Boys Class A - Teams
Breakdown: If you thought the individual race was competitive, consider the team battle no less so. As New York is missing that one powerhouse program that dominates the landscape this year, the parity level has provided one of the potential best State Meet races in recent memory. There are three legitimate choices for the projected winner, with a case to be made for a fourth.
At the top, you have Saratoga, Liverpool, and Corning at almost an indiscernible dead heat. Saratoga always runs their best at SPAC, with some minor regressions on other courses. That puts them even with Liverpool. Corning had an off day at Sectionals, with their fourth runner taking the race out hard early, then fading back towards the end. Run a more controlled race, and they too pull even with Liverpool. So how do you decide who wins?
Incidentally, Liverpool and Corning run the same kind of race, in two very different ways. Both are relaxed through 2 miles, then turn it on in the last. Corning does so as a solid pack of 5, releasing the constraints at the appropriate time on a course they know well. Liverpool's top 5 separates, peppered throughout the field. But as almost is clockwork, they catch deteriorating runners over the last kilometer. It will be interesting to see the strategies play out at states.
For Saratoga, the goal is to lead the race, a more strength based approach. It gives the other teams a target to chase, but if you can power away from them throughout the race, you make yourselves hard to catch. Liverpool has the best 1-2-3 in the field, while Saratoga isn't far behind. But Saratoga's fifth is much closer to the front than any other team. However, because the State Meet only fields nine teams, the displacement on those back runners is less relevant to the team scoring. This one is anyone's race.
The dark horse will be Smithtown. Under their first year coach (many more on the track side of things), they've taken a jump in performances, and are slowly making their way up the State Merge. If they see any opportunity to strike, they are well within reason to displace any of the top three teams. Things get interesting as you keep adding teams to the mix, say in a race like Feds or Regionals.
For now, we're ready to sit back, and watch the final race of the day likely provide the most fireworks. This one will be good.
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