Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake took first place in the girls distance championship medley relay at the Yale Invitational last weekend in New Haven, Conn. The Spartans finished with a time of 12:10.41 – the second-fastest national time by a high school team this season.
BH-BL also placed second in the 55-59 boys distance medley relay with a time of 10:51.61 and finished third in the championship boys 3,200-meter relay with a time of 8:07.56.
Several individual BH-BL runners excelled at the Yale Invitational. Nick Hunziker was second in the boys mile with a time of 4:23.24, while teammate Aidan Gillooley placed 10th with a time of 4:29.85. Rory Graham placed third in the girls 1,000-meter race with a time of 2:56.26, and Tyler Berg finished fourth in the boys 3,000-meter race with a time of 8:38.06. Rece Gobel took 10th place in the boys 600-meter race with a time of 1:24.63. Continue reading “Indoor track and field: Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake girls distance medley relay team wins Yale Invitational”→
Shenendehowa won the boys and girls team titles at the Springfield Invitational indoor track and field meet Sunday, Jan. 6, at Springfield College in Massachusetts.
Shen earned the girls team title by seven points over runner-up Saratoga Springs. Lily Gould led the Plainsmen with a victory in the weight throw, and the Shen 800-meter relay team of Rachel Sterle, Antonia Brancato, Lauren Daigle and Haylee Evertsen tied Amsterdam’s team of Charli Beekman, Gabby Stanavich, Emma Gomez and Lauren Santiago for first place with a time of 1:51.71.
Beekman (55-meter dash), Santiago (300 dash) and Stanavich (55 hurdles) won individual events for Amsterdam. Kelsey Chmiel took first place in the 1,000 and 1,500 for Saratoga Springs, while twin sisters McKinley and Sheridan Wheeler swept the top two places in the 3,000 for the Blue Streaks.
Playoff results: Placed second at Colonial Council Championships; finished eighth at Section 2 Division 2 meet
Returning athletes: Ronan Coughlin (800-3,200 meter runner), Joe Marchese (800-3,200 runner), Jackson Delaney (pole vault, sprints), Tom Wainaman (hurdler), Colden Ottati (sprinter), Patrick Kayayan (sprinter), James Gallagher (shot put, weight throw) Continue reading “Indoor track and field preview: LaSalle Institute Cadets”→
Returning players
Kate Sherman – 1,500-meter champion, 3,000-meter champion
Emma Sinisgalli – runner-up in 600-meter and 1,000-meter races
Christina Esposito – 600- and 1,000-meter specialist
Matti Muller – runner-up in 1,500-meter race
Anna Sherman – 1,500- and 3,000-meter specialist
Loren Cuomo – 3,000-meter specialist
Bailey DeCocco – shot put champion, weight throw champion
Lena Calkins – pole vault champion
Emily Racana – pole vault specialist
Zionna Perez-Tucker – 55- and 300-meter specialist
Natalia Sawyer – 300- and 600-meter specialist
Courtney Bush – 55-meter hurdles specialist
Graduated: none
Newcomers
Navi Shaw – sprint specialist (transfer from Colonie)
Jocelyn Countryman – 1,500- and 3,000-meter specialist
Outlook for the seasonÂ
After winning its first ever Sectional title in 2018, Sherman said Mohonasen is looking to repeat this season, but it will be more difficult with the addition of Averill Park to the Mighty Warriors’ division.
“Traditionally, our team has been anchored by our distance squad,” said Sherman. “That looks to be the case in 2018-19 with all of our top runners returning and the addition of several new distance runners.”
Kate Sherman is back to defend her Sectional titles in the 1,500 and 3,000 after what her coach and father described as “an outstanding [cross country] season, which leads me to believe she will improve during her track seasons.” Coach Sherman added that Kate will be “supported by at least seven other strong distance runners.”
Coach Sherman also addressed two of Mohonasen’s weaker areas: sprints and field events. He added two new coaches, Tom Howley (sprints and jumps) and Bob Stranahan (throws), to work with his athletes in the hopes of creating balance throughout the various events.
