ONEONTA, N.Y. — The Oneonta women's cross country team placed third at the 2026 SUNYAC Championships Saturday afternoon at Fortin Park, totaling 68 points in the 6,000-meter race. Junior Natalia Sweat (Newburgh, NY/Newburgh) led the Red Dragons with a second-place individual finish.

Oneonta finished behind Cortland, which captured the team title with 35 points, and Oswego State, which placed second with 48 points. The Red Dragons finished ahead of Plattsburgh State (100) and Buffalo State (159).

Sweat delivered an outstanding performance, crossing the finish line in 22:12.3 to earn runner-up honors. She finished just 1.4 seconds behind individual champion Melissa Innocent of Cortland, who is a three-time champion.

Sophomore Summer Sayaves (Levittown, NY/General Douglas MacArthur) was the next Red Dragon across the line, placing 13th overall in 23:42.6. Senior Anya Sloth (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta Senior) followed closely in 16th place in 23:47.8, giving Oneonta three runners inside the top 16.

Junior Anna Kern (Central Valley, NY/Monroe-Woodbury) and freshman Alannah McCarthy (Slingerlands, NY/Clayton A. Bouton) rounded out the team's scoring five. Kern placed 23rd in 24:25.1, while McCarthy finished 24th in 24:27.4. The pair crossed just 2.3 seconds apart to complete Oneonta's scoring group.

Freshman Paige Baker (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) finished 26th in 24:30.2, followed by sophomore Jill Cinquina (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas) in 33rd in 24:52.0. Junior Sophia Allen (Scotia, NY/Scotia Glenville) placed 37th in 25:13.0, while senior Olivia Komacek (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) was 38th in 25:15.5.

Senior Keyla Mendoza (Freeport, NY/Freeport) crossed in 25:22.4 for 41st place, followed by sophomores Alex Friedel (Irondequoit, NY/Irondequoit) (42nd, 25:39.5) and Lilly Jacobs (Williamson, NY/Williamson Central) (43rd, 25:43.2). Freshman Addison Snell (Hopkinton, NY/Parishville Hopkinton) finished 46th in 25:50.8, and freshman Sophia Davis (Oneida, NY/Oneida) rounded out the Oneonta competitors in 51st place with a time of 26:17.8.

The Red Dragons' top five finished with an average time of 23:43.1 and a team spread of 2:15.1.

Additionally, Friedel earned the SUNYAC Elite 20 Award. The SUNYAC Elite 20, an award modeled after the NCAA ELITE 90 program, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. Friedel holds a cumulative 4.0 GPA studying psychology. 

Oneonta will now look ahead to the NCAA Division III Niagara Regional Championships on November 12.