New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz cross country team will travel to SUNY Geneseo to run in the Mike Woods Invitational Saturday.
It's the first meet on the Hawks' schedule they did not run in 2019; the last time they ran in a Knights' home meet was in 2013. Located 267 miles away from SUNY New Paltz's campus, the Mike Woods Invite is the longest travel SUNY New Paltz will have this season aside from the national championship. It will also feature the biggest competition so far this season; about 492 men and 417 women from 34 teams will race in the 8K and 6K, respectively.
The race will be run on the same course that will host the NCAA Division III regional races Nov. 13 — an all-grass loop course at the National Warplane Museum. The home course is a change from the Letchworth State Park course Geneseo usually races on and, like the Hawks in their previous two races, presents a unique challenge.
"This is a very different type of course than we have run so far: Flat, fast and repetitive," said Hawks coach Aislinn Ryan. "We are very excited for the opportunity to be in such a big race on a course with many similarities to the Regional course." 
SUNY New Paltz looks to bounce back in Geneseo after a tough performance at a challenging course in Williamstown, MA at the Purple Valley Classic on Saturday. The men's side scored 229 to finish eighth among 10 teams in the 8K race. Senior Jake Meyers (27:22.6) led the way, placing 22nd overall despite nursing an injury. Meanwhile, the women's side placed ninth out of 12 teams with 249, as junior Kate Cochran (24:48.2) and senior Clara Flores-Reininger (24:51.6) finished 22nd and 24th, respectively, to lead the Hawks. No other runner in either race finished higher than 73rd.
"Our mindset has stayed the same," Ryan said on the team's game plan this weekend. "Each race is an opportunity to try what we have been working on again and do it better each time. We take every race seriously so that when we reach more high-stakes races, we have experienced that feeling before and know how to cope. The size and speed of the Mike Woods Invite is going to add new experiences to this season that will make us stronger for SUNYAC [Championships] and Regionals."
It's the second meet SUNY New Paltz will race with assistant coach Morgan Meaney, who Ryan called a "a clear energy shift" for their team after the Purple Valley Classic.
"Coach Morgan has been in these athlete's shoes," they said. "She knows what it means to commit to goals, make adjustments and keep going. She is also a confident, healthy woman who can be an easy role model for the younger women on the team. Having another person for athletes to connect with is always a positive."
The men's team will be short staffed for the remainder of the year. Senior Hans Hilson-Schneider season comes to an end after suffering an injury during summer training that did not cooperate. The only race he ran was the Vassar Season Starter, where he finished fifth for SUNY New Paltz and placed 21st overall. He will attempt to come back by way of medical waiver for the 2022 athletic season.
For many student athletes, the goal remains working their way to a spot in the national championship in Louisville, KY, and the next three races will be key to preparing for the SUNYAC Championships and regionals on Oct. 30 and Nov. 13, respectively.
"We are doing everything we can to fix the weak spots each individual has," Ryan said. "Each of them knows what they must work on. For some, it's running, and for others, it's things like sleep. No one is out of the running to make Nationals until the regional race is over."
The meet also begins the final stretch of the program's 2021 regular season schedule. After Saturday, SUNY New Paltz will head to Milton, NY and New London, CT over the next two weekends to race in the Mount Saint Mary's College Invitational and Connecticut College Invitational, respectively.
The Mike Woods Invitational, named after the legendary Knights coach, is scheduled to begin Saturday with the women's race at 11 a.m., followed by the men's race at 12 p.m.
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