For the second time in four days, Baldwinsville and Liverpool’s cross country teams met up with each other, trying to see who would get ahead in the CNY Counties League National division race.
And with every runner contributing to the effort, the Bees swept the Warriors, including an exciting 27-28 verdict on the girls side, at Longbranch Park.
B’ville’s boys also won, by a more comfortable 21-34 margin, reinforcing the championship it won at its own invitational meet at Durgee Junior High School back on Saturday.
In the case of the girls Bees, though, it was a chance for a bit of payback, since Liverpool had beaten them at Durgee Junior High School in that same invitational meet, 52 points to 58, though when all seven runners were added up B’ville was exactly one point better.
The league meet was close from the start. Annie Peterson dueled with Liverpool’s Morgan Mahoney in the individual race, and Peterson came out on top in 19 minutes, 33 seconds, just four seconds ahead of Mahoney.
It was just as close for third place, where Rachael Miller finished in 19:59, just behind the Warriors’ Abby McNamara (19:58), but the Bees gained a crucial placement when Marissa Lathrop finished fifth in 20:19.
After Emily Thompson crossed the line in seventh place in 20:34, the Warriors’ fourth and fifth runners, Emily Butler (20:37) and Morgan Chemung (20:38) followed, so the Bees had to get its fifth runner home to hang on. Hannah Olds pulled it off, claiming 10th place in 20:39, and B’ville had prevailed.
Going to the boys race, it was decided early as B’ville earned four of the top five spots, led once again by Alec Peinkofer, whose time of 16:26 was eight seconds better than Liverpool’s Dan Muldoon.
B’ville’s depth was on display, with Andy Fleming rolling into third place in 16:38 and Josh Perez in fourth, just two seconds behind. Jack Martin made his way to fifth place in 16:47, and Casey McAllister, in eighth place (17:12), rounded out the scoring.
Both of B’ville’s teams will make their way to Genesee Valley Park in Rochester on Saturday for the 48th annual McQuaid Invitational.
