ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University women's cross country team will begin its 2025 season on Friday, August 29 at St. John Fisher University.
 
Head Coach Matt Phillips '10 will lead a roster of 12 going into the weekend, featuring seven first-year runners and five veterans.
 
"The excitement is there, but it is a bit more subdued/under the radar than with the men. We have so many new faces and young athletes, I'm not sure they even know what they're capable of yet," Coach Phillips said. "There is so much potential with this group. I'm so excited to get started. Having our squad move onto campus early for preseason really helps the new members get adjusted not only to collegiate athletics, but also to campus life and moving away from home. It's a big transition for any student, and being here with your teammates, building relationships, running and just having some fun before the semester starts is a great way to relieve some of that stress."
 
Leading the way for the team is graduate captain Natalya Ryckman (New Eagle, PA/Ringgold), entering her fourth year of competing on the team. Mahina Elchibekova (Ishkoshim, Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan/I.Ismailov School #21/Middlebury Union), Alivia Kocan (Hornell, NY/Arkport Central), Daria Melnychuk (Vinnytsia, Ukraine/Podillia Scientific and Technical Lyceum for Gifted Youth/The Principia) and Zoe Rainville (Saranac, NY/Saranac) all enter their second year of running for the Saxons.
 
Joining the Saxons this year are junior Sophia Lazarenko (Buffalo, NY/Park School of Buffalo), Nyah Allen (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen), Sage Boschen (Crompond, NY/Homeschooled), Morgan Brinkmann (Manchester, MO/Parkway South), Vivian Crane (Branchport, NY/Avoca), Rain Newton (Phelps, NY/Midlakes) and Sydney Ribble (Addison, NY/Addison).
 
 "The new runners have been adjusting really well so far," Assistant Head Coach Sierra Wilson '22 said. "This group has shown a lot of maturity and enthusiasm this preseason. The returners have also done a great job of welcoming and helping the incoming class with routines and expectations."
 
The women's cross country team will race in two more invites in September and twice in October before E8's. Following the August race at St. John Fisher, the Saxons will head to University of Rochester on September 20 and Roberts Wesleyan University on September 27, closing out three of their four trips to the Rochester area.
 
In October, the Saxons take their shortest trip of the year to neighboring Houghton University on the 11^th. Then they'll take their longest trip to Gettysburg College on October 18.
 
Fisher will host this year's Empire 8 Championships on Saturday, November 1. An additional trip to Rochester is also in the Saxons' sights as the NCAA Regional Championships will be hosted by Rochester Institute of Technology on Saturday, November 15. This year's NCAA Division III National Championships will be hosted by Converse University on Saturday, November 22 in Spartanburg, SC.