By Christopher Hunt
BEAR MOUNTAIN – There isn’t always much to take from a race in the beginning of September in the first race of the year. And sometimes, it’s not just about the race but also about the circumstances.
Graduation thrashed Monroe-Woodbury, sending Megan Patrignelli to the University of Oregon and Elizabeth O’Donnell to the U.S. Military Academy. Carly Kless also graduated and the team was without sophomore Kelsey Esselman and junior Jen Boyle. That accounts for the team’s top four runners from last year.
Still, Monroe-Woodbury won the girls Varsity C race at the Suffern Invitational with 25 points. After the results were merged, it proved to be the best team of the day, winning, 88-92, over Warwick Valley, which won the 
Varsity B race.
“They went out pretty hard,” coach Chris Goodwin said. “Maybe a little too hard. But I’m happy with them. They looked race-tough.”
Goodwin was particularly interested in how the backend of his squad would hold up. They managed a 63-second compression through its first four runners. That’s without Esselman and Boyle.
Meahan Ventarola finished third in 19:18.21 and Sabrina Brooks, who struggled with and Achilles tendon injury much of last season, placed fifth in 19:56.42.
“After a big graduation hit it’s nice to see the girls step up,” Goodwin said. “Hopefully we get back to that. This is a start.”
Sophomore Holly Cavalluzzo of Valley Central won the individual title in Varsity C in the fastest time of the day 18:30.32. Tappan Zee was second in the team scoring with 45.
Suffern joined the boys team, winning the Varsity A race over Kings Park, claiming a sixth-man tie-breaker. The teams tied at 54 until Suffern’s sixth-man Juliana Agustin finished three places ahead of Kings Park’s sixth.
Ursula Svoboda led the Mounties, winning the individual race for the second straight year. She stormed off the line and won unchallenged in 18:45.79.
“I wanted to defend my title from last year,” Svoboda said. “I didn’t even know who was in my race. I just wanted to get out easy. But when I got ahead I started to back off around the lake but my coach was right there screaming at me. He knows that when I get out ahead like that I tend to settle so he didn’t let me.”
Suffern coach Jeff Dempsey said it was a starting point for the Mounties, who have been rebuilding since Shelby Greany (Providence) and Christy Goldmann (Maryland) graduated before last season.
“We packed up a little better than I expected we would,” Dempsey said. “They knew it was going to get done up front. They knew they have to run and close it up on the back end.”
The “back end” is what reminds teams that everyone has a role. That’s what made Warwick Valley give special distinction to its top 7. They all wear a black t-shirt with “Top 7 Club” printed in gold letters on the front. The rule is that if another teammate works herself into the top 7 that the demoted runner must give up their shirt.
“So we all know that we have to run for our spot,” said Jacqueline Kasal, who led Warwick Valley to a win in Varsity B with 37 points. Kasal finished second in 19:24.25. Nanuet’s Megan Young won in 18:30.64.
“I didn’t get out right away,” Kasal said. “I should have gone out with the top girl. I didn’t feel good at all. But the team ran great. We did amazing. The girls really stepped up.”
Taylor Pierce followed Kasal in third in 19:57.21. Victoria Dearing was 10th in 20:34.73 with Noel DiBona (20:43.27) and Samantha Richards (20:46.43) 15th and 16th, respectively.
Nanuet’s Young, broke her wrist on a training run over the summer, made it a solo effort from the start. But that was her plan all along.
“I run better when I’m by myself,” she said. “If there’s a girl up on your shoulder you start to think about other things. It’s easier to focus when you’re by yourself.”
Young was a standout even as a seventh-grader but enjoyed a stellar freshman season last year, winning the Class C state championship.
“I couldn’t even believe that,” she said. “This year is about repeating that. I want to do well at states, at Feds. I want to go back to Oregon (for nationals). I want to do better than I did last year.”
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com.
.jpg)