PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – On Saturday, Nov. 1, the Plattsburgh State men's cross country team will host the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championships at the Rugar Woods Cross Country Course. The eight-kilometer men's race is set to begin at 11 a.m.

ABOUT THE 2024 SUNYAC CHAMPIONSHIP: Last year, Plattsburgh finished fifth overall with 116 points at the SUNYAC Championships. Of the returners who competed at last year's championships, senior Jack Natali Jr. (Clayton, N.Y. / Thousand Islands) and junior Zander Brown (Wappingers Falls, N.Y. / Roy C. Ketcham) had the best finishes, recording times of 30:43.7 (68th) and 30:51.0 (69th), respectively.

Cortland captured the title with 60 points as Brandon Mulholland finished with a time of 27:25.1 for 10th and returns to lead the Red Dragons. Oneonta placed second with 71 points and brings back Chris Schimkus, who finished 21st in 27:59.7. Fredonia took third with 81 points thanks to a standout performance from first-year Stephen Hallberg (26:56.9, 3rd), who returns for his sophomore season. New Paltz followed in fourth at 92 points, led by then sophomore Evan Miller (26:51.9, 2nd).

The rest of the field was filled out by Buffalo State (150 points, 6th), Oswego State (157 points, 7th), Morrisville (158 points, 8th), Canton (295 points, 9th), and Potsdam (304 points, 10th). All but one team brought back their top finisher at last year's championship as Noah Holden (27:21.5, 8th) paced the Bengals, Noah Melita (27:17.2, 7th) finished just ahead of him for the Lakers, and Avion Harris earned an 11th-place finish with a time of 27:33.2 for the Mustangs. Canton's top runner was Kristian Johnson (29:33.0, 44th), and Samuel Barney finished in 31:44.7 (59th) for Potsdam.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Plattsburgh State has been paced all year by the one-two punch of Brown and Natali Jr., who have finished as either the first or second runner for Plattsburgh in all but one race this season. Brown was the top finisher in three races this season, while Natali Jr. was the top finisher in one, and junior Matthias Lauvau (Rye, N.Y. / Rye) also earned a top finish in one race this season. While Natali Jr. had the best finish at the SUNYAC Championship of the returning runners, all three bring championship experience and will look to improve upon Plattsburgh's fifth-place finish last season.

The Cardinals have received constant scoring from junior Nate Alexander (Marcellus, N.Y. / Marcellus), first-year Jackson Morse (Niskayuna, N.Y. / Niskayuna), and sophomore transfer Brody Serfass (Endwell, N.Y. / Maine-Endwell), who have all scored in at least three of Plattsburgh's five races, while Alexander has scored in four.

The first-year pairing of Michael Ayala (New Paltz, N.Y. / New Paltz) and Bryton Mandigo (Hartford, N.Y. / Hartford Central) adds depth to the team's scoring lineup as both will look to drive up Plattsburgh's score and displace other runners with their finishes. The duo has shown steady progression throughout the season and will aim to perform strongly in their SUNYAC debut.

Head coach Nathan Petesch will lead the Cardinals into the SUNYAC Championship for the first time in his inaugural season at Plattsburgh. With a balanced mix of veteran leadership and emerging talent, the Cardinals are poised to take advantage of their home course and make a strong push for a top finish at this year's championship.

ABOUT THE 2025 SUNYAC PREVIEW: On Sept. 13, Plattsburgh State hosted a SUNYAC Preview, where participants had the opportunity to preview the eight-kilometer championship course. Natali Jr. led the way for Plattsburgh with an eighth-place finish in 28:09.5, and right behind him was Brown in ninth, coming in at 28:15.9. Ayala, Alexander, Lauvau, Mandigo, Morse, and Serfass all ran the eight-kilometer course as well.

Cortland, Oneonta, and Potsdam also participated in the SUNYAC Preview. Mulholland paced Cortland with a first-place finish, Schimkus had the top finish for Oneonta, coming in at sixth, and Potsdam's first runner across was Barney in 31st.

SUNYAC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Overall, former SUNYAC member Geneseo, now a member of the Empire 8 conference, holds the most titles with 21, followed by Cortland with 15, and Fredonia with eight. Plattsburgh State has five titles and will look to add number six.