SUNYAC Cross Country Championships
Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025
Women's 6k Race – 12:00 p.m.
Men's 8k Race – 11:00 a.m.
Rugar Woods – Plattsburgh, NY
 
Follow Along
Live Results
Live Stream
 
Things to Know
The Oswego women's and men's cross country teams will compete for the SUNYAC crown at the Championships held this Saturday. Following the departure of multiple-time defending champion Geneseo after the 2023 season, the title was up for grabs last season in both men's and women's, which were both taken by Cortland. 
 
The Lakers are still searching for the ever-elusive team SUNYAC title, a mark neither the men's nor women's team has achieved in program history thus far (Mark Cohen captured an individual SUNYAC title in 1983). 
 
Oswego placed well at last year's SUNYAC Championship meet, which was held at Fall Brook Recreation Center on Oswego's campus, where the women's team placed fourth, and the men's team placed seventh out of ten total teams.
 
Returners
Sophomore Elena Gaffney (Freeville, NY / Lansing High School) and Junior Kyra Pellegrino (Rochester, NY / Marist University (NCAA) headline the returners for the women's team, as each of them has taken home SUNYAC Runner of the Week honors this season. 
 
Gaffney took home Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week honors for the weeks of September 1st and 22nd. 
 
Pellegrino took home Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week honors for the week of September 8th.
 
In addition, Junior Hannah Reichard (Cicero, N.Y. / Cicero North Syracuse High School) broke the Lakers record for fastest tie in the women's 6K, which was broken at the Houghton XC Invitational back on October 11th. 
 
On the men's side, Sophomore Noah Melita (Holtsville, N.Y. / Hannibal High School) , Senior Jeffrey Simmons (Medford, N.Y. / Longwood High School) , and Junior Thomas (TJ) Bowes (Medford, N.Y. / Patchogue-Medford High School) round out the top three of Laker runners this season. 


Oswegos Season Thus Far
The Women's team has been successful this season, with many competitive finishes in very large meets, but still searches for its first meet win of the season. On the men's side, the Lakers have improved every meet and look to finish strong this weekend. 
 
Both teams began the season at the Le Moyne Invitational on August 30th, where the women finished 4th out of 5 teams, and the men finished 6th out of 7 teams. This meet was headlined by Sophomore Elena Gaffney (Freeville, NY / Lansing High School), and Junior Kyra Pellegrino (Rochester, NY / Marist University (NCAA) finishing first and second place in the women's 4K, which placed them first and second in program history. 
 
Both teams next competed in familiar territory, hosting the Oswego Invitational on September 6th. The women's team placed second out of three teams, and the men's team placed fifth out of five teams. This meet was once again highlighted by Junior Kyra Pellegrino (Rochester, NY / Marist University (NCAA), where she re-set the fastest 4K women's time in Oswego history. This mark was previously broken one week earlier. 
 
The Lakers then traveled to Rochester for the University of Rochester Invitational, where the women's team placed 10th out of 24 teams, and the men's placed 22nd out of 24 teams. This time, it was Sophomore Elena Gaffney (Freeville, NY / Lansing High School) setting an Oswego record with her 6K time, finishing fourth overall out of 250 runners. 
 
Houghton University was the next stop for the Lakers this season, as the women's team placed 9th out of 16 teams, and the men's team placed 15th out of 16 teams. Elena Gaffney's record time for the 6K was short-lived, as Junior Hannah Reichard (Clifton Park, N.Y. / Cicero North Syracuse High School) broke the Oswego record for women's 6K time just one week later. 
 
Finally, to round out the regular season, the Lakers competed at the Canisius University Invitational, where the women placed 6th out of 14 teams, and the men placed 12th out of 14 teams. No record was broken at this meet, but pacing the Lakers was Elena Gaffney, with a time good for second place all-time in Laker history, which was good for 9th at the meet, and the first SUNYAC Conference athlete to finish. 

Written by Tyler Ferragamo