Cross-country

Picking up the pace

Local runners turn on the jets as season gets into gear

By RICHARD A. ROSS

MONTICELLO, NY — Becoming a competitive runner is not a part-time avocation. It takes a year-round commitment, which for the 2004-2005 scholastic season begins now with cross-country.

Meet the serious runners. You’ll hear their names time and again. Not just as part of the cross-country landscape this fall but also during the indoor and outdoor track seasons.

September 14 was overcast and cool as harriers from Tri-Valley, Liberty, Monticello and Eldred got to race over the 3.1-mile course at the Town of Thompson park against runners from several Orange County Schools, including Port Jervis, Middletown and Minisink Valley. The dark green backdrop of trees and grass provided a striking visual contrast to the multi-colored uniforms of the assembled runners.

Meanwhile, further south at Orange County Park in Hamptonburgh, Sullivan West was racing against many other OCIAA teams. A third race took place in Cornwall.

Here in Monticello, Tri-Valley’s Jeremy Mathsen (17:25) overtook Eldred’s Kieran Pierce on the final hill of the course to take first. Second place went to Mike Blake (17:31) of Minisink Valley. Mathsen’s supremacy was aided by the absence of teammate Travis Wolfe. Mathsen has already shown a steady improvement with the Bears’ season only three meets old. At the Tri-Valley Invitational on September 4, he ran 21:49. A week later at the Wizard Invitational, that time had dropped to 17:46. Other good performances by Tri-Valley runners included Derek Smith (18:01), who came in sixth, and Michael Kaplan (18:42), who placed twelfth.

Eldred’s Pierce ran the fastest time of his career, which began in the spring of his freshman year. Years of running and a summer of hard work have paid off for the senior. Teammate Catlan Sardina (19:04) finished 15th.

Monticello’s top finisher was Brendan Devine (18:28). He finished in 9th place. Corey Price (18:41) came in 11th. Liberty’s Kevin McGuire (21:51) came in 38th. Scott Derkacz (17:36) was Port Jervis’ top runner. He placed fourth.

In the girls’ race, Courtney Roosa (21:16) outpaced Tri-Valley teammate Rachel Sanborn (21:36) to take first. Tri-Valley bested all of the other teams. The Bear’s third top finisher Erin Beach (22:06) finished in ninth place. Monticello’s Kayla Gager (21:41) came in third while Panther Rachel Bowens (22:04) finished in sixth. Liberty’s Kim McKay (21:51) kept up with Roosa for much of the race but ended up in fifth place. Maggie Snyder (23:08) of Eldred took a minute off of her time from last year’s race, which was run on a shorter course. Snyder finished in ninth place.

Van Wagenen runs an amazing race to take first at Orange County Park

HAMTPONBURGH, NY — “It was the best race I’ve ever seen from a Sullivan West runner,” noted Bulldogs’ coach George Shakelton. He was referring to the first place 16:36 finish run by Mike VanWagenen on September 14 at Orange County Park. VanWagenen outpaced Antony Campione (16:49) of Warwick and Jason Contrady (17:12) of Kingston with an awesome race-ending kick.

In the girls race, Sullivan West’s April Ackermann (20:31) ran what Shakelton noted was the fastest time by any Sullivan West girl at Orange County Park. She finished second to Warwick’s Aislinn Ryan (20:14). Jamie Clifford (21:36) finished eighth, Jessica Wagner (21:57) came in eleventh and Amanda Ward (22-34) came in fourteenth. Sullivan West girls have a team record of 5-1. Warwick is 6-0.

Tri-Valley’ s Wolfe takes first at Guilderland Invitational while other local teams pass up Bear Mountain race

CORNING, NY — Courtney Roosa (19:00.9) took third at the Guilderland Invitational on September 18. Erin Beach (21:18) finished 12th and Rachel Sanborn (21:40) placed 16th.

In the boys race, Travis Wolfe (16:22.7) took first place and Jeremy Mathsen (16:33.1) took third. Derek Smith (17:38.4) came in eighth. Tri-Valley’s boys placed fourth in the meet with 84 points. The girls took fifth with 153 points.

Eldred, Sullivan West and Monticello were slated to run at the Suffern Invitational on September 18 but withdrew from the event due to weather related difficulties. The event was still held, featuring teams from out of this locale.