ROCHESTER, NY – On Monday, Nazareth sophomore Cade Eells was named the Empire 8 Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year as part of the end of the year awards. In addition, James Goss and his staff earned Coaching Staff of the Year. Junior Matt Reimann was Nazareth's representative on the Sportsman of the Year Team.
 
Eells, who was also named Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2022-23, had a stellar conference championship with a pair of first place finishes and a second. He won the 5,000 (15:31.60) and the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:38.37), while finishing runner-up in the 1,500 (4:06.93). In his final race of the season at regionals, Eells set the school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, clocking a 9:15.23.
 
Goss and his coaching staff made it a clean sweep for staff of the year, winning both men's and women's for the indoor/outdoor seasons. It was a year of firsts for the track and field programs as both the men and women hoisted the indoor and outdoor championships for the first time.
 
2023 Empire 8 Men's Outdoor Track & Field Award Winners
 
Track Athlete of the Year: Cade Eells, So., Nazareth
Field Athlete of the Year: Justin Swavely, Jr., Utica
Rookie of the Year: TyJon Billinger, Fr., Utica
Coaching Staff of the Year: Nazareth, led by head coach James Goss
 
Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year
Steven Jackson, Gr., Alfred
Robert Burns, Jr., Fr., Hartwick
Evan Kurtz, So., Houghton
Matt Reimann, Jr., Nazareth
Isaac Langer, So., Russell Sage
Mathieu Acquard, Sr., St. John Fisher
Ethan Kain, Sr., Utica
 
2023 Empire 8 Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship All-Conference Selections
 
100-Meter Dash 
First Team: Andy Hadasz, Jr., Utica – :11.08
Second Team: Neil Peters, Sr., Alfred – :11.09
Third Team: Curtis Cuvilly, Sr., St. John Fisher – :11.10
 
110-Meter Hurdles
First Team: Kaleb Luton, Sr., Nazareth – :15.00
Second Team: Connor McCauslin, Sr., Nazareth – :15.39
Third Team: Trenton Wynn, Sr., St. John Fisher – :15.74
 
200-Meter Dash
First Team: Andy Hadasz, Jr., Utica - :22.34
Second Team: Brady Bishop, So., St. John Fisher – :22.68
Third Team: Ethan Kain, Sr., Utica – :22.72
 
400-Meter Dash
First Team: Andy Hadasz, Jr., Utica - :49.83
Second Team: Jaylen Savage, Fr., Nazareth – :50.12
Third Team: Michael Puglisi, Fr., Nazareth – :50.58
 
400-Meter Hurdles
First Team: John Ruggio, Jr., St. John Fisher – :56.52
Second Team: George Mecca, Sr., Alfred – :56.67
Third Team: Jonathan Simmons, Jr., Utica – :57.10
 
800-Meter Run
First Team: Patrick Healy, Gr., Nazareth – 1:57.65
Second Team: Gavin McAllister, Fr., Nazareth – 1:58.22
Third Team: James Eustace, So., Houghton – 1:58.24
 
1,500-Meter Run
First Team: Patrick Healy, Gr., Nazareth – 4:04.71
Second Team: Cade Eells, So., St. Nazareth – 4:06.93
Third Team: Nathan Bowers, Sr., Nazareth – 4:07.60

3,000-Meter Steeplechase 
First Team: Cade Eells, So., Nazareth – 9:38.37
Second Team: Michael Roberts, Jr., Utica – 9:46.33
Third Team: Antonio Benitez, Fr., Nazareth – 10:09.70 

5,000-Meters
First Team: Cade Eells, So., Nazareth – 15:31.60
Second Team: Nathan Bowers, Sr., Nazareth – 15:33.58
Third Team: Caleb Kasper, Jr., Houghton – 15:35.61
 
10,000-Meters
First Team: Caleb Kasper, Jr., Houghton – 32:34.10
Second Team: Nathan Bowers, Sr., Nazareth – 32:41.08
Third Team: Matt Reimann, Jr., Nazareth – 32:42.15
 
