Syracuse Cross Country Teams Sweep John Reif Memorial
The Syracuse men and women both finished on the podium at the 5K meet hosted at Cornell.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Track & Field
Live Poll
Do you feel local university sports teams are an important part of your community's identity?
Syracuse University cross country runners claimed top honors at the John Reif Memorial. Every entry from the Syracuse men's and women's teams secured a podium finish.
Why it matters
The sweep highlights the current form of the Syracuse squads as they prepare for the postseason. Achieving a podium finish with every entered runner demonstrates significant depth heading into major conference competition.
Charles Guerrera won the men's 5K with a 14:50.3 time, while Josie Baker led the women's team with an 18:06.1 finish. All six Syracuse participants secured top-three spots in their respective 5K races.
The players
Charles Guerrera
He is a distance runner for Syracuse University who secured first place at the John Reif Memorial.
Josie Baker
She is a member of the Syracuse University women's cross country team who won the 5K event.
Andrew Walton
He is a Syracuse University runner who finished in second place during the men's 5K.
Sarah Lawson
She is a Syracuse University athlete who placed second in the women's 5K race.
Xavier Richardson
He is a Syracuse University cross country runner who earned a third-place finish in the 5K.
The details
The men's team runners clocked times of 14:50.3, 14:51.1, and 15:05.8, while the women's team completed the course with times of 18:06.1, 18:26.3, and 18:34.4. Andrew Walton and Xavier Richardson joined Guerrera on the men's podium, with Sarah Lawson and Alycia Hart taking the remaining spots for the women.
Timeline
The John Reif Memorial took place on October 23, 2026.
The ACC Championships are scheduled for October 30, 2026.
Season Trajectory
This dominant performance at Cornell builds critical momentum for the Syracuse cross country programs ahead of the ACC Championships. The team's collective success positions them as competitive contenders for the upcoming conference title race.
The top-three finishes for all six runners solidify their positions in the primary lineup for the upcoming ACC Championships. This consistency suggests both teams are peaking at the right time for the postseason schedule.
The takeaway
Maintaining performance consistency across all runners is a key indicator of readiness for championship-level meets. Athletes focusing on maintaining these split times will be crucial for the team's success in higher-stakes postseason environments.
What happens next
The Syracuse men's and women's teams are scheduled to compete at the ACC Championships on October 30, 2026, at Virginia Tech, with the men's race starting at 10 a.m. and the women's race at 11 a.m.
Further reading
For more information on upcoming meets, visit the Syracuse Track & Field section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Orange.
Live Poll
Do you feel local university sports teams are an important part of your community's identity?
