Results | Championship site
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Senior Pete Fekete was Nazareth's top finisher Saturday as he placed fifth at the Empire 8 Conference Cross Country Championships at Saratoga State Park.

Fekete covered the 8-kilometer course in 26:38.29 to earn first-team all-conference honors and leading the Golden Flyers to a fifth-place finish in the team standings. Ithaca, with 12 of the top 22 finishers, captured the conference title with 32 points. Stevens (73) was a distant second, followed by Utica (81), Hartwick (109), Nazareth (120), St. John Fisher (141), Houghton (168) and Alfred (224).

Nazareth finished third in the women's 3-mile race, edging Stevens and Houghton by one and two points respectively. Ithaca won the team title with 27 points and Utica was second with 75. Nazareth (107), Stevens (108), Houghton (109), St. John Fisher (126), Hartwick (169) and Alfred (249) also competed.

Junior Matt Fedrizzi finished 19th in the men's race in 27:48. Other runners were senior Josh Strough (38th in 28:56.19), freshman Patrick Neureuter (40th in 29:03.55) and junior Jake Lafaver (41st in 29:06.37).

Junior Lauren Heitzhaus was Nazareth top finisher in the women's race as she placed 19th in 19:23.17. Freshman Shanna Swanson was next in 21st place (19:27.22), then senior Kelsey Ryan in 27th (19:32.89).

Other Nazareth runners included senior Kayla Murphy (32nd, 20:00.96), junior Bethany Althaus (35th, 20:05.03), senior Lauren Jamieson (36th, 20:06.50), sophomore Michaela Gildemeyer (41st, 20:16.63), freshman Bridget Dunbar (43rd, 20:24.51), freshman Courtney Pitman (47th, 20:29.30), junior Kayleigh Olive (53rd, 20:43.47), freshman Blair Meeson (58th, 21:04.52), junior Kirsten Schoenborn (66th, 21:44.01) and junior Mary Losito (79th, 22:28.51).