UTICA, NY – The track & field teams were back in action on Saturday for day two of the Empire 8 championships. When the dust cleared, both teams finished 5^th, being narrowly edged by Alfred University for the men and women. The women finished with 70 points and the men 45, which were both more than last year, when both teams finished 4^th. Going into the last even of the day, the men trailed Alfred by just one point. In a hotly contested race, the men's 4 x 400m relay still ran one of the fastest times in school history, but it wasn't enough to beat the Saxons.
 
"We didn't love getting beat by Alfred, but our goal was to score more points than we did the year before, which we did. In track, a couple places here and there can be all the difference, and things like injuries popping up, etc. That's athletics. Alfred had a heck of a meet for both teams, and it was fun to be checking the back and forth in the team scores during day two. I'm really proud of the team, and to be their head coach. I witnessed a lot of athletes just lay it on the line and that's the most we can ask," said Coach Hager after the meet.
 
Highlights of the day were Ali Wisniewski capturing her first Empire 8 individual title in the 400IH. It took every bit of the track to hold off two Nazareth girls charging after the last hurdle. She will compete in this event at the AARTFC regional event in 10 days. Amanda Burrichter won both the 1500m and captured her first 5,000m title, which stays in Houghton after Rachel Domaracki also won that event a year ago. Both events were closely contested, to the line, by Alfred's Mackenzie Hall in the 1500m and Lauren DeMichele in the 5,000m. Caleb Kasper continued his successful season by finishing 3^rd in the 5,000m. A pack four (Caleb and three Nazareth runners) broke away late in the race, and Caleb threw down a 4:50 final 1600m to hold on to 3^rd place. J.J. Eustace made a swift move in the last 150m to narrowly miss his first Empire 8 title in the 800m. His ran a big personal best of 1:58.24 to finish 3^rd.
 
The Highlanders will take a small crew to Allegheny College on Thursday, May 11^th to tune up for the AARTF regional meet.