Albany Academy for Boys, Averill Park, Ballston Spa, Bethlehem, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, Cobleskill-Richmondville, Colonie, Columbia, Guilderland, Home, Indoor track, Niskayuna, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Saratoga Springs, Schalmont, Schenectady, Shaker, Shenendehowa, Stillwater

Shea Weilbaker, Donald Jones win titles at state indoor track championships

Saratoga Springs’ Shea Weilbaker and Albany Academy’s Donald Jones earned individual titles at the New York State Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday, March 2, at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island.

Weilbaker was one of three Section 2 runners to place in the top 10 of the boys 3,200-meter run. Weilbaker finished first with a time of 9:04.62, while Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake’s Tyler Berg placed third with a time of 9:09.16. Berg’s teammate, Aidan Gillooley, finished ninth with a time of 9:24.53.

Jones cleared the bar at 15 feet, 3 inches in fewer attempts than Gates-Chili’s Dustin Meyer to win the boys pole vault. Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk’s Shane Racey took third place after he cleared the bar at 15 feet.

Saratoga and Shen each turned in sub 8-minute times in the boys 3,200-meter relay. Saratoga’s team of Noah Flanders, Peter Moller, Ryan Postlethwait and Ezra Ruggles claimed the state title with a time of 7:56.60, while Shen’s Odin Schaepkens, Aidan Hickey, Nolan Hickey and Alex Hislop finished third with a time of 7:58.70.

Section 2 added a victory in the boys intersectional distance medley relay. The team of Evan Brennan (Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake), Anthony Cozzy (Columbia), Isaac Menis (Schenectady) and William Wallace (Colonie) finished with a time of 8:55.07.

On the girls’ side, Shen’s Chidera Anameze had the top individual performance for Section 2 with a second-place finish in the shot put. Anameze’s top throw was 41 feet, 6 inches. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake’s Rory Graham took third place in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:52.98.

In the girls’ relays, Shen’s team of Jade Dennis, Madeleine Festin, Hannah Belleville and Jada Dennis was second in the 3,200-meter event with a time of 9:17.38. Section 2’s team of Lily Dingman (Shen), Leonni Griffin (Shaker), Kaiden Ring (Columbia) and Gillian Roeder (Bethlehem) finished third in the girls intersectional distance medley relay with a time of 10:23.53. Continue reading “Shea Weilbaker, Donald Jones win titles at state indoor track championships” →

Albany Academy for Boys, Bethlehem, Boys swimming, Guilderland, Home, Niskayuna, Queensbury, Shaker, Shenendehowa, Voorheesville

Niskayuna wins team title at state boys swimming and diving championships

Niskayuna’s relay teams propelled the Silver Warriors to the team title at last weekend’s New York State Boys Swimming and Diving Championships on Long Island.

Niskayuna won one relay, placed second in two other relays and had three individuals place in the top 10 of their events to finish with 189 points. Great Neck South was second with 183 points, while Pittsford placed third with 168 points. Shenendehowa took fourth place with 163 points.

Niskayuna’s Victor Shingo, Mark Lipkin, Scott Ward and Bryan Liu won the 200-yard freestyle relay with an All-American consideration time of 1:25.86 and placed second to Shen in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:09.16. Shen’s Kaleb Hotaling, Alexander Fabris, James Jordan and Jackson Homan claimed the state title in the 400-yard freestyle relay with an All-American consideration time of 3:08.93.

Liu, Lipkin and Ward began Saturday’s championship round by teaming up with Cameron Goodspeed to place second in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:35.71. Niskayuna was one of four Section 2 teams that qualified for the championship finals in the 200-yard medley relay, as Shen placed fourth, Albany Academy finished sixth and Bethlehem took ninth place.

Liu and Ward also had top-10 performances in individual events. Liu was fourth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 51.97 seconds, while Ward finished eighth in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:43.36. Matthew Chao added a fifth-place finish in the 1-meter diving competition for Niskayuna with a score of 493.50 points.

Hotaling had the top performance for a Section 2 swimmer in an individual event. He placed third in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:53.46 – one-hundredth of a second ahead of Queensbury’s David Walton, who had a pair of top-10 performances at states. Continue reading “Niskayuna wins team title at state boys swimming and diving championships” →

Cambridge, Galleries, Girls basketball, Home, Hoosick Falls

Scenes from Section 2 girls basketball: Cambridge uses team approach to defeat Hoosick Falls in Class C final

By ROB JONAS

TROY – Cambridge reached the Section 2 Class C girls basketball final behind twin sisters Lilly and Sophie Phillips, but to win the championship, the Indians needed others to come through.

McKayla McLenithan and Ruth Nolan eah scored nine points to compliment Sophie Phillips’ 25-point performance to help Cambridge rally past Hoosick Falls 55-49 in the Class C final Friday, March 1, at Hudson Valley Community College.

