CAZENOVIA, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly men's cross country team has done it again; for the third time in as many years the men have taken home a NEAC Championship. On Saturday, the team traveled to Cazenovia to try to defend their title and they did just that. They beat second place Cobleskill by just a single point registering 64 total to Cobleskill's 65. The win was a true team effort as the Wildcats placed two runners in the top ten, two in the top 15, and one in the top 25 to secure the 65 points they needed. On top a beautiful new championship trophy, SUNY Poly Coach Bill Tylutki also earned his third consecutive NEAC Coach of the Year Award. He has won the award four times now.

The Wildcats were led to the championship win by a pair of juniors who have had a magnificent season for the Wildcats. John Hohl (Webster, N.Y. / Webster Schroeder H.S.) and Joseph Acey (Forestport, N.Y. / Adirondack H.S.) finished within one second of each other, coming across the finish line in 7th and 8th place. Hohl finished with a time of 28:42 and Acey with a time of 28:43.

The third and fourth runners to finish for the Wildcats also had a similar finish to the first two. Oliver Crain (Syracuse, N.Y. / Corcoran H.S.) and Derek Smith (Rochester, N.Y. / Greece Arcadia H.S.) finished in 12th and 13th place again, just one second apart. Crain finished with a time of 29:14 and Smith with a time of 29:15. Ian Kurzrock (Woodbourne, N.Y. / Tri-Valley Secondary School) rounded out the top five for the Wildcats in 30:13 for a 24th place finish.

Four Wildcats earned All-Conference selections. John Hohl earned the last spot on the All-Conference First Team with his 7th place finish. Joseph Acey, Oliver Craine, and Derek Smith were all named to the All-Conference Second Team.

The Wildcats will take a week off to prepare for the NCAA Regional race hosted by SUNY Geneseo on November 14th.