You can add another one to the record books.

Katie Radzik became the first Binghamton runner ever to win the ECAC Division I title this weekend at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Radzik crushed the competition, finishing 26 seconds ahead of the next runner. The race is Radzik’s fourth career victory and the largest field that she has defeated.

“I think this is Katie’s best performance of the season,” said head coach Annette Acuff. “She improved on her time from last year by 25 seconds, and improved five spots to win it this year.”

Tearing through the 5,000-meter course in 18:02, Radzik led a well-balanced run from the women’s team, which saw three other Bearcats placing in the top 26. Senior Mary Tursi finished in 18th place and sophomore Jamie Schulte placed 22nd, pacing Binghamton to a third-place finish in the 19-team field.

“Both teams had great finishes to end the season,” Acuff said. “We ran to our full potential and we peaked at the right time.”

Acuff was impressed with the improved performance of returning runners, who ran the same course at Van Cortlandt Park last year.

“Times were considerably faster from last year,” she said. “And the course is probably the most difficult course we run all year. It’s very hilly and very challenging.”

The men’s team pulled off a second-place finish out of 19 competing schools, falling to Fordham in the battle for the IC4A title. This was a drastic change from last year, when the Bearcats finished 16th out of the 22 schools. They were once again led by freshman Chris Gaube, who placed 18th in the 8,000-meter race; Jeff Herbert and Adam Hill followed, placing 22nd and 27th, respectively.

“It was just an exceptional performance,” Acuff said. “The men especially came together in the last two meets; they focused on pack running and they ran really well.”

The conclusion of the season has left Coach Acuff admiring her teams’ extraordinary progression over the course of the season.

“They have been just exceptional in their improvement from the beginning of the season,” Acuff said. “With this many freshmen, you would expect there would be a transition period from high school, but they just were great. I couldn’t have asked any more from them.”

With the season now concluded, most of the cross country teams will prepare for the upcoming indoor track season. And with so much young talent on both squads, fans can expect great things from next year’s cross county teams and those to follow.

“I’m looking forward to the next few years,” Acuff said.