#1 - Saratoga Has Never Lost Sectionals In The 21st Century
The Streak
Saratoga's Sectional winning streak is the longest of any such in Class A, in arguably the hardest conference in the country. It is the fourth longest streak in State History among any class, and may only be dwarfed in reverence by their own set of 22 total Federation Titles. 2016's win was the 17th straight sectional title for the Blue Streaks and the 27th in the past 30 years. For many years, their margin of victory has hit double digit point totals, while also claiming the individual Sectional Title in all but four of their seventeen year streak. True to their mascot, Saratoga has been winning Sectional titles longer than many of their runners have been alive.
The Challengers
No team has felt that stranglehold on the top of the podium more than Shenendehowa, who holds the dubious distinction of making Nike Cross Nationals more times than they have ever attended the State Meet as a program.
The Plainsmen have only attended States as a team twice, in 1994 and
1995. Both times, they went on to win the State Title. On the other
hand, they have qualified for Nike Cross Nationals three times, in 2009,
2014, and 2016. Two of those times required an At-Large bid, after
being bested at the Regional by at least one other Section 2 team.
Shenendehowa has been knocking on the door for a few years now, and with a strong returning seven, they look to make another run at the Sectional Title. The last time Shen came out on top in 1994-95, they won Sectionals by five points and two points, respectively. The scoring hadn't been that close in years, until a tie-breaker in 2014 went in Saratoga's favor, and then Toga came back with a four-point win in 2016. Shen returns four of their girls from a 4x800m that won a State Title in Winter, only one of which was an alternate. With one of the largest teams in the State, it will be a race to watch.
The Other SideSaratoga returns one of the top runners in the country, Kelsey Chmiel. That gives the Blue Streaks a leg up in the head-to-head, meaning Saratoga only needs to score four girls to Shen's five. It also hard to count out the Kranick's development of young talent, as has been demonstrated over the many years since their first involvement in the program. It's hard to argue against a legacy that includes names like Erin Davis, Cherri Goddard, and Nicole Blood, all who made impacts early on in their careers.
Pearl River at 33 - 1979-2011
Ongoing Girls' Sectional Streaks
FM at 12- 2005 to Present
East Aurora at 16 - 2001 to Present
Cornwall at 16 - 2001 to Present
Bronxville at 20 - 1997 to Present
Greenwich at 13 - 2004 to Present
Seton Catholic (7) at 19 - 1998 to Present#2 - Warwick Is One Away From Two Decades Worth Of Dominance
The Streak
Through a reclassification up from Class B to Class A, through a turning of the century, through a Head Coaching transition, through it all, one boys team has always been there. Warwick Valley has the longest Boys Sectional Winning Streak currently on the books, besting the Class A streak held on the Girls Side, and only dwarfed by Girls' programs in the lesser classes. They have won 19 straight Sectional Titles, and 25 of the last 28 attempts have sent them to the State Meet. Their run includes one invitation to Nike Cross Nationals, four State Team Titles, and eleven Top 5 finishes individually. That means a senior on their first team of the current Streak, could have won the title, graduated, had a child at 23, and that child would have won a Sectional Title as a sophomore on a team that hadn't lost since his father had graduated. It's unheard of for a Class A team in New York.
The Challengers
What team could upset the apple cart? Monroe-Woodbury has been on a streak of their own for the Girls in Section 9, and now they are knocking on the door for the Boys. Warwick lost five of their top 7 runners, while Monroe-Woodbury returns five of their top six. There was a forty point gap between the two last fall, but you can expect that to much closer when the calendar hits November this year.
The Other Side
There
is a reason the streak exists. Warwick has been known to come on very
strong late in the season, exemplified by their surprise runner-up
finish at States last year. And much like their string of sub-8-minute 4x800's
on the track, the streak is no secret to members of the team.
Notable Prior Boys' Streaks
17 Straight (Beaver River) 1983-1999
10 Straight (Syosset) 1997-2006