Even with strong runners out front, and even running on its home course, the Baldwinsville boys cross country team could not match the depth of Liverpool in last Wednesday’s CNY Counties League National division first-place showdown.
The Bees lost to the Warriors, 23-33, just four days after Liverpool won the top division at the Oct. 3 McQuaid Invitational in Rochester, justifying its no. 4 state Class AA ranking.
B’ville had risen to the no. 2 state rankings spot, behind only Fayetteville-Manlius. To try and topple Liverpool stars Colin Savage and Alex Wilke, the Bees’ top three runners — Nate McCabe and Shaun Thompson — set a torrid early pace and hoped that would hold up.
Savage and Wilke kept up, though, and by the time they crossed the line, Savage had won, in 15 minutes, 34 seconds, three seconds clear of Wilke.
McCabe was third, a scant five seconds back of Savage at 15:39, with Thompson fourth in 15:47. All broke the 16-minute mark.
Liverpool grabbed the fifth and sixth spots to charge in front for good before Adam Pacheck got seventh place in 16:10. Chris Wicks was eighth, in 16:22.
B’ville also lost to Liverpool in the girls meet, this one a 16-39 decision. The Warriors earned the top four spots, including Lesley Bowers’ runaway victory in 18:36, before Kristina Sprague crossed in fifth place (20:13) for the Bees.
Annie Peterson, who finished in seventh place (20:23), led a pack where Mallory Warner was eighth (20:23), Ashley Shaheen ninth (20:49) and Jaimee Balloni 10th in 20:52.
