New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz cross country team is gearing up for its first full 8K and 6K races of the 2022 season Saturday at its home New Paltz Invitational being held at the Hudson Valley Sports Complex in Milton, NY.
 
"Going into this weekend, it is my first 8K. The furthest I've ever gone is a 6K, so I know it's going to be almost two more miles of running which is definitely going to be challenging but I think all the work we've put in over the summer and all of the endurance training will definitely pay off," said Hawks freshman Evan LaBelle. "I think racing junior year of high school at the Sports Dome definitely gives me an advantage because we've trained there and raced there seven different times throughout the season, so I'm definitely very familiar with the course and all the turns and hills and where to go faster and settle in, so I think that will help me strategize better in terms of knowing where to surge and where to chill out and let the guy in the front do the work. I think that will definitely help me get a better time and beat some people who could be better than me."
 
LaBelle was his team's fastest runner in SUNY New Paltz's last meet at the Ron Stonitsch Invitational, hosted by Vassar College. The freshman from Beacon, NY placed 23rd overall with a time of 20 minutes, 35.4 seconds in the 6K race. He was on pace to lead the Hawks in their first meet of the season, also at Vassar, but did not finish the opening 4K after losing one of his spikes mid race.
 
 
He will compete his first 8K of his career Saturday, but will have the experience of running the terrain before to help him reach his goal of a possible sub-27-minute time.
 
"Running there in high school, only doing 5K of course, but I know it's pretty hilly so it's going to be definitely a challenge," LaBelle said. "But just need to push over the hills and stick to the front guy and do my best to stick on and finish well. Hopefully, breaking 27 would be a good goal for me probably."
 
The Hawks are thin on the men's side this year, but did return two runners from last year's team in senior Hans Hilson-Schneider, Vincent Mandraccia and Brian Casey, while bringing in freshmen LaBelle, Gavin Bowers and Joe Palazzolo, along with the addition of junior Brian LaRossa who starred for the SUNY New Paltz swimming team the last two years as well.  
LaBelle has paced the Hawks men's side and has goals toward the SUNYAC and Regional Championships to become just the second men's harrier to qualify for nationals. Although the goal is lofty in his first year, the bar he's set has only helped his early collegiate career in building toward October and November.
 
"I think I'm definitely building up to my goals of hopefully placing well at regionals and well in SUNYAC's as well as a team," he said. "My big goal down the road eventually throughout college, I want to qualify for nationals. That's just a far goal that I want to reach this year, which is probably unlikely but something that I will continue to be pushing towards, which will help me improve and get faster."

The women's side for the Hawks, however, returns the bulk of their roster and has the potential to earn a top three team standing at SUNYAC's later this year. They are led by seniors Kate Cochran and Clara Flores-Reininger, who each earned All-SUNYAC honors last season with the latter also being named to the SUNYAC Hall of Fame with her consecutive top individual finish at the conference championship meet.
 
SUNY New Paltz had a good outing last week at the Ron Stonitsch Invite, placing third out of 10 teams with Cochran crossing second overall to lead the way. She finished the 5K in 19:23.4 with Flores-Reininger placing behind her in ninth (20:18.8), while Lillian Stephenson has been an excellent surprise addition, as the freshman also secured a top-20 finish after clocking in at 21:11.9.
 
"I have a lot of confidence in the girls that we have on our team," said Hawks senior Kacey Manzueta. "I think there is so much we can learn from each other, especially to be better. I just think that everyone is so capable of doing so much. They just don't know it yet, but we have a lot to show out."
 
Manzueta joins Cochran and Flores-Reininger as incumbents, along with sophomores Marcella Candlin, Ceren Cebeci, Mikayla Cecora, Jazmyne Daily-Simpson, Allison English, Emily Gonzalez, junior Ginny Clifford and senior Hunter Larson, with Crystal Rustami and Jenna Vazquez joining Stephenson as first-years.
 
"I think some of the goals that we have is to push ourselves and push each other as well and just push ourselves to be very competitive, and put ourselves in uncomfortable positions to run faster, be better and do better in races," Manzueta said. "I'm really excited just because what I've been working on is just taking care of myself, and just being consistent so that I'm healthy enough to race, race with my teammates and be healthy enough to push myself to be there with them. I'm just really, really excited just to see what I can do just to see what the outcome is and know what to expect in other races."
 
Heading into the team's first 6K Saturday, Stephenson will likely lead the pack with Flores-Reininger and Cochran not expecting to race just to prepare for the upcoming few weeks with the Oneonta Invitational (Sept. 24), Purple Valley Classic (Oct. 1) and Connecticut College Invitational (Oct. 15) looming on the schedule.  
 
SUNY New Paltz is primed to do well on both the men's and women's sides at their annual New Paltz Invitational, as it'll compete against a slew of non-conference squads including, Lehman College, Mount Saint Mary College, Mount Saint Vincent, CUNY Queensborough, MCLA, Caldwell University, CUNY John Jay, SUNY Purchase, Brooklyn College, CUNY Baruch, SUNY Orange, SUNY Ulster, Pace University and Westchester Community College.
 
"I'm really excited just because what I've been working on is just taking care of myself, and just being consistent so that I'm healthy enough to race, race with my teammates and be healthy enough to push myself to be there with them," Manzueta added. "I don't have a time in mind, I just want to finish feeling really good about myself and feeling like I helped my teammates and pacing with them. If I see a blue shirt, just staying right there. Just pushing myself and pushing them and finishing strong."
 
The New Paltz Invitational is set for Saturday with the men's race starting at 4 p.m. and the women following at 5 p.m.
 
New Paltz Invitational Preview featuring Evan LaBelle and Kacey Manzueta


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