The Indians trailed throughout much of the game before taking a 45-44 lead on a Nolan three-pointer midway through the fourth quarter. Cambridge increased its advantage to five points before a Grace Wysocki three-pointer and a putback by Logan Thayne tied the score at 49-49.

Hoosick Falls fouled McLenithan with less than one minute left in regulation. The sophomore forward missed the first foul shot, but she made the second to put Cambridge ahead for good.

“I just knew I had to make the shot,” said McLenithan. “If I didn’t, I knew we would still have a chance at the end.” Continue reading “Scenes from Section 2 girls basketball: Cambridge uses team approach to defeat Hoosick Falls in Class C final” →

Boys basketball, Galleries, Glens Falls, Home, Hoosick Falls, Lake George, Schalmont

Scenes from Section 2 boys basketball finals: Joseph Girard III leads Glens Falls past Schalmont

GLENS FALLS – Joseph Girard III would not be denied by Schalmont again.

JG3 poured in 52 points to lead Glens Falls to a 77-56 victory over Schalmont in the Section 2 Class B boys basketball final Friday, March 1, at the Cool Insuring Arena.

The Sabres built a 14-6 lead in the first quarter, but once Girard warmed up, there was little that they could do to stop him. The Syracuse University-bound senior guard nailed seven three-pointers and made 15 of his 16 free throws to help the Indians pull away for the 21-point victory and their second Sectional title in three years.

Trent Girard contributed 11 points, and Nick Danahy added eight points for Glens Falls. Shane O’Dell netted 20 points, and LJ Randle chipped in with 18 points for Schalmont. Continue reading “Scenes from Section 2 boys basketball finals: Joseph Girard III leads Glens Falls past Schalmont” →

Galleries, Girls basketball, Home, North Warren, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons

Scenes from Section 2 Class D final: Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons rallies in fourth quarter to end championship drought

By ROB JONAS

TROY – Thirty years.

That’s how long it’s been since Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons won a Section 2 girls basketball title.

The title drought ended Friday, March 1, at Hudson Valley Community College, as the Lady Knights rallied for a 39-36 victory over North Warren in the Class D final.

Abby Kienzle scored 19 points to lead Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons to its first title since 1989, including the go-ahead basket with 1:12 left in the fourth quarter.

“The key was to stay focused and not let the pressure get to us,” said Kienzle, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Continue reading “Scenes from Section 2 Class D final: Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons rallies in fourth quarter to end championship drought” →

Fort Ann, Germantown, Gloversville, Home, Mekeel Christian Academy, Mohonasen, North Warren, OESJ, Troy

Section 2 boys basketball semifinals: Gloversville advances past Mohonasen in Class A semifinals

GLENS FALLS – No. 2 Gloversville overcame a slow start to defeat No. 6 Mohonasen 50-41 in the Section 2 Class A boys basketball semifinals Thursday, Feb. 28, at Cool Insuring Arena.

The defending champion Mighty Warriors jumped out to a 12-5 lead in the first quarter, but the Dragons responded by outscoring Mohonasen 32-19 over the course of the second and third quarters to take control.

Dante Bouchard had 21 points, and Joey Rowback contributed 13 points for Gloversville. Duncan Tallman and Chase Monroe each scored 10 points for Mohonasen.

Gloversville faces No. 1 Troy in Saturday’s Class A final. The Flying Horses dispatched No. 4 Mekeel Christian Academy 74-61 in Thursday’s other semifinal contest.

Latyce Faison and Nazaire Merritt each scored 19 points for Troy, which built a 36-24 halftime lead against the defending state Class B champions from Mekeel Christian. Faison also contributed five assists, and Zaveon Little added 14 points.

Ozzy DeJesus netted 26 points, and Alex Barnhill chipped in with 14 points for Mekeel Christian. Continue reading “Section 2 boys basketball semifinals: Gloversville advances past Mohonasen in Class A semifinals” →

Alpine skiing, Ballston Spa, Glens Falls, Greenwich, Hadley-Luzerne, Home, Johnstown, Lake George, Mayfield, Niskayuna, Nordic skiing, Queensbury, Saratoga Springs, Schuylerville, Shenendehowa

State skiing championships: Section 2 dominates girls downhill; Saratoga Springs boys Alpine, Mayfield girls Nordic teams place second

NORTH CREEK – Section 2 turned in a strong performance in its own backyard at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Skiing Championships Monday and Tuesday at Gore Mountain.

The Section 2 girls Alpine team led the field after the first day of the two-day meet, while Saratoga Springs’ boys Alpine team sat in second place. Section 2 placed second in the intersectional standings for girls Nordic skiing, and Mayfield’s girls Nordic team turned in a second-place finish.

