Full Meet Album
Full Race Videos
Wappingers Falls, NY - It was the last time at Bowdoin Park before the Nike Cross Nationals - NY Regional, and many teams took the opportunity to capitalize on that fact. This season, more than any other in recent memory, has been the closest amongst teams New York State has ever had. Four races came down to tie-breakers at the state meet, with just as many tie-breakers being decided at the Sectional Qualifiers. That level playing field came into play again yesterday, as the fields were tightly compacted the whole race through, like never before. As seen in the above picture, those teams who usually sit and kick, got boxed in like never before. Is that indicative of a needed change in plans for those who look to run at Regionals? Maybe. We were on scene calling all the action yesterday, and you catch the highlights below. But before we delve into it, we bring you one of our most telling tweets of the day. But more on that for Monday.
Boys Federation Championship
1 Brian Cook SR 1 Pearl River 15:45.2 5:05 194.93 195
2 1 Thomas Slattery SR 2 Chaminade 15:56.3 5:08 191.23 191
3 Josh Dyrland SR 3 Irondequoit 15:56.3 5:08 191.23 191
4 2 Marco Pompilj JR 1 Collegiate 15:57.6 5:09 190.80 191
5 3 Aidan Tooker SO 1 Saratoga 16:03.6 5:11 188.80 189
6 4 Sean Kelly SR 4 Chaminade 16:03.9 5:11 188.70 189
7 5 Dan Muldoon JR 2 Liverpool 16:05.3 5:11 188.23 188
8 6 Patrick Tucker JR 3 St. Anthony's 16:07.7 5:12 187.43 187
9 Benito Muniz JR 4 Carmel 16:09.6 5:13 186.80 187
10 7 Ryan Udvadia SR 5 Shoreham/Wading River 16:11.2 5:13 186.27 186
Breakdown
Before we look at Brian Cook's record setting time (All-Time Section 1, 8th fastest ever at Bowdoin), we have to look at the compression. In the span of 30 seconds, runners 18-61 crossed the line. That is over a runner per second crossing the line. It just shows how close fought this race was. But on the front end, Cook came to the race with a different perspective. Going out too fast at the State Meet may have cost him a title, and the senior from Pearl River was not looking for a repeat. Going out cautiously, he really only began to separate a mile and a half through the course. There, he would be challenged by Josh Dyrland of Irondequoit, who stayed with the senior throughout the final stages of the race. However, with a team title on the line, Tom Slattery moved up steadily through the last half of the race as well, outleaning Dyrland at the line only just. But the story would be all Cook's. Coming down the finishing chute, he had no company. A solid lead through the line granted him the fastest time of the year at Bowdoin, and the fastest ever by a Section 1 athlete. Cook will return to the course one more time, looking good for an individual qualification spot for Regionals.
Team Champs
Running in Section 3 for Class A has been both a blessing and a curse for the warriors from Liverpool. Running against competition like FM only makes you stronger. But when it comes to the state meet, only one team can progress. At the Federation Championships, Liverpool made it clear that they can take on all challengers. Running a race under difficult conditions, both because race flow and temperature, the end result was a clear, 90-point victory over some of the best teams in recent New York History. The harriers from upstate have set themselves up to challenge Northport and FM at the NY-Regional. Expect it to be the best race of the season for spectators.
TOP TEAMS: 1. 75 Liverpool (16:27.4 82:16.7 0:42.6) 2. 160 Chaminade (16:41.1 83:25.2 1:29.9) 3. 166 St. Anthony's (16:48.8 84:04.0 1:12.9) 4. 222 Saratoga (16:57.7 84:48.3 1:35.9) 5. 253 Pittsford Mendon (17:09.3 85:46.5 0:35.3) 6. 262 Port Jervis (17:11.3 85:56.4 0:53.0) 7. 304 Syosset (17:15.3 86:16.2 1:06.3) 8. 309 Mount Academy (17:17.6 86:28.0 0:53.9) 9. 317 Tappan Zee (17:14.5 86:12.3 1:44.2) 10. 324 Corning (17:16.0 86:19.7 1:53.7) 11. 343 Shoreham/Wading River (17:16.7 86:23.5 1:40.5) 12. 346 Collegiate (17:16.6 86:22.7 2:05.0) 13. 351 Xavier (17:21.7 86:48.4 1:44.3) 14. 369 Clarence (17:23.5 86:57.2 1:42.8) 15. 371 Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (17:29.0 87:24.6 0:45.9) 16. 373 North Rockland (17:27.0 87:14.7 1:03.9) 17. 386 Ithaca (17:27.6 87:18.0 1:20.1) 18. 398 West Genesee (17:26.3 87:11.2 1:30.5) 19. 415 Sachem North (17:33.2 87:46.0 1:05.2) 20. 435 Fordham Prep (17:34.7 87:53.5 1:41.7) 21. 454 Maine Endwell (17:37.2 88:06.0 1:39.8) 22. 501 Monsignor Farrell (17:47.3 88:56.5 1:02.0) 23. 515 St. Joe's - Buffalo (17:47.1 88:55.2 1:06.0) 24. 553 Stuyvesant (17:54.0 89:29.7 2:03.0) 25. 563 Brooklyn Tech (17:55.4 89:37.0 1:01.8) 26. 573 Midwood (17:57.8 89:48.7 2:16.0) 27. 658 McKee/S.I. Tech (18:10.4 90:51.9 2:24.1)
