ESF Cross Country Teams Have Early Season Success
Head Coach Mike Melfi will not shy away from what he envisioned this season to be. The women lost 3 out of their top 5 to graduation while the men lost 4 out of their top 7 for the same reason. 2023 USCAA Individual National XC champions Sean Dristle and Savannah Kuhr graduated in May. "We lost a ton, but we have some experienced veterans and depth on both teams that simply just need to step up, and we hope that we can get some help from our first years" coach Melfi said prior to the season. That seems to be happening. The teams competed on Sept 1st at the LeMoyne Invite and then again on September 7th at the Oswego Invite. Both races were shorter distances than the typical 8k (men), 6k (women). At Lemoyne, the women were led by senior captain Bryce Hopper. Hopper led the team to an invite tie with NCAA division 1, host college LeMoyne College. The men led by Senior captain Korben Anderson helped the team finish 3rd out of 6 teams just behind host LeMoyne and Oswego.
At the Oswego Invite, the men debuted first year Sasha Coyote, from nearby Ithaca, NY who was the top ESF finisher. Coyote covered the 6k course in 20:39 finishing 10th overall. Korban Anderson and Colin Flannery were the second and third ESF finishers in (21:00, 21:01). The women were once again led by Bryce Hopper who covered the 4k course in 16:09 finishing 4th overall. Junior Maura O'Brien was the 2nd ESF finisher in, 21st overall , 17:28.
The men and women xc teams have 3 weeks off until their next competition at the Harry F. Anderson Invite hosted by Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY.