NYS cross-country championships

Ex runner’s ramble: State meet features best of the best

By RICHARD A. ROSS

CHENANGO VALLEY, NY — Steam rose from bodies that bore the frosty cold of a mid-November day when 1,320 of New York’s best runners hit the winding golf course trail at Chenango Valley State Park in search of a final triumph for this year’s cross-country season.

Each of the state’s 11 sections sent its winning boys and girls teams from classes AA, A, B, C and D to the championships on November 13. The top five individual finishers from each class who were not part of the section’s winning teams joined those runners. Competitors not only vied for individual honors; they also came to represent their schools and their sections.

By the time the day’s ten races had been run, a number of key stories had emerged, including some with local resonance. Individual and team champions were crowned and the sponsoring New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHAA) had selected its top runners to represent New York State in the upcoming Federation boys and girls races, which will be held in Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls. The Federation runs will pit the upstate winners against the best runners of New York City’s Public School Athletic League (PSAL), the Association of Independent Schools (AIS) and the Catholic High Schools Athletic Association (CHSAA) for the state’s ultimate bragging rights. At this race Sections 2 and 3 continued their dominance as the hotbeds of New York State’s running elite.

The local angle: Sullivan West and Tri-Valley runners carry the banner for Section 9 in Class C, Eldred boys run in Class D

Section 9 Champion Mike VanWagenen came into this race in his best shape of the season, eyeing a state title as a real possibility. The enthusiastic junior had a definitive race strategy.

“I want to be no further forward than fifth and no further back than tenth at the one mile point. Then I’ll make my move,” VanWagenen said. The race pace was quicker than expected and the pack was so tight that VanWagenen (16:56.7) ended up in fifth place. In New York State’s most recent rankings, VanWagenen was rated fourth among the state’s Class C runners. Tri-Valley’s Travis Wolfe (17:03.8), the state’s sixth rank Class C runner, finished seventh in the race, which was remarkable given his recent injuries and loss of training time. Teammate Derek Smith (17:14.2), who looks to be the point man for Tri-Valley’s future teams, took 18th place and continued to show his resolve and drive. Smith’s stock will certainly be rising, as last week he was ranked 25th in the state. Jeremy Mathsen (17:58.3), who was ranked 60th in the state, finished 49th out of the field of 132 runners.

The race was won by Corey Robinson (16:24.8) of Greece Odyssey from Section 3. Coming into the race Robinson was ranked number two behind Josh Arthur of South Lewis. Robinson beat Arthur for the state title.

The girls race was won by Samantha Stedman (19:02) of Section 2’s Saquoit Valley. Stedman was the state’s second-ranked class C runner behind Emily Fung of Greenwich. Stedman edged Fung to garner the state crown.

Sullivan West’s Jamie Clifford (20:17.5) finished 16th. This past week Clifford was ranked as the state’s 15th Class C runner. “I’m going to miss this,” said Clifford, who vowed to come back and watch her teammates run at states next year. Clifford is graduating in June. She took satisfaction in beating Rhinebeck’s Erica Wiles (20:27.4), who finished 19th. Wiles beat Clifford in a photo finish at sectionals.

Tri-Valley’s Courtney Roosa (20:48.2), who was ranked 43rd in the state Class C group, took 27th place. Roosa is young but coming on strong. Sullivan West’s Jessica Wagner, ranked 33rd (21:30), struggled with nerves and the cold and came in 48th, though she chalked up the day as a great learning experience. Expect Wagner to move up significantly next year.

Tri-Valley’s Erin Beach (21:40.9) came in 50th out of the field of 132 runners. Eldred’s entire boys team raced in the Class D race as Section 9 champion Millbrook had to defer because of injury. Kieran Pierce (18:13.6) was the Yellowjackets’ top runner. He finished 33rd. Max Gunther(18:37.3) finished 41st. Maggie Snyder (23:04.7) finished 73rd in the girls race.

Ryan and Blood get the day going with marquee matchup

The opening salvo of this year’s championships was the Class AA girls race. It featured the much-anticipated third meeting of the season between the state’s top two runners, Nicole Blood of Saratoga Springs and Aislinn Ryan of Warwick. Ryan won the first matchup at the Great American Foot Race in North Carolina, but Blood came roaring back to set a course record at the Manhattan Invitational, outpacing an injured Ryan. Now with Ryan back in top form, this race figured to be special.

Standing along the course, waiting for the runners to appear, this reporter found himself standing next to Blood’s father, Phil.

“This competition is great for both girls,” he said. “They know each other well and they push each other to constantly do better. Nicole has had a good year.” He mentioned the Footlocker race in San Diego as one of the highlights. He indicated that the two girls would continue their duels for supremacy throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons. At that point, Blood appeared around the curve, followed by Ryan a short distance behind her. The two reversed places on the second pass, but it was Blood (17:40) who came in first ahead of Ryan (17:55.2). Blood’s Saratoga Springs team, which is rated tops in the nation, took first, third, fifth and sixth to garner an overall first place.

“Nicole’s a great hill runner,” said Ryan. “She passed me on the hill at about two miles and I just couldn’t catch her.” Ryan’s teammate Amanda Robotti (20:02.3) struggled during the race and finished 42nd.

Busby of New Paltz is state’s top Class B runner

The meteoric rise of Dan Busby (15:50.9) continued apace with a New York State Class B championship title. After winning the Mid-Hudson Athletic League and Section 9 titles, Busby bested all opponents, including Red Hook’s Dave Raucci (16:24.6), who placed fourth. Busby’s sister Natalie (19:39.4) finished tenth in the girls Class B race, which was won by Jillian King (18:50.1) of Honeye Falls-Lima of Section 2.

And the team winners were…

Boys: AA: Fayetteville-Manlius (III); A: Burnt Hills-Balstrom Lake (II); B: Somers (I); C: Saquoit Valley (III); D: Berne-Knox-Westerlo (II); Girls: AA: Saratoga Springs (III); A: Queensbury (II); B: Honeye Falls-Lima (II); C: Bronxville (I); and D: Beaver River (III).

No time to rest…

For those who were selected to run in the Federation race (see next week’s paper), the ante goes up as the field narrows from the great runners to the exceptional ones. For the rest of the state’s dedicated runners, it’s onto indoor track season and a whole new series of events, meets and opportunities for improvement. Indoor runners will be at a distinct advantage when outdoor season arrives in April.