After a historic second-place finish at the 2022 America East (AE) Championships, the Binghamton women’s cross-country team looks to build on its success during the 2023 season.

The Bearcats’ second-place finish marked their highest finish at the AE Championships since joining the AE back in 2001. At the meet, in the 5000, graduate student Aziza Chigatayeva placed second with a time of 16:48, graduate student Sophia Ryan earned third with a time of 16:50 and freshman Sydney Leitner finished fifth with a time of 17:12.

Notable returners include Ryan, who placed 16th at the NCAA Northeast Regional Meet, in addition to her third-place finish at the 2022 AE Championships, and Leitner, who was named AE most outstanding women’s rookie.

BU is set to make appearances once again at the Harry Lang Invitational where it placed fifth, the Iona Meet of Champions where it earned a first-place finish, the Lehigh Paul Short Run where it placed 21st overall and the ECAC/IC4A Championships where the Bearcats placed 30th of 34 teams. Last year, the women had zero qualifiers for the NCAA Cross Country Championships but will look to change that this season.

Despite losing Chigatayeva, who graduated this past spring, the Bearcats will look to replicate their success with several familiar faces returning along with nine strong newcomers.

BU will begin its 2023 season at the Harry Lang Invitational. First race is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 2 at 11:45 a.m. at the Harry H. Lang Cross Country Course in Hamilton, New York.