UTICA, N.Y. — Houghton University's men's and women's cross country teams will head to Utica on Saturday, Oct. 31, to compete in the 2026 Empire 8 Cross Country Championships at the SUNY Poly Cross Country Course.
Both Highlander teams enter the championship looking to build on strong performances throughout the season and contend for All-Empire 8 recognition. Houghton is also positioned to compete at full strength, with the entire men's roster and nearly the entire women's squad expected to be available.
"Both men's and women's teams are poised to perform their best this weekend at E8s hosted by SUNY Poly," said head coach Kari Elliott. "We are competing with 100% of our men's squad and nearly that with our women's team, which was a major goal of our season (minimizing injuries). We are expecting to have a number of All-Conference performances and will be shooting for the podium with both squads. Our men's and women's teams are eager to compete with the best of the Empire 8, and we are anticipating some exciting performances!"
Women's Championship
The Houghton women will look to challenge for the conference championship after finishing second in 2025 with 69 points. The Highlanders return several runners who earned All-Empire 8 recognition a year ago, providing a strong foundation for another run near the top of the team standings.
Sophomore Amy Collins and junior Emberlynn Nolt headline the returning group. Collins placed 14th at last year's championship, while Nolt finished 18th. Both earned second-team All-Empire 8 honors.
Senior Aria Larson and sophomore Jenna Binney also return after earning third-team All-Conference recognition. Larson finished 26th, while Binney placed 23rd in 2025. Senior Risa Palmer has also turned in a strong season and will be an important contributor for the Highlanders.
Houghton will face a strong field led by defending champion SUNY Geneseo, which is seeking its third consecutive Empire 8 title. The Knights won last year's championship with 22 points and enter Saturday ranked 12th nationally in NCAA Division III. SUNY Brockport, which finished third in 2025, and several other conference contenders will also look to challenge.
Men's Championship
The Houghton men enter Saturday's championship looking to improve on their third-place finish in 2025, when the Highlanders totaled 82 points.
Junior Henry Sardina has led the Highlanders throughout the season and will headline Houghton's efforts Saturday. Sardina placed 28th at last year's conference championship and will look to build on that experience with a strong performance against the Empire 8's top runners. Senior Luke Ellis also returns after earning third-team All-Empire 8 honors with a 19th-place finish in 2025. Connor Little, Kurt Akins and Evan Geer will join Sardina and Ellis as Houghton looks to put together another strong team performance.
The Highlanders will look to replace the contributions of Amos Bixler, who finished third overall and earned first-team All-Conference honors in 2025, and Ben Allen, who placed 10th and earned second-team recognition.
The men's field will be led by two-time defending champion SUNY Geneseo, which enters the championship ranked third nationally in NCAA Division III. Geneseo finished as the national runner-up last season and returns a deep group of nationally recognized runners. Utica, last year's conference runner-up, also returns defending individual champion Bennett Melita, who has continued to excel this season.
Championship Information
The Empire 8 Championship will feature 11 men's and women's teams competing at the SUNY Poly Cross Country Course in Utica.
The women's 6,000-meter championship race is scheduled for 11 a.m., followed by the men's 8,000-meter race at noon. Live results will be available through Leone Timing at www.leonetiming.com.
Both Highlander teams will look to carry their regular-season progress into the championship as they pursue All-Empire 8 honors and strong team finishes.
