CENTRAL NEW YORK – Like many of the other top cross country teams in New York State, Fayetteville-Manlius would get a peek at the course that will host the state championship meet two less than two months from now.
Chenango Valley State Park is the venue for the state meet and hosted last Saturday’s McDaniel-Baxter Invitational. Not only did the girls Hornets win its race, it also finished tops among the 47 teams in the field when the results were merged.
And no one ran faster than Hannah Kaercher, who tore to a time of 18 minutes, 5.9 seconds, with Izzy Sullivan completing a 1-2 F-M sweep as she posted 18:19.3.
Amelia Amack was 10th overall for the day in 19:16.6 and fourth in her race, with Isabelle Adrian fifth in 19:35.1 and Debbie Lucchetti seventh in 20:13 flat, just ahead of Maria Kahlifeh’s 20:25.4 and Camille Ryan’s 21:04.7.
Of all the boys teams that ran at Chenango Valley, F-M was second only to Corning, and even in its own race found itself chasing Christian Brothers Academy star Michael McMahon, whose time of 16:34.2 won that event and was ninth overall.
To lead the Hornets, Anthony Otis posted 16:37.8, just behind McMahon, with Jackson Matthews finishing in 17:06.3. Will Seamans got a time of 17:25.1 as Ben Perry (17:37.3) and Nolan McGinn (17:42.9) were close behind and the Brothers got a 17:44.3 from Joe McMahon and a 17:48.2 from Cooper Groat. Daniel Patrick went 17:46 flat and Cooper Dereszynski finished in 17:57.5.
As for its first regular-season meet of the season, F-M would meet up with East Syracuse Minoa and Central Square last Wednesday and sweep all sides of this three-team gathering on the Spartans’ home course.
The boys Hornets’ 15-50 wins featured Trevor Kurkin running to a time of 18:26, one second ahead of a pack that included Daniel Patrick, Anthony Otis, Jackson Mathews and Will Seamons. Ben Perry finished in 18:29 as Cooper Dereszynski and Nolan McGinn both posted 18:31.
When the F-M girls race, it also swept ESM and Central Square with its top runners staying together. Debbie Lucchetti, finishing in 20:38 led the way as Amelia Amack, Isabelle Adrian, Izzy Sullivan and HannahKaercher equaled that time. Maria Khalifeh posted exactly 21 minutes as Camille Ryan finished in 21:30.
Head-to-head against Central Square, ESM’s girls did earn a 22-33 victory, the Spartans led by Rachael Ladd, who finished in a time of 22:01 as the boys Spartans handled the Redhawks 19-40.
ESM, of course, had its own invitational meet to host last Saturday, with Jamesville-DeWitt one of the visiting teams that, in the girls race, would finish fourth behind Brighton, Montrose and West Genesee, with Brighton’s Eilee Ossont winning the individual race in 20:49.1.
Nicolette Milliti led the Red Rams, finishing 20th among team runners (21st overall) in 23:49.9, just ahead of Cora Gilbert’s 23:53.4 and Megan O’Malley’s 23:53.6. Madeline Carter finished in 24:13.2.
All of those J-D runners were behind the Spartans’ Rachael Ladd, who made her way to 12th place in 22:33 flat. Team-wise, the Spartans were seventh, with Taylor Hoffman (24:26.4) and Elena Vespi (24:40.5) posting top-40 team efforts.
In the boys ESM Invitational, the host Spartans were fifth out of 16 teams, but the top individual effort among local runners was from Bishop Grimes’ Sean Moran, who was 10th in 18:56.9.
To lead the Spartans, John Courcy posted a time of 20:20.3, finishing two spots ahead of Tom Walters’ 20:27.6. J-D’s top runner, Isaiah Steinberg, had a time of 21:23.8.
That same day, at the Jordan-Elbridge Invitational, CBA’s girls team edged Weedsport for top honors, with Bella Cannizzo second among individuals in a time of 21:47.1 and top-10 finishes also recorded by Mary Sullivan, Abby Nash and Kristina Kennedy.
Bishop Grimes beat Manlius-Pebble Hill 25-34 last Wednesday in their head-to-head girls meet, with Edy Livingston finishing in 22:21 ahead of the 24:59 from the Trojans’ top runner, Tea Hokanson.
