Roberts Wesleyan University

By Connor Beagle

It seems like deja vu for former Oakfield-Alabama Cross Country star Zachary Hall, as the now Roberts Wesleyan Senior Cross Country runner cruised to an East Coast Conference (ECC) title.

Former Oakfield-Alabama standout Cross Country and Track & Field runner Zachary Hall had an interesting start to his running career. Hall had seen plenty of success early and often on the track, claiming multiple sectional championships and racing at the 2019 NY State Outdoor Track & Field Championships, but struggled to reach the mountain top when it came to Cross Country. As a high school Senior, Hall’s goal was to win a Cross Country sectional championship. Hall had watched two of his teammates win the title he wanted so badly in the two years leading up to his Senior season. He was hungry to come out on top at the 2020 Class DI Sectional Championships and he did just that on his home course with a time of 16:50.

After a successful Senior season at Oakfield-Alabama, Hall would look to continue his success on the trails at the collegiate level. Hall committed to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) where he would run the 2021 Cross Country season for the Tigers. 

However, it did not take long for Hall to realize he did not want to be an engineer. After talking with former high school teammate and now Roberts Wesleyan alumni Karly Smith, Hall decided to transfer and enroll at Roberts that January. Hall would join many familiar faces on campus and make plenty of new friends, even meeting his fiancé.

At Roberts, Hall would lace up his spikes yet again and race for the Redhawks. For the Redhawks, Hall found his stride as a Sophomore, finishing 4th at the ECC Cross Country Championships. Heading into his Junior season however, Hall had goals for the track, as he wanted to break the 15-min mark in the 5000 meter run. 

After being very close to going sub-15 in the 2022-23 Track & Field season, Hall wanted to join his four teammates Lee Sortore, Blake Kasper, Owen White, and Jackson Doran as a member of the exclusive sub-15 min 5K club. Heading into the 2023-24 season Hall seemed prime to do just that. At the 2023 ECC Cross Country Championships Hall finished 5th overall and helped the Redhawks clinch their ninth straight conference championship. 

Throughout the Indoor season Hall would be very close to eclipsing sub-15, but would fall short. Hall would go on to win the 5K conference title for the indoor season and was eager to see results come during outdoor.

Hall would start off the outdoor season at the Redhawk Invitational on his home track with teammate Blake Kasper pacing him, only to finish with a time of 15:08 and face plenty of disappointment. After that race Hall had lots of time to prepare for his next 5K which would come during the Bison Outdoor Classic at Bucknell University. 

Hall’s moment came and it was no disappointment, as he cruised to a 14:47 finish in the 5K alongside all of his teammates. Hall would go on to improve upon that time during the Harrison Dillard Twilight at Baldwin-Wallace University, running a 14:46 and would also go on to win the 5K conference title for the outdoor season as well.

By Connor Beagle

Former Byron-Bergen standout soccer star Mackenzie Hagen is making waves at the collegiate level. The six-year varsity soccer player and three-time sectional champion for the Bees made headlines Wednesday night for a different team. 

Hagen, now a Freshman at Division II Roberts Wesleyan University and member of the Redhawks soccer team not only collected her first collegiate assist, but also netted her first career goal for the Redhawks.

Roberts traveled to Buffalo to face conference opponent D’Youville in a must win game for the Redhawks. The Redhawks got out to a quick start, ripping shots early and often. 

Hagen had seen action in eight games prior to Wednesday night’s contest. While in those eight games Hagen had been involved in a fair amount of action, she had only recorded one shot. Wednesday night saw Hagen check into the game in the 17th minute and quickly rip off a shot just two minutes later that was ultimately saved by the Saints keeper. 

Roberts got off two more shots before Junior midfielder Larissa Johnston scored off a one-hop pass from Hagen in the 22nd minute. Hagen would finish out the half, as the Redhawks went shot for shot with D’Youville.

The second half began and it seemed like neither team could find an attack. Hagen checked back into the game in the 64th minute after sitting to start the second half. It did not take long for Hagen’s presence to be known, as she drilled a shot in the 72nd minute that was again saved by the D’Youville keeper. 

The Saints knotted the game up minutes later after a costly foul by Redhawk Sophomore defender Jenna Northup on a penalty kick by Junior Laoise O’Haodha. With the score all tied up, the Redhawks needed to make a big play quickly. That play came just seven minutes later as Jenna Northup sent a cross deep into the box to Junior defender Emma Taylor, who headed the ball to the feet of Hagen who crushed it into the back of the net, sealing the deal for the Redhawks, who also clinched a spot in the East Coast Conference tournament with the 2-1 victory and snapped a four-game skid.

Game winning goals are nothing new to Hagen, as she clinched Byron-Bergen’s third consecutive sectional championship with a game winning goal in a 4-3 overtime win against Keshequa last October.

When Roberts Head Coach Jeff Vieira was asked about Hagen’s performance, he stated: “She has been working hard throughout the season, so it was good for her to get the winning goal after all that she has been doing the past two months. For her to do it in a big moment was extra special and we hope there are many more of those moments to come.”

Three days later Hagen would score another goal in the Redhawks final home game of the season in a 3-1 loss to conference opponent Molloy University.