Section Nine Cross-Country Championships

Bound for states

Sullivan County runners make their presence felt in sectionals

By RICHARD A. ROSS

BEAR MOUNTAIN, NY - Running is a very personal venture. Above all else, runners want to feel a sense of personal improvement of their own times and performances.

That said, it is also a team endeavor and the hard work and grueling practices that runners have put in materialized at this year’s Section Nine meet held on November 3. It was a race that would be the season’s last run for most runners and a chance to advance to the states for the section’s elite harriers.

The first-place team in each of the five classes from both the boys and girls races advanced to the states, which will be held at Sanfordville Elementary School in Warwick on November 10.

The top five remaining runners from each race that were not part of the winning team will join them. The winning boys teams included Class AA Warwick, Class A Cornwall, Class B Red Hook, Class C Millbrook, and Class D Chapel Field.

Winning girls teams were Class AA Warwick, Class A Cornwall, Class B New Paltz, Class C Rhinebeck and Class D John A. Coleman Catholic.

Sullivan County boy runners who made it to states include: Brendan Devine from Monticello (2) 16:03, Class A; Matt Layman from Sullivan West (4) 17:05.24, Nick Denman from Tri-Valley (5) 17:02.24, Mike Kaplan from Tri-Valley (7) 17:20.47 and Brett Cucci from Sullivan West (8) 17:33.42, Class C; Max Gunther from Eldred (1) 17:16.43, Greg Lewis from Livingston Manor (2) 17:44.31 and Rob Snyder from Eldred (7) 18:40.11, Class D.

Girls who are going to states include: Emma Cohen from Monticello (9) 20:30, Class A; Courtney Roosa from Tri-Valley (1) 19:39, Rachel Sanborn from Tri-Valley (3) 19:49, Rianne Erlwein from Sullivan West (5) 20:01 and Shannon Hornbeck from Tri-Valley (7) 20:06, Class C; and Ashley Vicari from Eldred (4) 21:13 and Gracie Babula from Eldred (6) 21:48, Class D.

Visit riverreportersports.com for a list of the top 15 runners in each race, the team scores and an album of photos from the girls’ Class A, B and C races.