By Christopher Hunt
Failing to qualify for the state meet is tough enough to swallow. Missing the state meet knowing you’re one of the best team’s in the state is even worse.
Shaker got bounced by Shenendehowa at the Section 2 championships last year but finished fourth at the NYS Federation Championships a week later. That provided some solace. But it’s almost like meeting your friends at the after-party after you missed the prom.
Graduation crushed Shen’s top five from last year and Shaker only lost one, their top runner Ryan Egan. But longtime coach Ed Springstead mentioned that, much most of the states top teams, their strength lies in their ability to run as a group. They proved it Saturday at their home meet, named after their coach, the Ed Springstead Invitational. Shaker managed a 34-second, 5-man compression. There was 62 seconds because Shaker’s top 7.
“That’s the strength of our team,” junior Mike Libruk said. “We’re deep. We have guys that can run with the top guys on a bunch of other varsity teams around the state.”
Shaker doesn’t have a clear cut No. 1 runner, the way other top teams like Warwick Valley has Tim Luthin. Fayetteville-Manlius has Andrew Roache and Mark McGurrin up front. James Naglieri is the leader for North Rockland. With Shaker, it seems anyone can lead the way.
“It’s much different than last year,” he said later. “It’s great to see that we have 11 guys that can all fight for a spot. We have a lot of guys that can step up.”
Shaker topped Queensbury Saturday, 39-64. Shen was third with 87 points. Jon Vallecorsa led the team in fourth, finishing in 15:54.4, followed by Libruk in fifth in 16:00.6. Shaker also received a boast from junior newcomer Christian Delago, a critical member of the team’s 4x800 last year, finished seventh in 16:02.7.
Pre-season rankings have Shaker ranked closely or tied with Warwick Valley and Fayetteville-Manilus. North Rockland is also expected to have a deep and competitive squad.
“I feel like we’re expected to go to states,” said Casey Gilboy, who finished ninth for Shaker Saturday in 16:15.0.
But the team agreed they aren’t interested in rankings or predictions in September. If they want to win a state championship, the first thing they need to do is qualify for the state meet, which means advancing out of Section 2, one of the toughest in the country. But Shaker has the luxury of a veteran team, devoid of freshman, who all remember sitting out of states last year.
“It was very tough not making states,” Libruk said. “I’m only a junior, for the seniors this is their last shot, and we really want to win one for Coach Springstead. We have so much more to prove.”
They’ll have a prime opportunity at the Green Mountain Invitational next Saturday at Pawling, the site of this year’s New York State Championships.