Boys Class D Preview
Team Snapshots - Individual Snapshots - Section by Section - Top Team Breakdowns
There is no doubt that the very small group of NY Class D teams were suffering during the peak pandemic times, and indeed the list of top 20 D returning runners dips down to a minimum 143 speed rating standard as opposed to the 150 required back in 2019. But unlike all the other NYPHSAA classes and NYC conferences, the top 10 group of teams actually enjoy a slight bump in the ratings at the back, even if the teams in the top 5 are much less strong. What that means is that Class D could be wild and woolly in a very competitive field where the emergence of even one key runner could pay huge dividends for any title contender.
2021 Recap
Tri-Valley was a state small-school power more than twenty or thirty years ago when it three times finished as the runner-up in Class C and then the newly formed Class D. Last year the Bears entered the season as pretty much unknowns but quickly made their presence felt as small-school giant killers with a win over Liverpool and East Aurora in the Pre-States #5 race.
A grueling schedule of big meets that included Bowdoin, McQuaid, Manhattan, and Burnt Hills set the Bears up for a showdown at States with Arkport-Canaseraga and Beaver River. The three teams had matched up in the McQuaid A-2 race and Arkport had come away with a narrow victory over the short-handed Bears back then. At States, Tri-Valley at last claimed the championship in a terrific competition by a 41-63-75 score over Arkport and Beaver River. Rounding out the standings were Maple Grove, Trumansburg, Mayfield, Port Jefferson, Lake Placid, Haldane, Tupper Lake.
The Tri-Valley squad placed its top 5 within the top 24 spots, as Adam Furman was 2nd, Craig Costa 10th, Van Furman 17th, Caleb Edwards 18th, and Vincent Mingo 24th. The Furmans are sons of 1990 States C champ Chip Furman who was on one of those Bears runner-up teams in 1988, so there was some extra satisfaction with the breakthrough in 2021.
Beaver River senior Colton Kempney also at last had a championship breakthrough after finishing 2nd to Shelter Island's Kal Lewis in 2018 and 2019, and he claimed the Beavers' 5th individual States crown. The top three teams all had their top guy in the top 3 as Arkport's Pierce Young followed Adam Furman in for 3rd. The next spot went to South Lewis sophomore Collin Stafford, and Maple Grove senior Lukas Baer was 5th.
Kempney finished his HS XC career with a 21st at Eastbay Northeast regionals, and Furman was two places behind to cap off his junior year.
Teams
Fifteen of the top 20 finishers from the 2021 States D race are back for 2022, the opposite of the situation for Class C. So there will be a lot of talent returning in the smallest class, and 8 of the top 20 returners will be only juniors this year.
None of the top teams went completely unscathed by senior departures, however, so the dynamics of the power struggle at the top will change a bit since no team has any great depth. Reigning champ Tri-Valley has four of their top 5 returning including States medalists Adam and Van Furman and Craig Costa, but the Bears still need to solidify the back of the lineup to be in a more secure position for a repeat title. Arkport returns a strong top 4 of Pierce Young, Salim and Ibrahim Ford, and Brayden Brewster, but it needs to be much stronger in the back spots to even return to States. Oakfield-Alabama placed 2nd to Arkport in Section 5 last year, but with everyone back behind States 7th place guy Connor Domoy, the Hornets have a strong chance of spoiling the Wolves' hopes for a repeat.
All of the top D teams are likely to face stiff challenges in their section except for Tri-Valley (unless Rhinebeck pulls out some surprises). Beaver River may again be the favorite in S3-D, but after the loss of Colton Kempney the Beavers are rated fairly even with Tully. Maple Grove has dominated in Section 6, but after key losses for the Red Dragons it is Frewsburg that gets the highest ratings in S6-D. A largely intact Port Jefferson may be in good position to move up at States, but Southold is very close behind in S11-D.
Individuals
With Colton Kempney graduated, TV's Adam Furman will assume the role of big favorite for the States D title in his senior year. If he does win it, he will join his dad Chip in the only father-son pair of States XC champs ever. Arkport senior Pierce Young finished about 27 seconds behind Furman last year, but perhaps the biggest leap up will come from South Lewis's Collin Stafford, who will be just a junior.