“The field squad is led by three seniors – Bailey DeCocco, double champion in the shot put and weight throw, and the pole vault duo of Lena Calkins and Emily Racana,” said Sherman. “After the first day of Sectional competition last year, these three athletes gave our team 38 points, which contributed greatly to our Sectional championship by 68 points. However, questions remain in the horizontal jumps and the high jump.
“Our returning sprints squad is very young with Zionna Perez-Tucker and Natalia Sawyer providing the best opportunities to score. We look to Zi as the short sprints specialist and Natalia more in the 300-400 meter range. However, both are very young and have not yet reached their potential,” added Sherman. “The addition of Navi Shaw is a potential game changer. Assuming Navi makes a successful transition to Mohonasen, we expect she will greatly bolster our sprint events and relays.”
Coaches: Ashleigh Griswold, Dave Petersen, Tom Carpenter
Playoff results Boys: Third place Independent League Championships; first place Division IV Sectionals Girls: First place Independent League Championships; third place Division IV Sectionals
Returning athletes Boys: Myles Anderson (senior), Brady Myles (senior), Liam Viscosi (senior), Gabe Mormile (junior), Trevor Cline (sophomore), Adrian Claburn (junior), Mike LaVoie (junior), Tom Maurceri (junior), Christian Pearce (junior), Ryan Shopmeier (junior), Michael Coonradt (sophomore), John Hall (sophomore), Eric Hesch (sophomore), Shane Viscosi (sophomore), Carter Petersen (freshman)
Coach’s comments On boys team: “We have a strong group of returning athletes, as well as some talented newcomers. We are looking forward to watching our young athletes grow, while continuing to strengthen our most veteran runners and field individuals.
“We are looking forward to working with a larger group of athletes this season, and as always, we hope to be in the top groups at the league championships and Sectionals.”
On girls team: “We have a dedicated group of returning girls, and also quite a talented group of newcomers. We’re looking forward to watching this group improve throughout the season. We would like to see these girls have a strong presence at the Sectional and Independent League championships this season.”
Eighteen athletes, coaches and officials comprise the inaugural class of the Capital Region Track, Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame.
The list of inductees includes six Olympic athletes, one Olympic official, four NCAA champions and a slew of Section 2 record holders.
The inaugural class features:
Andy Bloom (Niskayuna/Wake Forest) – A 1996 NCAA champion in the shot put, Bloom placed fourth in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia
Tracy Baskin (Albany/Seton Hall) – A 1987 NCAA champion in the 800-meter race, Baskin was ranked fourth in the world in 1988 and participated in the Olympics in Seoul, South Korea
Tim Lewis (Shenendehowa/University of Colorado) – Competed in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul as a racewalker; won the national 20-kilometer racewalk title several times from 1987 to 1995
Diana Richburg (Lansingburgh/University at Albany) – Competed in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles; won the 1985 national title in the women’s 1,500-meter race; held the United States indoor record for the women’s 1,000-meter race
Rudy Winkler (Averill Park/Cornell University/Rutgers University) – Won the 2016 NCAA and USATF championships in the hammer throw; competed in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Aliann Pompey (Cohoes/Manhattan College) – Represented Guyana in the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics; won an NCAA indoor track and field championship in the women’s 200-meter race
Arthur Allen (Mont Pleasant/Northeastern University) – Two-time New York State high school champion in the boys’ 300-meter race (indoors) and the boys’ 200-meter race (outdoors)
Nicole Blood (Saratoga Springs/University of Oregon) – Two-time Millrose Games champion in the high school mile race; won state and national high school titles in the girls’ mile and two mile races
Shelly Choppa (Glens Falls/Arizona State) – A four-time state high school champion in the high jump; was ranked No. 1 in the nation in 1988 by Track and Field News
Cheri Goddard Kenah (Saratoga Springs/Villanova University) – Won the state and Federation titles in cross country; was part of Villanova’s world record-breaking 4×1500 meter relay team; competed internationally
Miles Irish (Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake/Georgetown University) – A two-time state indoor track champion; set national indoor records in the 600-meter and 1,000-meter races; was part of a world record distance medley relay team at Georgetown
