XC Weekend Recap: National and State Elite Rule the Weekend

The New York State Championships at Queensbury on Saturday were filled with exciting races, with the state top teams and runnes delivering thrilling performacnes across all divisions in the end of season culmination. 

In the boys' Class A race, Ryan Sykes of Horace Greeley took the top spot with a time of 15:05.0, just ahead of Colonie's Owen Conley (15:05.5), who finished second. The competition was tight for the lead, but Sykes held on for the win, edging out Conley by half a second. Saratoga Springs' Thomas Isenovski followed in third with a 15:21.8 finish, while Monroe-Woodbury's senior duo of Gavin Catherwood (15:24.2) and Shane Golio (15:25.0) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, and helped their team secure the Class A title.

Monroe-Woodbury's boys placed their runners 2-3-13-15-27 for a total of 60 points, comfortably outdistancing second-place North Rockland, who finished with 82 points. The Crusaders' impressive depth and consistency across their five scorers were crucial to their victory, with a 1:07 1-5 split and an average time of 15:53. Catherwood and Golio, both seniors, played pivotal roles in their team's success, while North Rockland's effort was led by a strong 4th-place finish from junior Claudel Chery (15:27).

In the girls' Class A race, William Floyd's Zariel Macchia claimed the top individual spot, crossing the line in 17:24.7. Macchia, a senior, led from start to finish, holding off Tsadia Bercuvitz of Ithaca (17:32.4) and Leyla Bhusri of Shenendehowa (17:39.8), who placed second and third, respectively. Macchia avenged her runner-up finish from last year where she finished behind Emily Bush, with Bercuvitz right behind her. 

Bethlehem Central's girls delivered a dominant performance in the team competition, securing the Class A title with just 20 points. The team was led by an outstanding performance from their top five runners, with a 13-second 1-5 split and an average time of 17:55. Their top finishers included senior Katherine Bannigan (6th, 17:50.3), junior Logan Kuhn (7th, 17:51.3), and 8th-grader Sophia Chromczak (8th, 17:52.2). Northport finished second with 75 points, but was well off Bethlehem Central's pace.

Other highlights included, Sophia McInnes continued her dominance in Division B, capturing her second consecutive title with an impressive time of 17:45.50. The win further solidified her status as one of the top competitors in the division. Meanwhile, Caitlin Thomas made a significant comeback, winning the Division B title after finishing runner-up last year. She shaved off over 90 seconds from her previous time, crossing the finish line in 17:53.80, 17 seconds ahead of the competition.

In the boys' race, Van Furman of Tri-Valley claimed his second straight Division B title with a commanding victory in 15:17.60, finishing 36 seconds ahead of the runner-up. His sister, Anna Furman, followed suit in the girls' race, capturing the Division B title with a time of 18:10.70, winning by 30 seconds after finishing second last year. Additionally, William Tempest won his second consecutive Division B title with a time of 15:21.40, further demonstrating his strength in the competition. These standout performances showcased the skill and perseverance of these athletes, with several securing repeat victories.