There can be no doubt the 2022 season for the State University of New York at New Paltz women's and men's cross country teams was a challenging one.
 
The Hawks eventually landed an experienced and knowledgeable coach in Thomas Harnett, who had previously guided the Hartwick College men's and women's cross country and track programs for nearly a decade.
 
With a small roster on the men's side and without a coach for the start of the season, the Hawks finally landed Thomas Hartnett to lead the program in 2022. Hartnett, a seasoned coach who had previously led the Hartwick College men's and women's cross country and track programs for nearly a decade, guided the two programs to solid performances to end the season.  
 
The season began with the warmup Vassar Season Starter, a 4K and 3K run for men and women, respectively. The following week, the Hawks returned to Vassar for the annual Ron Stonitsch Invitational. The men finished seventh among 11 teams with freshman Evan LaBelle leading the Hawks in 23rd position and graduate student Hans Hilson-Schneider second in 49th place. Senior Kate Cochran led the women to a third-place finish among 10 teams, crossing second overall. Graduate student Clara Flores-Reininger finished ninth, while freshman Lillian Stepehson, in her first major collegiate event, finished 20th.

Next up was the New Paltz Hawk Invitational where each squad claimed firs overallt. For the women, Stepenson led all Hawks with a third-place finish, followed by Marcella Candlin (4th), Emily Gonzalex (5th), Allison English (6th) and Crystal Rustami (8th). LaBelle won his first collegiate 8K race to lead SUNY New Paltz on the men's side with Hilson-Schneider (3rd), Vincent Mandraccia (6th), Gavin Bowers (8th) and Casey (10th) rounding out the scoring.
 
The Oneonta Airfield Invitational saw the Hawks finish fifth overall on the men's side with HiIson-Schneider in 10th position and Mandraccia in 27th. Cochran (2nd) and Flores-Reininger (7th) pulled the women to their second first place team finish in two weeks.
 
The first of two tough New England competitions saw SUNY New Paltz at the Williams College Purple Valley Classic with the men finishing eighth and the women ninth. Hilson-Schneider was the first Hawk across the finish line in 58th place, with Casey second in 95th place. Cochran led the women with an eighth-place finish and Stephenson followed, placing 77th overall.
 
The Connecticut College Invitational served as a great prep meet for the upcoming SUNYAC Championships. Cochran showed why she had become one of the regional best runners, finishing second in the White Division and leading SUNY New Paltz to a sixth-place finish. Stepehnson continued to impress with a 42nd place finish in the White Division.
 
Landing 11th among White Division men's teams, the Hawks were led by HIlson-Schnedier in the 39th spot with, while LaBelle followed in 42nd.
 
After a 14-day break in competition, but not in training, the Hawks entered the SUNYAC Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships held at the Fallbrook Recreation Center in Oswego, NY. Though small in numbers, the men ran to a respectable seventh place finish, with Hilson-Schneider topping in at 42nd, Casey at 57th, Brian LaRosa at 62nd, Bowers at 71st and Mandraccia at 72nd.