keuka – Houghton STAR

The Houghton cross country team had great success on their home course at the Field of Dreams on Saturday, October 8. The Highlanders competed against six teams, with both the men and women taking second place.

Photo by: Nate Moore

According to head coach, Patrick Hager, almost everyone on the women’s side ran a lifetime personal record, and both teams beat Allegany County rival Alfred State. “Alfred’s beat us the past couple of years, so it’s nice to see us get a win over them,” said Hager.

The Highlanders of Houghton competed against Roberts Wesleyan, Penn State Behrend, Alfred State, Keuka, Finger Lakes Community College, and Elmira. Penn State Behrend took first place in both the men’s and women’s races.

The men and women had several athletes finish in the top 10, and both teams ran faster than they have in the past three years.

Reflecting on the team’s success, Rachel Hummel ‘16 said, “It was really rewarding for all of us to have months of training visibly pay off, especially at the last home meet of the season.”

Hummel finished sixth in her race, right behind teammate Ella Hotchkiss ‘18 who placed fifth. Gwen Stokes ‘20, finished close behind finishing eighth. All three competitors finished within 15 seconds of each other.

“Running alongside some of my closest friends is a huge motivator. We’ve been through alot together in training and I think we would all say that we couldn’t and wouldn’t do it alone,” said Hummel.

Stokes attributed their success to their committed mindset of racing as a team and not just as individuals. “Running together as a pack is really nice and motivational because it really makes you remember that you aren’t doing this for yourself, you are running for your teammates,” she said.

On the men’s side, Tyler Deuschle ‘20 was the first finisher for the Highlanders, placing sixth. Not far behind was Matthew Gostomski ‘19 placing tenth, Daniel Burdo ‘20 placing eleventh, and Cory McCarty ‘17 placing thirteenth.

“We have some very strong underclassmen guys who have really brought a lot of success to our team. I’m excited to see them led the team and keep improving over the next several years,” said captain Aaron Eisenhardt ‘17.

Hager commented, “This is the closest team I’ve had the pleasure of coaching. The freshmen really adjusted quickly and mix well with the upperclassmen personality. I think everyone will look back on this season with a big smile because of how close the team got.”

According to Hager, the meet resulted in the best overall races for the cross country teams in his three years as a coach. The meet was also the biggest home invitational they’ve hosted.

“We got confidence at this meet, and our athletes know that they’re fit and capable of running even faster in a few weeks. We pride ourselves on having a pretty consistent team, and peaking well at the end of our season. After competing so well, it’s fun that we still have a couple of championship races ahead,” said Hager.

The end of another school year also marks the end of an athletic season and a collegiate career for the graduates. Although Houghton athletes were honored earlier this month for their accomplishments, some athletes are still working hard to finish their seasons.

“We are looking forward to getting into year two and continuing down this road with our involvement in Empire 8,” said Athletic Director Skip Lord. “We are excited about what is happening with the National Christian College group.”

The track team participated this past weekend at the Empire 8 Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Nazareth College. The women finished fourth and the men took seventh. Freshman Tim McGowan, sophomores Mary Strand, Marina Slavin, Cara Davenport, Andrea Melhorn, Danielle Lyndsley, Jordan Cady, and juniors Leah Williams and Alyssa Figueroa had notable performances.

At the Empire 8 Championships this weekend, men’s golf finished ninth out of nine teams. Junior John Carpenter led the team with the lowest score; however, it did not figure into the team’s overall score since he did not compete in the fall. Thus, sophomore Evan Castle’s score of 367 led the team.

Last week the women’s golf team beat Keuka at the Keuka College Spring Invitational on Wednesday. Sophomore Hannah Fink led the Highlanders with a score of 94. However, the team came in third at their home tournament last Saturday. Fink led the team again, shooting 109.

As a new program, women’s lacrosse has fought hard to earn their first win. The Highlanders defeated Hilbert 14-13. Junior Amanda Zacchigna had a career high of six goals and an assist, sophomore Tyler Reese contributed three goals and an assist, and sophomore Nicole Mason had two goals and an assist.

Men’s lacrosse has been struggling as well this season. Their top scorer, senior Tyler Kempney, has been out due to injuries. They conclude their season this weekend against Bryn Athyn. Unfortunately, neither lacrosse program can participate in postseason play through NCCAA because there are not enough teams.

“It is really hard to progress as a team made of a bunch of guys who have never played before, but considering we are a new program we have done really well,” said junior Shawn Schelble. “Everyone who is playing is there because they want to play. In practice everyone is intentional and deliberate in what they do.”

The baseball team continued their winning streak against Utica this past weekend. Sophomore Kevin Cassar earned Empire 8 pitcher of the week for striking out nine hitters and walking no one. The win was a team effort, with exemplary performances from seniors Kaiden Bowers, Jacob Bannerman, Ignacio Villalobos and sophomore Seth Cornell.

“Baseball is sort of ahead of the game [regarding the new programs]. They are winning some games and knocking some of the Empire 8 teams as a brand new program,” said Lord. “Softball, although they are still looking for their first win, tend to play competitively, usually struggling in one inning.”

Senior Megan Musser, junior Samantha Patoff and sophomores Sarah Beirne and Morgan York have all competed well on the softball field. It has been a challenge with both softball and baseball playing their home and away games on a different field.

“The fact that we are away so much, makes it so difficult to keep up with our tough academic loads,” said senior Cydney Blong. “It really tests our ability to stay focused every day.”

The softball and baseball fields should be completed by this July. There will be a special board meeting on May 3 regarding the progress of the field house. Potentially, they could break ground as early as this May, meaning the field house could be completed by next April.

More change will come as the transition to NCAA continues. Tennis will be added next fall, playing a full Empire 8 schedule. Coach Charlie Ellis has already been hired and is actively recruiting. As new players come in, seniors say goodbye to their collegiate careers at Houghton.

“I have learned a lot after four years as an athlete,” said Blong. “Coach Lewis helped me to develop my faith, Coach Dougherty taught me the importance of staying focused on the prize, and Coach Shepherd helped me to learn patience and perseverance in trying situations.”