Individually, Queensbury’s Hunter Montgomery was in top form. Montgomery won the boys slalom Monday with a combined time of 1:30.61, and he took first place in Tuesday’s giant slalom with a time of 2:18.98. Niskayuna’s Nick Fratterigo added a second-place finish in the giant slalom with a time of 2:19.26 and a fifth-place finish in the slalom with a time of 1:33.24.

Schuylerville-Greenwich’s Hannah Klingebiel led the Section 2 girls Alpine team with a second-place finish in the slalom with a time of 1:38.77 and a third-place performance in the giant slalom with a time of 2:24.39. Queensbury’s Maddie Montgomery placed third in the slalom with a time of 1:39.97, and Shenendehowa’s Melissa Taggert posted a two-run time of 2:26.55 to finish sixth in the giant slalom.

Mayfield’s Madison Relyea and Queensbury’s Bailey Gengel had top-five finishes in the Nordic 7.5-kilometer classic event. Relyea was second with a time of 28:07.4, while Gengel finished fourth with a time of 30:08.7. Continue reading “State skiing championships: Section 2 dominates girls downhill; Saratoga Springs boys Alpine, Mayfield girls Nordic teams place second” →

Boys basketball, Fonda-Fultonville, Galleries, Glens Falls, Home, Lake George, Mayfield, Schalmont, Watervliet

Scenes from Section 2 boys basketball playoffs: JG3’s big night propels Glens Falls to Class B final

GLENS FALLS – Joseph Girard III continues to do whatever it takes to guide the Glens Falls boys basketball team to a Section 2 championship.

JG3 dropped 66 points on Watervliet to lead Glens Falls to an 88-70 victory over the Cannoneers in the Class B semifinals Monday, Feb. 25, at Cool Insuring Arena. Girard made 17 of his 37 shots from the field, including eight three-pointers, and he sank 24 out of his 25 free throws to lead the Indians to Friday’s final against Schalmont.

Messiah Mallory and J.J. Chestnut did what they could to keep Watervliet in the game. Mallory led the Cannoneers with 28 points, and Chestnut sank four three-pointers on his way to a 22-point night. It just wasn’t enough to keep up with Girard’s onslaught. Continue reading “Scenes from Section 2 boys basketball playoffs: JG3’s big night propels Glens Falls to Class B final” →

Ballston Spa, Bethlehem, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, Christian Brothers Academy, Ice hockey, Shenendehowa

Bethlehem outlasts Shenendehowa for Section 2 Division 1 hockey title

SCHENECTADY – Bethlehem won its second consecutive Section 2 Division 1 hockey title by outlasting Shenendehowa 4-2 in the championship game Sunday, Feb. 24, at Union College.

The Eagles (20-2-1) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on two quick goals by Michael Bievenue. The junior forward’s first goal came 22 seconds into the match and the second a little more than three minutes later. After Shen got on the scoreboard early in the second period, Bievenue struck again to put Bethlehem ahead 3-1.

Shen (16-6-1) pulled back within one goal again in the third period when Brennan Alheim tallied, but Ben LaVigne scored off a Bievenue assist to give Bethlehem the insurance goal it needed.

LaVigne assisted on two of Bievenue’s three goals, and goalie Michael Kurdziolek stopped 27 shots to propel Bethlehem into the regionals. The Eagles travel to southern New York to face Section 1 champion Suffern Saturday, March 2. Continue reading “Bethlehem outlasts Shenendehowa for Section 2 Division 1 hockey title” →

Albany Academy for Boys, Amsterdam, Averill Park, Ballston Spa, Bethlehem, Broadalbin-Perth, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, Colonie, Columbia, Greenwich, Guilderland, Home, Hoosic Valley, Hudson Falls, Indoor track, Mohonasen, Niskayuna, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Saratoga Springs, Schalmont, Schenectady, Scotia-Glenville, Shaker, Shenendehowa, South Glens Falls, Tamarac

State indoor track and field qualifiers: Josiah Kemp, Ella Kurto among Section 2 athletes who won two events

ALBANY – Section 2 held its state indoor track and field qualifier Sunday, Feb. 24, at the University at Albany.

Colonie’s Josiah Kemp and Averill Park’s James Cocca each won two individual boys events. Kemp took first place in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.57 seconds, and he finished first in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.52 seconds. Cocca swept the throwing events, winning the shot put and the weight throw.

On the girls’ side, Saratoga Springs’ Ella Kurto won the 1,500-meter race with a time of 4:49.15 and the 3,000-meter race with a time of 10:04.13. Guilderland’s Isabella Bruno finished first in the long jump and the triple jump, while Shenendehowa’s Chidera Anameze earned victories in the shot put and weight throw.

The top two finishers in each event automatically qualified for the New York State Indoor Track and Field Championships, which take place Saturday, March 2, at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Facility on Staten Island. Third-place finishers qualified if they met the state meet standard. Continue reading “State indoor track and field qualifiers: Josiah Kemp, Ella Kurto among Section 2 athletes who won two events” →