Unlike some seasons, the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse cross country teams opened their CNY Counties League National division slates against each other.
The showdown between the two neighbors and rivals took place Wednesday at Longbranch Park, with the state Class A no. 4-ranked Warriors dominating the boys meet by an 18-41 margin, but the girls Northstars, no. 7 in the state poll, edging no. 18-ranked Liverpool 27-29.
In that closer girls race, the Warriors’ Juliana Basla won in 19 minutes, 52 seconds, but C-NS took the next two spots thanks to Jilliann Norris and Annina Marullo as Norris finished second in 20:20 and Marullo, in 20:30, finished third.
Liverpool had Morgan Chewning-Kulick (20:59) edge out teammate Vanessa Eberhard (21 minutes flat) for fourth place, but other than Windsor Arner, who was eighth in 22:18, no other Warriors runner cracked the top 10.
Asia Couillard began the Northstars’ charge, getting to sixth place in 21:22, while Sarah Davis was close behind, getting seventh place in 21:23. When Ashley Irvine and Julia Rupp both crossed the line in 22:36, C-NS earned the clinching points.
As expected, Liverpool’s boys team controlled matters with C-NS, posting five of the top six times, led by Ben Petrella, who won in 15:44, and Ty Brownlow, who finished second in 16:16.
Though the Northstars’ Andrew Bearkland finished third in 16:18, three more Warriors followed, starting with Stevie Schulz getting fourth place in 17:03 and continuing with Terrell Coleman (17:36) edging out teammate Gabe Albert (17:39) for fifth place.
After C-NS’s Joe Tricarico finished seventh (17:45) and Nate Porter got eighth place in 17:43, the Warriors saw Collin Gwilt get to ninth place in 17:55 and Julio Roman finish 10th in 18:09.
