Just by having a bit more depth, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys cross country team was able to fend off the challenge of Baldwinsville and maintain the top spot in the CNY Counties League National division.
When the state Class A no. 13-ranked Northstars met the no. 20-ranked Bees Wednesday at Oneida Shores Park, there were plenty of nervous moments, but CNS prevailed 27-30.
Each side was three days removed from an appearance at the Manhattan Invitational, but rest was not an option, given that both CNS and B’ville had 4-0 league marks.
Running together, Anthony Lupia and Neil Gill took second and third, respectively. Lupia, in 16 minutes, 26 seconds, and Gill, in 16:27, both were behind B’ville’s Alec Peinkofer, who won in 16:01.
Somehow, Paul DeGennaro squeezed his way into fifth place in 16:49, in between two Bees runners, Josh Perez (16:48) and Matt Pond (16:49), while Ken Ryan, in 16:52, held off B’ville’s Andy Fleming by four seconds for eighth place.
Still, the race was not settled. It took Colin Greenseich, claiming ninth place in 17:10, and Matt Crough, grabbing 10th place in 17:20, for CNS to clinch it before a fifth Bees runner could cross the line.
It didn’t prove as close in the girls meet, where CNS, no. 5 in the latest state Class A rankings, iced another league title by beating Baldwinsville 21-36.
Among individuals, Jackie Halstead and Nicole Watterud got away from the pack, Halstead winning in 18:56 as Watterud (18:59) settled for the runner-up spot.
After B’ville teammates Rachel Miller (19:48) and Annie Peterson (19:49) claimed the third and fourth positions, Taylor Parry hit the line in 19:57 for fifth place. Katie Laris was sixth, in 19:59, while Marissa Colburn earned seventh in 20:40 and Madison Kolakowski (21:01) was ninth.