4 x 100-Meter Relay
First Team: Zuriel Wright, Sr., Andy Hadasz, Jr., Shane Tinney, Jr., Ethan Kain., Sr., Utica – :42.78
Second Team: Curtis Cuvilly, Sr., Trenton Wynn., Sr., Cole Ferris, Fr., Brady Bishop, So., St. John Fisher – :42.99
Third Team: Jaleel Joseph, Fr., Steven Jackson, Gr., John Wendt., Jr., Neil Peters, Sr., Alfred – :43.40
 
4 x 400-Meter Relay
First Team: Michael Puglisi, Fr., Benjamin Lewis, So., Gavin McAllister, Fr., Jaylen Savage, Fr., Nazareth – 3:23.33
Second Team: Connor Kerr, Jr., Noam Sokolovsky, So., Neil Peters, Sr., George Mecca., Sr., Alfred – 3:25.41
Third Team: Nolan Flynn, Fr., Ethan Kain., Sr., Jonathan Simmons, Jr., Andy Hadasz, Jr., Utica – 3:29.06
 
4 x 800-Meter Relay
First Team: Mitchell Briggs, Fr., Dylan Esquivel, So., Anthony DiRubbo, Jr., Myles Andersen, Sr., St. John Fisher – 8:10.77
Second Team: Amos Bixler, Fr., James Eustace, So., Colin Campbell, Jr., Collin Nasso, Sr., Houghton – 8:17.07
Third Team: Gavin McAllister, Fr., Ethan Kenyon., So., Nathan McNally, Sr., Lucas Sharron, Sr., Nazareth – 8:17.80
 
Pole Vault
First Team: Josh Pomerleau, Gr., Nazareth – 4.15 meters
Second Team: Jason Bletsko, Fr., Nazareth – 4.00 meters
Third Team: Brady Szekeres, So., Utica – 3.85 meters
 
High Jump
First Team: Zuriel Wright, Sr., Utica – 1.99 meters
Second Team: Sean Cochrane, Jr., St. John Fisher – 1.99 meters 
Second Team: Bryant DePaull, Fr., St. John Fisher – 1.95 meters
 
Long Jump 
First Team: TyJohn Billinger, Fr., Utica – 6.96 meters
Second Team: Zuriel Wright, Sr., Utica – 6.75 meters
Third Team: Kaleb Luton, Sr., Nazareth – 6.55 meters
 
Triple Jump
First Team: Ivan Lopez-Testillano, Sr., St. John Fisher – 14.46 meters 
Second Team: TyJon Billinger, Fr., Utica – 13.85 meters 
Third Team: Zuriel Wright, Sr., Utica – 13.29 meters
 
Shot Put
First Team: Hunter Logan, Jr., Utica – 15.92 meters 
Second Team: John Coddington, Sr., Russell Sage – 15.26 meters 
Third Team: Billie Mays III, So., Utica – 14.98 meters meters 
 
Discus Throw
First Team: Antwan Kelly, Sr., Utica – 42.44 meters 
Second Team: Nate Florian, Sr., Utica – 41.81 meters
Third Team: Michael McNeil, Jr., Utica – 39.45 meters 
 
Hammer Throw
First Team: Antwan Kelly, Sr., Utica – 52.73 meters 
Second Team: John Coddington, Sr., Russell Sage – 49.50 meters
Third Team: Justin Swavely, Jr., Utica – 48.45 meters 
 
Javelin Throw
First Team: Justin Swavely, Jr., Utica – 58.41 meters 
Second Team: Kenneth Berlin, Jr., Alfred – 49.03 meters
Third Team: Kaiden Simpson, So., Russell Sage – 47.14 meters 
 
Dectathlon
First Team: John Pomykaj, Fr., Nazareth – 5,493 points 
Second Team: Maxwell Blowers, Sr., St. John Fisher – 5,069 points
Third Team: Josiah Blowers, Sr., St. John Fisher – 4,524 points