ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's cross country team heads to Fortin Park in Oneonta on Saturday, October 31, for the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championships, with the women's 6,000-meter race set for 11 a.m. The Cardinals will look to capture their first conference title since 1999 and just the second in program history.
Director of Cross Country and Track and Field
Nathan Petesch enters his second season at the helm after leading the women's team to a fifth-place finish at the SUNYAC Championships in his debut season. Petesch and his staff will look to build on that performance with an experienced roster featuring a veteran core that has conference championship experience and a strong group of underclassmen who have gained valuable experience throughout the season.
SUNYAC Championship History:
Former SUNYAC member Geneseo, now competing in the Empire 8, holds the conference record with 22 women's cross country titles. Cortland ranks second with 18 championships after winning its second consecutive title last fall. Binghamton, now competing at the Division I level, and Plattsburgh State are the only other programs to have won a women's cross country championship.
2025 SUNYAC Championship Snapshot:
Plattsburgh finished fifth with 116 points, tying with Delhi and former conference member New Paltz before settling the standings through the NCAA head-to-head tiebreaker.
Marissa Colvin led the way with a 14th-place finish in 23:01.6, earning All-SUNYAC Third Team honors, while senior
Grace Estus (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) placed 17th in 23:34.8, narrowly missing all-conference recognition. Estus returns alongside juniors
Ellie LeRoy (Malone, N.Y./Franklin Academy) and
Ella Stuttard (Oriskany Falls, N.Y./Waterville), as well as senior
Lillian Moran (Albany, N.Y./Colonie Central). The experienced group of returners will look to establish themselves among the Cardinals' top runners while helping replace Colvin's production at the front of the lineup.
Cortland captured the team title last year with 49 points, led by Melissa Innocent's winning time of 21:40.8. Innocent returns as the two-time defending individual champion and reigning SUNYAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year. Oneonta finished second with 79 points, followed by Oswego with 114. Hannah Reichard returns after leading the Lakers with a second-place finish in 21:40.9, just one-tenth of a second behind Innocent. Delhi, Plattsburgh and New Paltz each finished with 116 points, with the NCAA head-to-head tiebreaker determining the final order. Delhi placed fourth, Plattsburgh fifth, and New Paltz sixth.
Coach's Insights:
"The women have competed really well throughout the season and had some great breakout performances," said Petesch. "We're looking to just continue what we've been doing, enjoy the experience, and get after it."
Player's Insights:
"I'm looking forward to getting out there on the course and racing hard against the conference. A goal that we have is to place better than we did last year and really put our all into the race," said LeRoy. "Competing at the SUNYAC Championship is exciting to me because we get a chance to run all out against all the conference teams."
Inside The Nest:
A dynamic trio has led Plattsburgh's lineup, with Estus at the front. She has been the Cardinals' top finisher in three of four races and holds the team's fastest 6K time of the season. She placed eighth at Connecticut College in 22:40.6, recording the best individual finish in a 6,000-meter race by any Cardinal this season.
Junior
Isabelle Cunningham (Bethlehem, N.Y./Bethlehem) and Stuttard have been right alongside Estus, with both runners finishing as the second Cardinal across the line in two races and contributing to the scoring group in every race this season. Cunningham enters the championships with momentum after lowering her time in each of her three 6K races this fall. Stuttard has also been closing in on her personal best, finishing just shy of her season-best time in her most recent race. Both runners will look to challenge Estus at the front of the lineup and push each other toward top finishes.
LeRoy has scored in all four races, moving around the lineup and finishing as high as the Cardinals' third runner. First-year
Avery Crain (Hagaman, N.Y./Amsterdam) has also put together a solid campaign, finishing among the top five Cardinals in all but one race. Crain has been a steady presence toward the back of the lineup, rounding out the scoring group in three races. Their ability to close the gap on Cunningham and Stuttard will be key on Saturday, as stronger finishes from the Cardinals' third-, fourth-, and fifth-runners could lower Plattsburgh's team score.
Moran brings valuable championship experience as a veteran runner. Although she has factored into the top five in just one race this season, she has continued to serve as a displacer, pushing opposing runners further down the standings and providing an experienced presence toward the back of the Cardinals' lineup.
First-years
Saige Hayden (Brewerton, N.Y./Central Square),
Nora Mesec (Morrisonville, N.Y./Saranac) and
Gracen Pandolph (Peru, N.Y./Peru) add depth as they make their SUNYAC Championship debuts. Their contributions could give Plattsburgh an added advantage by increasing the separation between its scoring runners and those of opposing teams.
The Road Ahead:
The SUNYAC Championships are just the first stop, as Plattsburgh will return to action 13 days later for the NCAA Division III Mideast Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Wickham Park in Hartford, Conn., hosted by Trinity College.
