Section 9 recap from all the action at Warwick's Wave Mania. 

In the merge, Crusader Boys and Girls took away the team victory. In the Varsity I race, the Lady Crusaders scored 46 points behind a second place finish of Olivia Heim. Senior Anna Kearn would go on to place 5th for 4 points and Molly Foley ran 11th for 9 points. Boys similarly placed all 5 of their scorers in the top 20 of the Varisty II race with strong races from Oliver Jibb (3) , Shane Golio (5) and Gavin Catherwood (8). 

​​With big brother gone, Van Furman let everyone know he’s ready to lead the way. We had him at 4:38 at the opening mile to break away the Varsity I race. The sophomore is going to be tough to beat this season and we’re excited to see what’s to come. 

​​I’m new at this and I’m not going to lie when you go out and make predictions, it’s nice when those “heavy hitters” hit. Donovan Baird, Andrew Lee, and Oliver Jibb rounded out the top 4 Varsity boys on the day behind Van Furman. Olivia Heim was second in the Varisty I race behind Roy C Ketcham Junior Abigail Kowalczyk.  And…

​​Not sure there was a more chill 19 minute 5k. Anna Furman breezed for the win in the Varisty II race in front of Pine Bush Senior Shaylen Goslen. 

​Those Wallkill girls are going to be in the mix in Class B. The fourth girls team on the day, they scored 58 points behind Monroe-Woodburys 46 in the Varsity I race. Caitlyn Murphy, Emma Dilemme, and Addie Psilopoulos went 4, 6, 8 in that race for a big finish. Speaking of strong team finishes… 

​How about the Minisink Girls squad with top 20 performances by Kathryn Jones (7), Farrah Hill (9), Emily Murphy (16) and Emma Pollock (20). We caught this squad putting in the miles on the heritage trail this summer and it looks like it’s paying off.

​​Great to see Goshen Junior Noah Klugman hang in for second in the Varsity I race after Furman broke it open. He’ll be my Class B early favorite with the Mount Boys moving down to class C.

​Here’s a Section 9 shake up, former Homestead School JR Bryce Shannon transfers to his home district of Port Jervis and runs just under 17:00 to go 13th in the Varsity II race. He’ll be a player in Class B going forward. 

​We talked about Donovan Baird, but it’s astounding how well Mount Academy does this Cross Country thing. Not sure there is a stronger team in the state in Class C right now, with a big core of guys running 18 flat and under. The Mount Academy girls (Class D) top 5 averaged 22:23 behind Tri-Valleys 22:06, finishing behind Tri-Valley by just 8 points. Get excited for small schools! ​

​At this point it is comical the historical amount of  apocalyptic forecasts we’ve experienced before a Wave Mania, an OCIAA meet, a Fast times and so on and time and time again, it just never rains. Kudos to Coach Potter and Co. for hosting another quality invitational on Warwick grounds. 

It’s that time of year again. The best time of year. High School Cross Country is around the corner. The last push of summer miles is underway with captains gathering their teams before Monday, August 21st arrives. Athletes know that championship races run in the late Fall are built on these hot and humid days in July and August. Section 9 has continuously produced top athletes in the state of New York and we expect no shortage of amazing performances in 2023. Before we get wound up in the whirlwind of the 2023 XC season, we must first, as we do, lay the groundwork based on what has come before.

The 2023 NYSPHSAA XC Championship will once again be hosted at Vernon-Verona-Sheril (VVS) High School. Given a second year by the state committee due to the pandemic. The course features a windy, bumpy, wooded trail between open fields with a finish line in the football stadium. To get there out of Section 9 will be quite different this season. With Bear Mountain undergoing maintenance and construction, Warwick Valley will host the Section 9 Championship at Sanfordville Elementary School on Saturday, November 4th. The site of the 2006 NYSPHSAA State Championship, the Sanfordville course is a stark difference from Bear Mountain. We’re excited to see Championship Cross Country run entirely on grass (in spikes!) and over rolling hills in November. Runners will be able to get a taste of the course early on September 9th at Warwick’s Wave Mania Invitational and then October 28th at the OCIAA Championship.

Graduation hit Section 9 pretty hard. Collin Gilstrap and Collin Catherwood’s remarkable 2022-23 seasons for the Crusaders may be a tough act to follow. They were the one-two punch for a talented Monroe-Woodbury team that won a Federation title last Fall with Gilstrap taking the overall victory. Adam Furman from Tri-Valley also graduated. The West Point bound runner won the Class D Championship and led the Tri-Valley squad to their own team title at VVS (We got plenty more Furman in Section 9 to look out for… more later).

