NYSPHSAA Cross Country Championships

Veterans, heroes, heroines and fallen warriors

Tri-Valley’s Roosa is Sullivan County’s best finisher in states

By RICHARD A. ROSS

WARWICK, NY - Between the disparate fates of James I. O’Neill’s Cory Reed, this year’s Class B victory and Eldred’s Max Gunther whose stalwart effort brought him to the medical tent instead of a medal stand, lies the rich tapestry of stories that marked this year’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) championships held at Warwick High School on November 11.

Reed, who had survived the wars of a bevy of big races during his high school career, finally won the medal he long dreamed of as he became Section Nine’s lone standard bearer with his stunning first-place finish. He became the ninth male athlete from Section Nine to win a state championship and the third of this decade, following in the running path of former schoolmate mentor David Weart and New Paltz’s Dan Busby.

Reed’s time of 15:43.6 put him nine seconds in front of second-place finisher, Stephen Benedict, from Section Four’s Windsor.

Reed’s run raised the spirits of Section Nine runners and fans across the sprawling grounds of Sanfordville Elementary School and added luster to a gorgeous day that was previously not that bright for Section Nine’s hopefuls. No Section Nine school finished higher than fourth (Cornwall girls).

But winners are not the only story in races where efforts and personal improvement become the stuff of victory from those who often finish far out of the running.

Although Gunther did not finish the race, he gave what Abraham Lincoln noted in his iconic Gettysburg address about fallen veterans of a different ilk, “the last full measure of devotion.” With 150 meters to go, Gunther’s legs failed him from heat exhaustion, bringing him to the medical tent for rehydration and oxygen, instead of through the finish shoot in a triumphant conclusion to his storied high school cross-country career.

Gunther, who was recently crowned the Section Nine Class D champion, is a warrior and a winner who has never experienced anything like this before. This writer covered the Highland Triathlon and watched Gunther race against world class Ironmen as he swam in Washington Lake, pedaled along a difficult bike course and finished the lengthy road run with a very respectable time. He was the race’s youngest entrant.

While not all stories have happy endings, this race is apt to be only a chapter in Gunther’s ongoing exploits as the indoor and outdoor seasons draw on apace. The letters DNF next to his name, which ostensibly stand for did not finish, really mean did not fail.

Although top 25 finishers from Section Nine were scarce, there was much to celebrate for the road warriors wearing the region’s royal blue.

Tri-Valley’s Courtney Roosa raised the ante as she posted a personal best 19:29.1 on her way to a medal as the 14th finisher in Class C.

Roosa bounced back from a sub-par OCIAA league run to take the Section Nine Class C title at Bear Mountain with a time of 19:39. This time out, she got out to a fast start and ran her best race of the year.

Monticello’s Brendan Devine, who finished second in the Section Nine race with a time of 16:13, continued his strategy of running with the leaders, but was beset by many fine runners from the state’s other 10 sections.

Other Sullivan County finishers included:

Class A girls: Monticello’s Emma Cohen ran 21:18.6 (86).

Class C girls: Rianne Erlwein of Sullivan West, 20:09 (31); Shannon Hornbeck of Tri-Valley, 20:44.6 (48); and Rachel Sanborn of Tri-Valley, 21:23.1 (67).

Class D girls: Ashley Vicari of Eldred, 21:26 (38); Grace Babula of Eldred, 24:11.5 (86); and Jenny Green of Livingston Manor, 25:20.6 (102). Green, who finished fifth in the Sectionals, is a stalwart competitor who gave it her all despite being adversely affected by a viral infection that caused her blood pressure to rise during the race. Green was experiencing black outs and had trouble seeing during the final 400 meters. She collapsed after crossing the finish line and was subsequently taken by her mom to Crystal Run Health Care. Doctors advised her to check things out with a cardiologist. Hopefully this affliction was a one-time occurrence and Green will be able to compete again. It took a lot of courage for her to keep going. In the boys’ Class C race, Tri-Valley’s Nick Denman turned in a time of 17:33.9 (43). Denman had finished fifth in the Sectionals. Matt Layman of Sullivan West, who took fourth in the Sectionals, ran 17:50.3 (55) and Brett Cucci, who took eighth in the Sectionals, closed out his cross-country career with a time of 18:01 (66). Tri-Valley’s Mike Kaplan ran 18:21.5 (76).

In Class D, Livingston Manor’s Greg Lewis ran 18:15.5 (44), while Eldred’s Robby Snyder ran 19:17 (86).

This year’s NYSPHSAA championships, hosted by Warwick, were an incredibly well run affair. As the day’s 10 races ran like clockwork, race officials, timers, medical personnel and a cadre of volunteers did an amazing job of managing upwards of 1,300 runners and spectators too numerous to count.

It was great to have the state championships close at hand, which allowed people from the section to get a chance to watch area athletes who put in so much effort to be part of this elite event.

Though cross-country is often overshadowed by other sports headlines, on this day there could be no greater story to tell. Truth be told, no athletes work harder than these runners who are to be recognized for their enormous effort and sacrifice.