Each of Baldwinsville’s cross country teams would finish their first race of the season on top of the standings.
During last Saturday’s Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Invitational, the girls Bees edged West Genesee by two points for the top spot, while the boys fended off two Section V schools, Brighton and Rochester McQuaid, to go to the front.
All told, four girls and four boys races took place at VVS, where the Section III championships will get run less than two months from now, on Nov. 7.
B’ville was in Race 4, and in the girls event it needed every bit of its depth to fend off West Genesee, finishing with 66 points to the Wildcats’ 68 as Beaver River (78 points) got third place.
Individually, freshman Justus Holden-Betts led the Bees, getting to fourth place in 20 minutes, 48.8 seconds, though it lagged behind WG’s Carly Benson, who won in 19:59 flat.
Sophomre Elizabeth Fawwaz, in 21:23.4, beat out the Wildcats’ Maria Matkoski (21:35.1) for sixth place, but when Matkoski’s teammate, Sarah Ferranti, finished 12th, B’ville needed a comeback.
Another sophomore, Anna Demer, launched the rally, getting to 16th place in 22:25.7, while ninth-grader Sophie Simone was 18th in 22:51.5. Leah Carpener, another freshman, finished 22nd in 23:06.3, which allowed the Bees to sneak ahead of WG in the standings and stay there.
Just behind them, Natalie Farnett was 25th, in 23:24.2, with Jenna Costello (23:43.8), Nadine Dickter (23:54.0), Sarah Rodman (23:57.2), Maykayla Spicer (24:16.0) and Mia Bolton (24:20.0) close behind.
When the boys took part in its Race 4, B’ville had eight of the top 20 finishers in the standings and, with 53 points, got in front of Brighton (63 points) and McQuaid (69), who had the individual winner as Donny Glavin finished in 16:05.9.
Leading the Bees, Ryan Delola took eighth place in 17:19.5, beating out fellow senior Joey Frink, who was ninth in 17:20.7, and junior Cameron Morrissey, who was 10th in 17:22.2.
Brighton had three of the top six finishers, but the Bees’ depth overwhelmed the Barons. Freshman Austin Bolton was 12th, in 17:37.5, with Andrew Olds 14th in 17:43.9 and Denis Keegan (17:48.3) in 16th place. Adam Davis (17:56.7) and Evan Vannatta (17:58.5) were 19th and 20th, respectively.