Of course, on the girls' side, Karrie Baloga ended her spectacular Section 9 Cross Country Career with a victory in the Class B Championship race. Section Champions, Ava Carsley from Valley Central (Class A) and Leah Richardson James I. O’Neill (Class C) also graduated to further shake up the chase to States.

For Class A girls, Incoming Freshmen Olivia Heim from Monroe-Woodbury, who took second in last year’s Section Championship, is the front runner. Behind her is the speedster Shaylen Goslar. The senior from Pine Bush was 5th in last year’s Class A Race and represented Section 9 at the state level all three seasons from the 600m on up to the 1500m. Warwick’s Alyssa Dovico is a name to watch for one of top ‘next-five-in’ to make the trip to VVS.

If 2022 was the year of the Collins, 2023 may be the year of the Gavins. Incoming Junior, Gavin Catherwood from Monroe-Woodbury looks to run the path big brother left behind. Luckily, he has no shortage of experience in big time races. If you don’t know Senior Gavin Rossi from Minisink Valley you’ll get to know him soon enough. Gavin had some impressive and gutsy races in the indoor and spring season (my personal favorite was his take it from the gun, negative split, PR in the state 1600m out the unseeded section). Andrew Lee of Kingston was the first person not wearing Purple in last year’s Class A Race, plus he spent all spring tearing up the steeplechase (aka XC on the Track).

We’ll talk about what a move from Wallkill in Class B may mean for the Girls race, but in the meantime the Cornwall Green Dragons, who scored 30 points last November, bring back all but one of their scorers. Having Karrie Baloga leading the pack certainly helps, but Kerry Murphy, Sophia Semo, Olivia Cibirka and Frances Teague seem more than ready to keep the train on the tracks. Goshen Senior Gianna Catalano found her stride late last season with two solid runs at OCIAAs and Sections, earning her a trip to States. Watch out for New Paltz sophomore Cilo Miller who placed 7th in the MHAL championship as a freshman.

I made the mistake of going out on a run with Goshen Junior Noah Klugman this summer. He had me on the ropes by mile 2. The Gladiator is the top returner from a Class B that sees a lot of movement both from graduation and reclassification of schools. Behind him I see a pair of Green Dragons, seniors Oliver Jang and Chris Murray. Beacon has been quietly wreaking havoc on the section since their arrival a few years ago, and 1:55 800m guy Henry Reinke will be a player in the Class B Race this fall.

Class C Girls has been the O’Neill show for quite a bit. Last year, Leah Richardson led the ENTIRE *insert mascot name here* team across the finish line before any other competitor. Look for Erin Smith, Kaelyn Mitroka and Tessa Hendrickson to take over the pacing duties for this years race. Nataly Zempoaltecatl (Fallsburg) and Greta Sutherland-Roth (Rondout Valley) were chasing the O’Neill Girls last fall, we’ll see if they can break up the *insert mascot name here* pack.

*James I. O’Neill is one of many teams impacted by new NYSPHSAA rules that demands schools change mascots that depict Native American imagery.*

In the boys race there’s a lot of uncertainty in Class C. I’ll dive into the impact of Mount Academy moving down later, but there may or may not be some confirmed moves/transfers that will be a factor this season.

Better-late-than-never time to point out; incoming freshmen, athlete maturation, consistent and passionate training, families moving in and out, and transfers have huge ramifications for individual and team outlook for the upcoming season…

What we know: Carson Darling and Peter Dacunto from O’Neill are the top 2 returners in Class C as we knew it in 2022. I toed the line with both of them at the Highland Falls Firecracker 5k on 4th of July, and yes, they were pretty quick. Vincent Smaldone of Red Hook, Justin Cardwell from Dover, and Parker Pawliske of Chester (or Seward? Shadow or Merged program… who knows. We’ll find out in 3 months) all ran tight races to round out the top 10 in the 2022 race.

We’ve got a very Furman future in front of us. Anna Furman (Tri-Valley) as an 8th grader ran well under 20 minutes at Bear Mountain and over a minute in front of then freshmen Violet Bliss of Pine Plains. Everyone in the Girls’ Class D race returns for 2023 from 1 through 11. As far as I know Mount Academy girls are still classified in Class D, and all 5 scorers come back with Jenaya Swinger, Anne Scott and Abby Brenner rounding out their top 3. Amanda Intrieri from Webutuck placed 3rd in last years Championship race and should be set up for a big senior season.

I dedicated an entire section to the Boys’ Class D Clash below because it’s a doozy.  For those that aren’t wearing a Pine Plains and Tri-Valley uniform, Senior Jake Legato (Burke Catholic) will attempt to make a third appearance at States. Sophomore Dylan Vasquez (Millbrook) also will be in the picture, the talented athlete was the Class D Pentathlon Champion this past spring.

