MIDDLETOWN and QUEENSBURY, NY — So much of our lives is spent racing against the clock trying to get things done, to be somewhere at a specific moment in time and countless other instances too numerous to mention. Rare indeed are those fleeting moments when we are not subject to the exigencies of time. In sports, time looms even larger, as games are defined by a running clock, as are races in which runners seek to cover given distances with the fastest speed they can marshal. In the drama of championship encounters, the final outcome often comes down to a matter of seconds.

Such was the case for the Eldred girls soccer team locked in a 1-1 State Class D Quarterfinal tie with Section Two’s Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville in a game that seemed destined for overtime. That is, until the feisty Lady Yellow Jackets got a goal from Jordan Lepes with 17 seconds remaining on a feed from Lynzee Kelty. The regional victory following Eldred’s first Section Nine girls soccer title since 1986 unleashed unbridled fervor and joy as the team now heads to the state Final Four in Cortland on November 16 to face Section Three Champion Poland for the right to advance to the state championship title game. Kelty had scored the team’s first goal late in the first half. Keeper Jenna Burns recorded 22 saves for the 11-7-1 Lady Yellow Jackets. A timely stop of a ball heading towards the goal by defender Angie Schadt with 29 minutes to play was an integral part of the winning story.

Needless to say time figured strongly in the NYSPHSAA Cross-Country Championships as the elite runners of Section IX vied against the best of the best from the state’s other 10 sections. For the first time in 30 years, Section IX had two individual state champions crowned. Warwick sophomore Megan Reilly (17:23.5) won the Class A title for the second year in a row, breaking the course record set at Queensbury in 2005 by then Warwick standout Aislinn Ryan by one tenth of a second. Onteora senior Julia Rubin-Armstrong (18:22.4) won the girls Class C honors. The Mt. Academy boys team won the state Class D title for the second straight year. Port Jervis had the next best team showing from Section Nine with a third place finish in boys Class B. Here is a list of Sullivan County runners with their places: Boys Class B: 71, Joseph Klein Monticello (16:49.3); Class D: 72, Jake Willoughby Eldred (18:11.33); 78, Kevin Maas Eldred (18:16.01). Girls Class B: 51, Camryn Johnson Monticello (19:13.2); Class C: 57, Kelsey Dutton Sullivan West (20:17.3); 74, Sabrena Smith Tri-Valley (20:44.8); 87, Autumn Bender Tri-Valley (21:06.9); 89, Brittany Pennell Tri-Valley (21:10.8; 90). Alex Brooks Tri-Valley (21:12.6); 100, Danielle Graham Tri-Valley (21:25.7); 106, Ali Reynolds Tri-Valley (21:35.1); 107, Brooke Gillette Tri-Valley (21:36.5). Class D 29, Kayla Maas Eldred (20:18.4); 77, Sarah Malzahn Eldred (22:15.9).

For a detailed story about the NYSPHSAA championships read “State Of Grace” on www.sportsinsightsny.com. For an album of photos from the storied event visit www.sportsinsights.smugmug.com.