Syracuse cross country handles business in Ithaca at John Reif Memorial
By: Jack Knight | @Jack_On_Sports
Syracuse cross country came into Friday’s John Reif memorial riding momentum after last week’s victories. The Orange’s men’s team won both the NCAA Pre-Nationals and the Princeton Invitational, and the SU women had a trio of finishers in the top 75 from New Jersey’s action.
But after a high-stakes weekend at Terre Haute, the ‘Cuse moved back to somewhat of a lighter field in Ithaca before heading into heated postseason play. Syracuse made a short drive to Cornell for its final tune-up of the 2026 season.
The night started with the women’s 5k race. Syracuse only ran four runners, but a trio of them showed by grabbing the top spots in the standings. And in a season where underclassmen have stepped up for the Orange despite arduous opponents since late September, head coach Brian Bell’s sophomore class brought their A-game to Ithaca. Sophomore Josie Baker won the race at 18.06.1, and then just 20 seconds later fellow second-year runner crossed the finish line at 18:26.3. Sophomore Alycia Hart came in third at 18:34.4. And the fastest opposing runner from Cornell didn’t finish until over a minute later.
The ‘Cuse have been counted out all year, but its persistence has led to some hype heading into next Friday’s ACC Championships.
Just four minutes later, the men’s 5k race started. Similar to the prior event, SU didn’t race as a team but still dominated by owning the top four slots. Freshmen Charles Guerrera and Andrew Walton finished within a second of one another, with the former gaining the advantage at 14:50.3. Freshman Xavier Richardson finished in third at 15:05.8, and first-year Clay Stevens just second later.
The eighth-ranked team in the country didn’t bring its top dogs to Ithaca, but the freshman proved their worth and showed the rest of the Northeast that Syracuse is top-to-bottom strong. This wasn’t the most high-profile race on the calendar, not even for the younger crop, but the Orange handled business in what many look at as a final tune-up before a swatch of postseason events.
SU gets right back to work after returning to campus. The ‘Cuse heads to Blacksburg a week from now for the ACC Championships. While the Orange just surpassed Wake Forest as the top team in the conference, there is plenty competition. But for now, make sure to follow my X account @Jack_On_Sports for all Syracuse cross country updates.
