HOUGHTON, N.Y. -- After a very short spring season, Houghton cross country is looking to return to normal this fall, get a full season under their belts and challenge again for a spot among the top teams in the Empire 8.

The men finished third in the E8 championship, while the women finished fourth, this spring. Both teams return a strong nucleus and add some new talent that has hopes high for the fall.

Head Coach Patrick Hager provided a glimpse at the teams in the Q&A below:

Provide a quick recap of your abbreviated spring season and what you learned about your team during that time?
We honestly had a great spring. We fit all our seasons (indoor, XC, outdoor) into the schedule. We saw a lot of personal best performances and some school records. We put more athletes on the podium at outdoor regionals than we ever have. I think I learned that our athletes thrived well when they didn't have as many activities from the college competing with their time.

What team goals have you put in place for the coming season?
Match or exceed our Empire 8 finish from last year. The men have a chance to win the E8, the women could be as high as 3rd. Five all conference for the men, four for the women. Our region was restructured, so it's hard to set a real relevant goal there. Get someone to Nationals.

What are the key things your team needs to do to meet those goals?
Running is just a grind. What they needed to do really was paved in the summer. Our group hit a lot of their mileage goals during that time. So for now, we need to keep them healthy, and still have several weeks to push hard in training.

What are your team's biggest strengths?
Men have some nice depth. Some really nice options for pack running. The women are becoming a close group, and our two top runners (Amanda and Rachel) are going to push each other.

What are areas you need to work on?
For the men, we've always been at risk of working too hard. We have a great culture of doing whatever it takes, plus some. We need to keep it simple and be able to focus on our big races, and trust our training. For the women, our depth will be a bit of an issue. But I think we can overcome that as we have some really strong competitors in that group.

What are the team's biggest personnel losses from last season?
Joel Wheeler, Evan Miller, Julia Hotchkiss, and Emily Strauss. The first three graduated. They weren't as much of a loss from a performance standpoint in XC, but very good leaders and key members of our time. Emily is a junior who was on the rise and decided not to return.

Who are the key returners and what do they provide the team?
A bunch for the men, Seth Greene, Dave Russo, Dillon Bell, Dylan Beckhorn, Adam McCutcheon, and Caleb Kasper are all really solid runners who can contribute for our team. It's fun to have options. For the women, Amanda Burrichter, Rachel Domaracki, Alexa Binney, and Elisabeth Kettinger.

Who are some of the key newcomers who could contribute and what do they bring?
For the men, Sam Lyon and James Eustace are both great athletes. They bring different experience and skillsets; Sam is really experienced and James has raw talent. For the women, I'm really excited about Tabitha Clark and Phebe Grant. Both of them have talent and seem to just enjoy the team atmosphere.

What are some of the key games on the schedule?
For us, we will look forward to the Mike Woods invitational on 10/2 and our Highlander Invitational on 10/9. They are at key points in the season. The Mike Woods invite is our regional course, so will be good to view it ahead of time. Our home meet is fast, and always a fun chance to get them some confidence before E8.