XC Men Repeat as Conference Champs

The Mighty Oaks men's cross-country team repeated as league champions Oct. 30 as they won the 2016 Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Championship race at the Hudson Valley Sportsdome in Milton, New York. The women's team finished second.

Led by the overall individual champion, senior Michael Perrson, ESF finished with eight runners in the top 10. Perrson improved on his third-place time last year by nearly 50 seconds, covering the 8K course in 28:12. It was the fastest time on the track in the three years the championship has been contested at the Sportsdome. Perrson was also named 2016 Runner of the Year and led the field of 56 runners across eight teams.

Following Perrson for ESF were juniors Dana Carris (28:36, 3rd) and Ryan Shaw (29:01, 5th) and sophomores Nick Girodano (29:20, 6th) and Ethan Appelgren (29:23, 7th) rounding out the scoring five, with just 1:12 separating the Mighty Oaks' first and fifth runners.

Albany Pharmacy finished in second place overall while Pratt Institute came in third. The following Mighty Oaks were named to the 2016 All-HVIAC Men's Cross Country Team:

Ethan Appelgren
James Boyd
Dana Carris
Nick Giordano
Michael Persson
Ryan Shaw

"I am so proud and humbled to be this team's coach. The pride, determination, sportsmanship and character both teams displayed today - and everyday - is what makes these ladies and gentleman an absolute pleasure to coach," said Cross-Country Head Coach John View. View was named the 2016 HVIAC Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Both the women's and men's teams will complete at the USCAA Cross Country National Championship in Virginia Beach, Virginia Nov. 10-11.