2025 SUNYAC Women's Cross Country Awards

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The SUNYAC office releases its 2025 women's cross country annual awards as voted on by the conference coaches. Cortland's Melissa Innocent repeats as the Runner of the Year while Oswego's Hannah Reichard is the Rookie of the Year. Cortland was selected as the Coaching Staff of the Year.

Runner of the Year- Melissa Innocent, Cortland
Innocent repeated as the SUNYAC champion this year finishing the 6K course in 21:40.8. With the first place finish she was named to the All-SUNYAC first team. Innocent went on to finish fourth out of 163 runners at the Niagara regional meet helping her team to finish fourth overall. She represented the SUNYAC as an individual qualifier at the NCAA championship meet where she finished with a time of 23:35.6 at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course in Spartanburgh, SC (208th).

Rookie of the Year - Hannah Reichard, Oswego
Reichard was the runner up at the SUNYAC championship meet in her first season running for the Lakers. She was an individual qualifer at the NCAA championship were she finished 112 out of 290 runners (22:53.3). Reichard finished eighth and and helped her team take 10th place overall at the Niagara regional meet. During her rookie season, Reichard finished 10th at the Canisius Invitation with a time of 18:23 in the 5K to place her No. 3 all time in Oswego program history.

Coaching Staff of the Year - Cortland
The Cortland women's cross country team is led by Steve Patrick and assisted by Chad Dunham, Bob Vidulich and Marissa Formes-Patrick. The staff led their 2025 squad to the program's 18th overall women's cross country team title. Four Red Dragons crossed the line in the top 15 to earn All-Conference recognition this season including the SUNYAC two-time champion and Runner of the Year, Melissa Innocent. The team finished 4th place out of 23 schools at the 2025 NCAA Division III Niagara Region women's cross country championships.