Girls Federation Championship
1 1 Jessica Lawson FR 1 Corning 18:16.2 5:53 146.60 147
2 Alex Cooper JR 1 Rush-Henrietta 18:22.7 5:55 144.43 144
3 Megan Reilly SO 1 Warwick Valley 18:27.4 5:57 142.87 143
4 2 Katie Lembo SR 1 Penfield 18:27.8 5:57 142.73 143
5 3 Abby Wheeler SO 2 Elmira Free Academy 18:40.2 6:01 138.60 139
6 Stephanie Gerland SO 3 Garden City 18:45.3 6:03 136.90 137
7 4 Rachel Ludwikowski FR 2 Suffern 18:46.0 6:03 136.67 137
8 Anna Flynn SO 4 Ursuline 18:49.9 6:04 135.37 135
9 5 Denise Branch SR 2 Cardoza 18:52.4 6:05 134.53 135
10 Bella Burda JR 2 Arlington 18:52.8 6:05 134.40 134
Breakdown
To put it simply, knowing how to run the hills of Bowdoin is nothing short of an art form. Like no other course in New York State, race strategies have to adapt to the specific accomodations of the uphill-then downhill course. The race took out fast, as usual. State meet leaders Megan Reilly and Katie Lembo established good positioning to lead up the hill. At the mile mark, they had established their lead, but were followed closely by a pack of 4 others. At the back of that pack of four, was freshmen Jessica Lawson, winner of the Class B title the week before. Slowly through the back hills, Lawson began to move steadily forward through the race positions. At the halfway mark, Lembo came out of the woods strong, but it was Lawson slowly gaining on her in second. The freshmen would eventually make up the difference, and with all things equal, powered through the last 1000m to win. With Lawson heading to Foot Locker Northeast, she'll meet up with Lembo and Reilly once more before the season is over. Alex Cooper of Rush-Henrietta also had a breakthrough performance, taking second overall in the individual race.
Team Champs
It hasn't been an easy road for the girls from John Jay - Cross River. The emotional roller coaster of winning a county title amidst a strong pool of teams so far had highlighted a season that also included losing on a tie-breaker at the Sectional Qualifier. With all things considered, however, it may have all been a journey that would lead to something big. That something big may have been a Federation title, winning over 4-time reigning champions Saratoga. Their win came by a margin of only one point, further cementing the idea that this season has had some of the closest matchups in XC history. But their season, and potentially their big story, is far from over. With Saratoga previously being ranked 2nd in the state, as well as taking second in the State Meet Merge, by defeating them, John Jay - Cross River looks to be a real threat at the Nike Cross Regionals. Their story may just rival that of Saratoga's own, when back in 1995, they looked to be the top team in the nation, yet didn't make the state meet either. Just as it is with the boys, anything can happen come regionals.
1. 153 John Jay Cross River (19:57.4 99:46.7 0:45.4)
2. 154 Saratoga (19:57.3 99:46.4 0:39.1)
3. 188 Queensbury (20:05.6 100:27.8 0:41.7)
4. 216 Pearl River (20:10.1 100:50.5 0:32.8)
5. 229 Miller Place (20:06.9 100:34.4 3:00.3)
6. 230 Elmira Free Academy (20:07.3 100:36.4 2:56.5)
7. 252 Colonie (20:17.6 101:28.0 1:02.3)
8. 269 Bronxville (20:22.8 101:53.8 1:07.5)
9. 273 Pittsford Mendon (20:21.0 101:44.7 1:19.1)
10. 284 Suffern (20:18.6 101:32.9 3:03.0)
11. 285 Corning (20:10.2 100:50.7 2:38.5)
12. 290 Guilderland (20:27.6 102:17.8 2:10.1)
13. 291 Penfield (20:13.6 101:07.7 2:28.2)
14. 315 Cornwall (20:31.0 102:34.7 2:34.6)
15. 321 Northport (20:32.7 102:43.4 1:13.5)
16. 360 Sweet Home (20:42.4 103:31.6 3:32.6)
17. 435 St. Anthony's (21:01.6 105:08.0 2:08.7)
18. 529 Cardoza (21:29.3 107:26.3 4:15.2)
19. 531 Notre Dame Academy (21:40.3 108:21.1 3:32.7)
20. 559 Hackley School (21:43.8 108:38.8 3:05.6)
21. 562 McKee/S.I. Tech (21:33.4 107:47.0 1:28.2)
22. 577 St. John The Baptist (21:42.7 108:33.4 2:40.3)
23. 598 Sacred Heart Academy (21:45.6 108:47.7 1:40.7)
24. 603 Tottenville (22:03.5 110:17.5 4:34.7)
25. 617 Kellenberg Memorial (22:09.3 110:46.2 4:12.5)
26. 627 Susan Wagner (21:53.1 109:25.4 1:42.6)
27. 678 Immaculata (22:12.1 111:00.4 1:29.7)