As he's done all year long, James Fritsche '18 paced the EC men's cross country team to the finish line at the annual Cross Country Only Conference (CCOC) Championships on Saturday, which were hosted by Hobart and William Smith Colleges at the Seneca Lake State Park in Geneva, New York. The senior placed 21st out of a field of 105 participants by navigating the eight-kilometer course in 30:02.30.
The eighth-place team finish is tied for the highest by Elmira at the CCOC Championships and Fritsche's 21st-place finish set a new program record for the best by a Soaring Eagle at the event, which the Purple and Gold have participated in every year since 2015. The Bolton, Connecticut, native also recorded his fastest 8K time of the season, which stands as the best on the team in 2017. Fritsche was able to shave 14.30 seconds off his previous season-best time from the Wildcat Classic, hosted by SUNY Poly on September 23.
Fritsche will look to produce similar results at the 2017 Empire 8 Conference Championships, hosted by Nazareth College on Saturday, October 28, at the Parkview Fairways Golf Course in Victor, New York. The men's 8K race will begin at 12:00 p.m.