Dan Olson (Albany Academy/Wheaton College) – Won three NCAA Division III outdoor high jump championships and two indoor titles; won Penn Relays scholastic high jump in 2001
Kyle Plante (Colonie) – Won a national title in indoor track (2010) and was a runner-up at outdoor nationals (2012); won two state indoor track titles and three state outdoor track titles while in high school
Rhonda Phillips Scott (Mont Pleasant/LSU) – Established seven Section 2 records in high school; placed sixth in the women’s heptathlon at the 1988 NCAA championships
Deshaya Williams (Saratoga Springs/Penn State) – Won discus title at the Pan American Games and the NCAA championships; won state high school indoor and outdoor track titles in shot put, as well as an outdoor title in discus
Linda and Art Kranick (coaches) – National and New York State coaches of the year in cross country; have coached more than 100 All-Americans in cross country and track while at Saratoga Springs High School; their teams have won numerous Sectional titles, including a run of 17 consecutive girls Class A cross country team titles (2000-16)
Barbara Palma (official) – Officiated track and field competitions at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, plus three U.S. Olympic team trials and numerous NCAA and collegiate conference championship meets; inducted into the USATF National Officials’ Committee Hall of Fame in its inaugural class; developed and taught officiating curriculum at University at Albany
The Capital Region Track, Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame will hold its inaugural induction ceremony Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Red Lion Inn on Wolf Road in Colonie. Earlier that day, a meet and greet will be held as part of the annual Grout Run in Schenectady’s Central Park.
It may be early August, but it’s never too early to think about attending a New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship. Here is where you need to go if your school’s team (or one of its athletes) qualifies for a state tournament during the 2018-19 school year.
Fall sports
Girls tennis: Tri-City Tennis Club, Latham – October 27-29
Cross Country: Sunken Meadow State Park, Smithtown (Long Island) – November 10
Boys soccer: Middletown High School, Middletown – November 10 and 11
Girls soccer: SUNY Cortland, Homer High School and Cortland High School – November 10 and 11
Field hockey: Williamsville North High School, Williamsville (outside Buffalo) – November 10 and 11
Girls swimming and diving: Ithaca College, Ithaca – November 16 and 17
Football
East semifinals: Middletown High School, Middletown – November 16 and 17
Finals: Carrier Dome, Syracuse University – November 23 and 24
Boys volleyball: Capital Center, Albany – November 17
Girls volleyball: Cool Insuring Arena, Glens Falls – November 17 and 18
Golf (Note: Regular season is played in fall, but state tournament is held in the spring)
Girls tournament: Deerfield Country Club, Rochester – May 31 through June 2
Boys tournament: Robert Trent Jones Golf Course at Cornell University, Ithaca – June 1 through 3
Winter sports
Wrestling
Dual Meet Tournament: SRC Arena, Onondaga Community College, Syracuse – January 26
Individual championships: Times Union Center, Albany – February 22 and 23
Skiing: Gore Mountain, North Creek – February 25 and 26
Boys swimming and diving: Nassau Aquatic Center, East Meadow (Long Island) – March 1 and 2
Gymnastics: Cold Spring Harbor High School, Cold Spring Harbor (Long Island) – March 2
Competitive cheerleading: Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester – March 2
Indoor track and field: Ocean Breeze Track and Field Athletic Complex, Staten Island – March 2
Bowling – AMF Strike-N-Spare Lanes, Syracuse – March 8 through 10
Ice hockey: Harborcenter, Buffalo – March 9 and 10
Boys basketball: Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton – March 15 through 17
Girls basketball: Hudson Valley Community College, Troy – March 15 through 17
Spring sports
Boys tennis: Site to be announced – May 30 through June 1
Boys lacrosse
East semifinals: University at Albany, Albany and Adelphi University, Garden City (Long Island) – June 5
Finals: St. John Fisher College, Pittsford (outside Rochester) – June 8
Girls lacrosse: SUNY Cortland – June 7 and 8
Track and field: Middletown High School, Middletown – June 7 and 8
Baseball: Various sites around Binghamton – June 14 and 15
Softball: Moreau Park, South Glens Falls – June 15
For more information about NYSPHSAA championships, visit nysphsaa.org.
Team: Fonda-Fultonville