One thing I've always noticed having grown up training and racing in upstate until my mid 20s vs the Mid Atlantic region where I live and train now is how different athletes train here, partially due to climate.
In HS/college, we did a ton of volume and tempo stuff specifically in the colder months. Down here, guys rip on the track almost year round.
I can't speak for Syracuse specifically, but I know they do a lot of long, grinding hilly runs as their bread and butter. A mix of culture of climate is probably a big factor here if I were to guess.