MARCY, NY – The Alfred University men's cross country team finished sixth out of the 11 teams competing in the 2026 Empire 8 Championships on Saturday, hosted by SUNY Poly.
 
The Saxons defeated St. John Fisher University for the first time in school history, having been close in team scores for the past two seasons. Alfred University recorded 199 points to beat out the Cardinals and their 201 points. The Saxons also defeated Hartwick College, Russell Sage College, SUNY Poly and Keuka College on Saturday.
 
The Saxons top finisher was Seth Stevens (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), crossing the finish line in 27:56.1 for 41^st place overall and scored 33 team points. Celton Dupuis (Port Kent, NY/AuSable Valley Central) was right behind him at 27:57.4,
 
Damian Brown (Homer, NY/Homer) became the third Saxon to score, recording 43 points with a time of 29:52.7 at 65^th place. Jacob Taylor (Cohocton, NY/Avoca) and Evan Foran (Vestal, NY/Vestal) were the next overall runners to cross the line behind Brown, finishing in 30:03.6 and 30:04.3, respectively for 66^th and 67^th places and 44 and 45 points scored.
 
The Saxons will next prepare for the NCAA Niagara Regional Championships hosted by Fredonia on Saturday, November 14.