Legends of the fall

All-Stars from the county named by Section Nine and Times-Herald Record

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Wintry weather may make fall seem like a distant memory, but honoring the achievements of those who excelled in the past season is still very timely. Pictured above are a number of Sullivan County standouts who excelled in the estimation of Section Nine coaches, as well as in the annual determination set forth by The Times-Herald Record in cross-country, volleyball and soccer. The River Reporter is honored to recap their achievements and to honor them as well.

They are as follows:

Pollyanna Palhano (1), a senior at Monticello, was selected to the third team of the Section Nine volleyball All-Stars. She was named to the first team of the Class A All-Stars and was chosen as the Class A Co-Player of the Year with Cornwall’s Karin Edsall.

Jessica Fingers (2), a junior at Monticello, was named as a first-team cross-country All-Star by the Times-Herald Record. Fingers was the Class A Section Nine champ. She finished fifth in the OCIAA league meet and 21st among the state’s Class A girls.

Brendan Devine (3), a senior at Monticello, was the Division III cross-country champion, finished second in the OCIAA league meet, was the Section Nine Class A champion and finished second in the state among Class A boys. He was second in AAU nationals.

Darius Bucker (4), of Fallsburg, was named to the third team of the TH-R soccer All-Stars. Buckner, a senior, had a team-leading 11 goals and three assists to help his team reach the Class C semifinals.

Sarah Lander (5), of Sullivan West, was chosen to the third team of the TH-R soccer All-Stars. Lander, a senior, had 20 goals and three assists.

Valentina Babich (6),of Livingston Manor, was named to the third team of the TH-R All-Stars. She had 17 goals and 11 assists. The senior led her team to its first-ever Section Nine Class D soccer championship.

Saeed Robinson (7), a senior at Liberty, was regarded as the best player in Sullivan County. He was named as a second team TH-R All-Star. He had 29 goals and eight assists and helped his team reach the Class B sectionals.

Rebecca Scherer (8), of Liberty, had an astounding 32 goals and 13 assists, coming back from knee surgery that kept her out of the 2006 season.

Courtney Roosa (9), a senior at Tri-Valley, was named to the second-team cross-country All-Star team by the TH-R. Roosa was the Division V champion. She finished second in Section Nine, 12th in the OCIAA league meet and 21st in the state among Class C runners.

Karen Atack (10), Monticello’s volleyball coach, was named Co-Coach of the Year, along with Cornwall’s Jeff Moulton. Atack’s Lady Panthers lost only two games all season, including the Section Nine title game. Both losses came against Cornwall, a team they had beaten earlier in the season. This is the second time that Atack has been selected as Coach of the Year.

Colin Seidl (11), a junior at Sullivan West, was selected to the third team of the TH-R cross-country All-Stars. Seidl was the Division IV and Section Nine Class C champion. He finished 18th in the OCIAA League meet and seventh among the state’s Class C runners.