Men's Cross Country | 10/15/2026 12:49:00 PM

Meet #4: Canisius Alumni Classic
Date: Saturday, Oct. 17 | Buffalo, N.Y. | Delaware Park
Start Times: Women's 5K - 12 PM | Men's 8K - 12:45 PM
Live Timing

CLOSE TO HOME
The Daemen University men's and women's cross country teams will remain in Western New York this weekend to race in the Canisius Alumni Classic at Buffalo's Delaware Park on Saturday, Oct. 17. The women's 5K race will begin at 12 PM, followed by the men's 8K at 12:45 PM.

IMPRESSIVE WEEKEND
The Wildcat men and women posted solid results at last weekend's Highlander Invitational, hosted by Houghton University. 

Daemen finished sixth out of 13 teams in the men's 8K race after a pair of Wildcats placed in the top-15. Senior Ethan Keating (Wooster, Ohio) broke Daemen's NCAA-era (2015-present) 8K record with his time of 24:59.4 as he finished second out of 185 runners, and first among collegiate finishers, shattering the previous record of 25:15.0 set by Jon Moote at the 2023 Highlander Invitational. 
Fellow senior CJ Johnson (Baltimore, Md.) placed 11th overall with a time of 25:37.0, eighth among scoring runners attached to a collegiate team. 

Sophomore Simon Evans (Galway, N.Y.) finished third on the team and 56th overall with a time of 27:05.0, followed by freshman Ryan Weller (Farmington, N.Y.) who ran a time of 27:29.7 to place 69th. Sophomore Andre Kannisto (Boston, N.Y.) ran a PR time of 28:34.2 to finish 107th and round the Wildcat scorers out. Kannisto's time was over 30 seconds faster than his previous best (28:08.5) set at the 2025 Highlander Invitational. Senior Brad Tobin (Hamburg, N.Y.) placed 115 with a PR time of 28:46.7, shaving seven seconds off his previous personal best (28:53.9 set at the 2025 Highlander Invitational). Freshman Mike Gregoire (Amherst, N.Y.) finished with a time of 30:04.0 to place 145th, followed by sophomore Brendan Smukall (Buffalo, N.Y.) at 148th with a time of 30:18.6.

In the women's 6K race, juniors Lia Brasacchio (Victor, N.Y.) and Kylie Piekarski (Lancaster, N.Y.) each posted top-15 finishes as Daemen placed seventh out of 11 teams. Brasacchio returned to the top of the Wildcat runners with a PR time of 23:19.2 over the 6K race to finish 11th out of 140 runners. The junior crushed her previous 6K best time (23:47.8 set at the 2025 Highlander Invitational) by nearly 30 seconds. Piekarski placed 14th overall with a PR time of 23:33.9, shaving 40 seconds off previous 6K record (24:13.2) set at the 2025 Highlander Invitational.

Running in her first career 6K, freshman Julie Cruz (Williamsville, N.Y.) finished third on the team with a time of 24:28.8 to finish 33rd overall. Sophomore Raegan Giardini (West Clarksville, N.Y.) beat her previous PR by over a minute, finishing today with a 6K PR of 24:56.9 to finish 52nd, cruising past her 2025 best (25:55.8). Graduate student Alexis Nguyen (Grand Island, N.Y.) placed fifth on the team and 73rd overall with a time of 25:54.8 in her first career 6K. 

WEEKLY AWARDS
Keating and Brasacchio each earned a weekly award from the East Coast Conference with their stellar performances on the course this weekend. Keating was named the ECC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week, and Brasacchio was named the ECC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week. It marked the first time either has earned a weekly conference award this season. Keating and Brasacchio join Johnson (Men's Runner of the Week, 9/8) as the only Wildcats to earn an ECC honor this year.

MEN'S LINEUP

RUNNER	HIGHLANDER (FINISHING PLACE)	LAST SEASON @ CANISIUS (FINISHING PLACE)	PERSONAL BEST 8K TIME (DATE)
Simon Evans	27:05.0 (56/185)	N/A	26:07.9 (10/11/25)
Mike Gregoire	30:04.0 (145/185)	N/A	29:34.6 (9/26/26)
CJ Johnson	25:37.0 (11/185)	30:49.6 (141/182)	25:21.1 (9/27/25)
Andre Kannisto	28:34.2 (107/185)*	N/A	28:34.2 (10/10/26)
Ethan Keating	24:59.4 (2/185)* %	30:49.7 (141/182)	24:59.4 (10/11/26)
Brendan Smukall	30:18.6 (148/185)	N/A	29:05.8 (9/26/26)
Brad Tobin	28:46.7 (115/185)*	30:49.6 (140/182)	28:46.7 (10/10/26)
Ryan Weller	27:29.7(69/185)*	N/A	27:10.0 (9/26/26)

* = PR time
% = school record

WOMEN'S LINEUP

RUNNER	HIGHLANDER (FINISHING PLACE)	LAST SEASON @ CANISIUS (FINISHING PLACE)	PERSONAL BEST 5K TIME (DATE)
Lia Brasacchio	23:19.12 (11/140)*	21:01.5 (86/154)	19:40.1 (9/26/26)
Julie Cruz	24:28.8 (33/140)*	N/A	20:18.4 (9/26/26)
Raegan Giardini	24:56.9 (52/140)*	22:05.6 (109/154)	20:54.6 (9/26/26)
Alexis Nguyen	25:54.8 (73/140)*	N/A	21:14.0 (9/26/26)
Kylie Piekarski	23:33.9 (14/140)*	21:01.5 (87/154)	19:37.5 (9/26/26)

* = PR time

UP NEXT
The Wildcats have the next two weeks off for final tuneups before the 2026 East Coast Conference Championships on Saturday, Nov. 7 in Rochester, N.Y. held at the Roberts Wesleyan XC Trails.