Avery Belanger, Houghton, So., Jumps, Burnt Hills, NY/Ballston Spa – Belanger was the Empire 8 Champion in the triple jump at the 2024 Indoor Championship. He was also third in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2024 Outdoor Championships. Amos Bixler, Houghton, Jr., Middle Distance, Dalton, OH/Central Christian – Bixler is the defending Empire 8 Champion in […]
Avery Belanger, Houghton, So., Jumps, Burnt Hills, NY/Ballston Spa – Belanger was the Empire 8 Champion in the triple jump at the 2024 Indoor Championship. He was also third in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2024 Outdoor Championships.
Amos Bixler, Houghton, Jr., Middle Distance, Dalton, OH/Central Christian – Bixler is the defending Empire 8 Champion in the indoor 800-meters and outdoor 1,500-meters. He earned All-E8 second team honors in the indoor mile last season and is a member of two different relay teams that earned all-league accolades.
Cade Eells, Nazareth, Sr., Distance, Ithaca, NY/Ithaca – Eells was named the 2024 Empire 8 Outdoor Track Athlete of the Championship Meet and was the 2023 Indoor Track Athlete of the Meet. Eells is the three-time defending E8 Champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and two-time defending indoor champion in the mile.
Jack Pomykaj, Nazareth, Jr., Multi-Events, Castleton, NY/Maple Hill – Pomykaj was the 2024 Empire 8 Outdoor Field Athlete of the Championship meet. He is the two-time Empire 8 Champion in the decathlon and was the 2024 E8 Indoor Track and Field Champion in the pentathlon. He will also be a strong contender in the pole vault and long jump events.
David Adadjo, Russell Sage, Sr., Sprints/Jumps, Nassau, NY/Columbia – Adadjo finished second in the 400-meters at the 2024 Empire 8 Outdoor Championships and was third in the 400-meters, fourth in the triple jump and fifth in the 200-meters at the 2022 Empire 8 Indoor Championships. He is expected to contend in all three events during the 2025 indoor and outdoor seasons.
Dominic Harkness, Russell Sage, Jr., Sprints, Morrisonville, NY/Saranac – Harkness is a strong contender in the 400-meter dash. He helped Russell Sage place third in the 4 x 400-meter relay at the 2024 E8 Outdoor Championships.
Sean Cochrane, St. John Fisher, Gr., High Jump, Avon, NY/Avon – Cochrane won his first Empire 8 Championship in the long jump last season at the indoor meet and placed 14th at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships to earn honorable mention All-American honors. He recorded a leap of 2.02 meters to kick off the 2024-25 indoor season, which is among the best in Division III to date.
Brandon Kaplan, St. John Fisher, Jr., Throws, Grahamsville, NY/Tri-Valley Central – Kaplan won the hammer throw at the 2024 Empire 8 Outdoor Championships with a personal best throw of 55.82 meters (183’2”). He will look to earn All-Region and national accolades in 2025.
Andy Hadasz, Utica, Sr., Sprints, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro – Hadasz has won 10 Empire 8 Championships over the last two seasons, specializing in the sprint events. He was the 2023 E8 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship Track Athlete of the Meet. In 2024, he won six total titles and enters 2025 as the two-time E8 defending champion in both the indoor and outdoor 200-meter dash.
Hunter Logan, Utica, Gr., Throws, Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain – Logan is a three-time All-American in the shot (2022 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor; 2024 Outdoor) and will be a strong contender for a national championship this season. He is also the three-time defending E8 Champion in both the indoor and outdoor shot put events. He has a career-best mark of 17.25 meters (56’7.25”) in the event.
Final 2023-24 Empire 8 Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championship Results
Nazareth – 186.2 Points – League Champions
Utica – 160.4
St. John Fisher – 92.2
Houghton – 69
Alfred – 16
Hartwick – 2.2
Russell Sage – 1
Final 2024 Empire 8 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship Results
Utica – 213 Points – League Champions
Nazareth – 202
St. John Fisher – 121
Houghton – 49
Alfred – 46
Russell Sage – 45
Hartwick – 5
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com and YouTube
EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram
Nazareth University will look to earn its third straight indoor title, while Utica University will attempt to repeat as and outdoor Empire 8 Champions, as the 2024-25 men’s track and field season kicks into high gear this month as the second semester gets underway. Empire 8 newcomers SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo make their league debuts this season.
The 2024-25 Empire 8 Indoor Championship will take place at Utica University’s Todd and Jen Hutton Sports and Recreation Center on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1. The 2025 Empire 8 Outdoor Track and Field Championships are set to take place at SUNY Brockport’s Bob Boozer Field on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3. Below are two athletes to watch from each institution.
Men’s Indoor Track and Field | 1/15/2025 12:08:19 AM
Jason Crocker Alfred, Sr., Throws, Oreland, PA/Springfield Township – Crocker won the discus at the 2024 Empire 8 Outdoor Championship with a throw of 43.36 meters. He was fourth in the shot put at both the 2023 and 2024 Empire 8 Indoor Championships. He will also contend in the hammer throw events.
Khamani Hunter, Alfred, So., Sprints, Poughkeepsie, NY/FDR – Hunter competed at Trinity College last season and recorded top times of 11.14 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 22.80 in the 200-meters.
Ayden Grinion, SUNY Brockport, Jr., Sprints/Hurdles, Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili – Grinion was a two-time SUNYAC Champion last spring in both the 400-meter hurdles and 4 x 400-meter relay. He was part of the relay team that placed ninth at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Jonathan Zavala, SUNY Brockport, Gr., Middle Distance, Montgomery, NY/Valley Central – Zavala earned All-American honors in the mile at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, placing third. He was ninth in the 1,500-meters at outdoor nationals last spring and was a three-time SUNYAC Champion (1,500-meters, mile, 800-meters.
Cody Bazemore, Hartwick, Fr., Sprints/Jumps, Bel Air, MD/Bel Air – Bazemore recorded a leap of 6.73 meters in the season-opening meet at Houghton, which is currently the third best in the Empire 8 to date this season.
Quaran Best, Hartwick, Jr., Sprints, Bronx, NY/Bronx Prep Charter – Best was among the Empire 8 leaders in the sprint events last season and will look to earn All-E8 honors in 2025.
Ryan Hagan, SUNY Geneseo, So., Distance, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool – Hagan, the 2024 SUNYAC Indoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year, won the mile run at the 2024 All-Atlantic Region Championships in a personal best time of 4:10.25 and placed 12th at the NCAA Championships in the same event. He was also the 2024 Empire 8 Men’s Cross Country Champion.
Ray Trottier, SUNY Geneseo, So., Throws, Rochester, NY/Webster Thomas – Trottier is expected to be a top contender in the shot put after a personal best toss of 14.12 meters last season.2024-25 Empire 8 Men’s Track and Field Athletes to Watch (Sorted Alphabetically by Institution)