Class D Boys has been dominated the past few years by an impressive string of Tri-Valley teams, however the Pine Plains crew may be the favorites going into the season. With Tri-Valley graduating their 1-4-5-6, The Bombers return their entire scoring cast led by Junior Maxwell Decker and Senior Jared Heggenstaller. This can’t be without stating Van Furman and Craig Costa went 2-3 in last years Class D race, behind Adam. With teams like Sullivan West and Rhinebeck moving up to Class C there may not be much in the way to muddy up the point battle between these two squads. Get excited about small schools.   

I don’t know about you, but I get pretty fired up when I see an Eighth Grader score in a big race. Looking at last year’s Section meet, outside Olivia Heim, there were some fresh names to look out for the next 4 years. Charlotte McFarland and Ireland Hurley from Kingston were the Tigers 3rd and 4th runners, and Rosario Dovico of Warwick Valley led the Purple Wave’s young squad at Bear Mountain last November. In Class C, Kaelyn Mitroka from James I O’Neill and Greta Sutherland-Roth of Rondout Valley placed inside the top 10.  Cal Farrel of Burke Catholic finished 13th in the Class D Race for the Eagles Second runner. And after Anna Furman, Layla Wilkin of Sullivan West and Shelby Quinn of Millbrook contributed scoring performances for their teams. We look forward to seeing these young athletes compete… as soon as they finish freshmen orientation.

Perennial power Mount Academy Boys gets moved down to Class C where a rebuilding James I O’Neill team will fight for a trip to VVS. Class B Champion Donovan Baird returns for the Mount. The Junior ran 16:05 at Bear Mountain in a tight Class B race, a run that would have put him ahead of the Class C pack by 40 seconds. I know, I know… two different races… we’ll see how it shakes out in November. What we can guarantee is that the O’Neill boys will be decked out in Goodr sunglasses and I’m here for that vibe.

Also on the move is Wallkill. The Panthers didn’t field a full girls’ team in the Class A race last year, but they did have two fantastic performances by then Junior Emma Dilemme and Freshman Caitlyn Murphy. While they may not have the full firepower to be in the mix for a team title, there are certainly individual seats at the table to be had in Class B.

We’re hoping to keep up with all the Cross Country madness throughout the fall. As with any year, new runners will emerge from a summer of consistent and solid training. Teams will assemble like the Avengers. The leaves will change. A Chill will fill in the air. We can’t wait to see everyone at the starting line in November. We're back!

If you’re in Orange County the third weekend in August, a little 4-mile race in Middletown, New York has become the place to go to not only run fast, but to enjoy the post-race celebration of its host city. In fact, starting in 2006, the Run 4 Downtown (R4DT) Race was a way for avid athletes, Anna and Dave Madden, to give back to the community that supported their blossoming restaurant; Something Sweet Dessert Café (now Piccolo Cucina e Vino). 

The run itself is ran in the spirit of competition. Cash prizes are awarded to the top finishers, regardless of gender, as the females athletes start before the men. Into its third decade, R4DT has fostered rivalries between friends, siblings and even spouses. Team competitions exist within local business, community groups, first responders, and families. 
 
Run 4 Downtown raises money for downtown Middletown improvement projects. Most recently donating $60,000 toward a pavilion in the brand-new Erie Way Park. Race director Dave Madden emphasized, most importantly, that the race offers the community “a morning to celebrate our great small city.” 
 
As the status of the race elevated the competitors started organizing themselves naturally into a regular training group. R4DT Training Group Run began on Thursday’s coinciding with the Middletown Concert Series, but during COVID became bigger and bigger out of necessity. Now averaging up to 25 people, the group run has become a huge presence on Thursday nights in downtown Middletown. 
 
Runners will take turns in a follow the leader type run throughout the streets of Middletown. Dave states, “the runners will see parts of Middletown that they may not be familiar with, becoming familiar with new restaurants and shops that they can come back at other times.” The run is open to anyone of all skill levels and ages, and will run over a total of 60 minutes, with each runner taking the lead at least once. No runner gets left behind, and Dave promises, “this format leads to us running in some very interesting places!” 
 
The R4DT training run is very consistent, with a core group of about 12 people who regularly attend and keep the train on the rails. Some people come and go, have changing obligations, and there is the share of “fair-weather” runners, as Dave would admit. All you have to do to sign up is show up to Piccolo Cucino e Vino Thursday evenings at 5:30pm. 
 
Every group run eventually culminates on August 19th this year for the 17th annual Run 4 Downtown. The race is a rolling course through the city of Middletown, past many of the historic sites, local businesses, and neighborhoods. After the last competitor crosses the finish line starts what Dave considers the best after party around, with live music, food, and local brews.