BROCKPORT, NY – The Houghton cross country teams traveled to SUNY Brockport, and more specifically Sweden Town Park, on Saturday for their opening meet of the season. A total of nine teams were in attendance, including Empire 8 conference competition Alfred and Brockport. The 5,000-meter course was challenging, but the temperature was favorable for an early September weekend. The women's race shot off at 11:00am. Noelle Linenfelser raced near the front the entire time to finish 5^th overall in a time of 20:02.8. The men began at 12:00pm, with Amos Bixler hanging in the chase pack for most of the race to finish in 11^th place, behind several nationally ranked Brockport runners, in 16:21.9.
 
"This was a fun team day. I was fairly pleased with how the groups moved through the race and started passing people in the second half. If you look at trends over the years, we tend to really peak well throughout the season and start to 'run down' people who get the best of us in the first meet. I'd love to expect this year to be the same as we look to narrow the gap on schools like Brockport and Ithaca, come championship season. All that to say, we are exactly where we want to be. We need to get a bit healthier. I can't remember a year where we sat six people in the opening race, or any race, due to injuries. That's definitely a place I don't want to be at again, so we will continue to take the proper precautions to get everyone we can to the starting line," commented Coach Hager.
 
RESULTS
 
Women – 3^rd out of 9 teams
5^th – Noelle Linenfelser – 20:02
20^th – Tabitha Clark – 20:57
26^th – Jenna Binney – 21:22
31^st – Kyra Binney – 21:44
34^th – Miranda Lyon – 21:58
 
Men – 4^th out of 9 teams
11^th – Amos Bixler – 16:21
20^th – Sam Lyon – 16:49
26^th – Ben Allen - 17:02
31^st – Luke Ellis - 17:11
32^nd – Salim Ford - 17:13
 
The Highlanders will travel to Hamilton College on 9/14 to compete in the Hamilton Short Course Invitational.