meets, Austin Becker found himself finishing in a place other than first, as he finished second on the day with a time of 28:28 and an overall finish of 79th.

Following their lead was Mitch Rabold, who finished right behind Becker with a time of 28:39, good for 85th. Next up for the Bengals was Ken Ryan with a time of 28:55, the 94th finisher.

“Overall, the team had a minor setback, but I believe it opened our eyes going on to Regionals” freshman Benaleo Daniels said. “As a team, we are excited and pleased with the coaching staff and are prepared for the hard work that lies ahead.”

The SUNYAC Championship title was won by Geneseo, with Fredonia and Oneonta finishing second and third.

Next up for the teams is a week off, and then on to the NCAA Atlantic Regional hosted by Geneseo on Nov. 14.