MARCY, NY – The Alfred University women's cross country team finished seventh out of 11 teams competing in the 2026 Empire 8 Cross Country Championships on Saturday morning, hosted by SUNY Poly.
 
The Saxons outpaced Hartwick College, Russell Sage College, Keuka College and SUNY Poly. Their top finisher was Vladyslava Makarenko (Berdychiv, Ukraine/Lyceum 23) who finished 47^th overall and scored 34 team points. She finished with a time of 24:57.9.
 
Sydney Ribble (Addison, NY/Addison), Jovie Riley (Bakersfield, CA/Stockdale) and Morgan Brinkman (Manchester, MO/Parkway South) had a pack finish as the three of them were all withing four places of each other. Ribble finished 59^th overall, scoring 43 points with a time of 26:07.0. Riley took 60^th place and scored 44 points with a time of 26:14.7. Brinkman scored 45 points with a time of 26:34.2 in 62^nd place.
 
Mahina Elchibekova (Ishkoshim, Tajikistan/I.Ismailov School #21/Middlebury Union) rounded out the top finishers for Alfred University on Saturday, clocking a finish of 26:54.0 in 66^th place and scored 47 team points.
 
The Saxons will next prepare for the NCAA Niagara Regional Championships hosted by Fredonia on Saturday, November 14.