ESF athletic teams bring home three national titles

ESF Mighty Oaks pulled off the hattrick of championships this fall, bringing home three national titles. The women’s and men’s cross country teams and the women’s soccer team won their United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) championships in Virginia Beach in November.

For cross country Coach Mike Melfi, winning the championships this year was especially satisfying.

“As a coaching staff, we didn’t know what to expect this season, having gone through about 15 months of no competition,” said Melfi, who was named Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year by the USCAA. “We planned to hold the expectation high and treat this season as business as usual.”

The teams responded well to that approach, he said, but what stood out more was the runners’ dedication to their sport. This included practicing six days a week with Sunday and Wednesday morning practices and running on their own when there was a conflict with classes.

“We had a great group of men and women who put the work in to make this happen,” said Melfi. “Some will graduate in the program, but will continue to run on their own and that makes us coaches really happy.”

For those returning next fall, the goal will be to repeat as national champions. “Fun fact,” said Melfi, “ESF cross country is just the second school in the history of the USCAA to win both the men’s and women’s cross country national championship in the same year!”

On the soccer pitch, the Mighty Oaks women’s team also brought home a championship defeating Paul Smith’s College 4-1.

With the 2020 season canceled due to COVID-19, this year was especially meaningful, said Coach Mandy DaRin.

“Many student-athletes lost a year of fun and exciting experiences they were looking forward to,” said DaRin. “I think this season was more heartfelt because we were playing for each other, as well as for those no longer a part of our team due to the impacts of the pandemic.”

The team had several new members, and the coach said it was exciting to see “how well we gelled and came together to win a national championship, especially having almost two years without playing together.”

“I’m excited about how far this program has come in such a short time,” said DaRin. “I’m optimistic and excited for the 2022 season. We’ll be a young team but a talented team again, and I have no doubt we will continue to fight and persevere through challenging times together.”

This was DaRin’s first full year coaching the Mighty Oaks, and along with the national championship she was also named Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year by the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC).

The triple championships are “a tremendous history-making achievement and will help our athletic programs continue to grow,” said Dan Ramin, director of intercollegiate athletics. “The teams and coaching staff worked hard throughout the season and they were certainly well-deserved victories.”