Just as school got underway, so did Baldwinsville’s boys cross country team, charged with a difficult opening assignment – getting two chances in a span of 72 hours to upend the reigning boys state Class A champions.
B’ville and Liverpool opened CNY Counties League competition against each other last Wednesday afternoon, and the close boys meet saw the Bees display more depth, but still drop a 28-30 decision because of the strength the Warriors possessed at the top.
Each of the top three spots went to Liverpool runners as Ty Brownlow won in 16 minutes, 28 seconds, just ahead of Stephen Schulz (16:32) as Josh Hickmott got to third place in a clocking of 16:53.
Cameron Morrissey, running to fourth place in 17:15, led a B’ville pack that included Evan Vannatta, who was fifth in 17:33. Evan Biedermann (17:40) held off Garrett Vannatta (17:45) for sixth place, while Ben Timmons was eighth in 17:48, ahead of Austin Bolton (17:52) and Joe Licameli (17:58).
As it turned out, a rematch was just three days away, when B’ville and Liverpool were both part of Varsity Race 1 at Saturday’s Chittenango Invitational, held on the same course where the Section III championships will take place in early November.
Amid a 15-team field that included the likes of Cicero-North Syracuse and West Genesee, B’ville triumphed, earning 46 points to Liverpool’s 63, with C-NS having to settle for third place with 84 points and West Genesee fourth.
Here, that depth did pay off, for though Brownlow (16:01.4) and Schulz (16:06.7) went 1-2 for Liverpool and Hickmott was third (17:00.7), the Bees occupied seven of the next nine spots in the standings to overtake the Warriors.
Garrett Vannatta, racing to seventh place in 17:04 flat, led that charge, with Morrissey eighth in 17:10.1 and Sam McIlroy rising to ninth place in 17:18.2. Bolton gained 10th place in 17:19.0 as Evan Vannatta (17:13.5) clinched the win by finishing 12th. Timmons got 13th place in 17:26.2 and Adam Davis (17:32.3) was 15th.
As for the Baldwinsville girls cross country team, it opened its league schedule against Liverpool, too, with a number of strong efforts. But the Warriors, sweeping five of the top six finishing spots, prevailed 18-37.
Justus Holden-Betts finished in 20 minutes, 10 seconds, putting her in third place behind the Warriors’ duo of Jenna Schultz, who won in 19:55, and Vanessa Eberhard, who was second in 20:02.
Then Liverpool claimed the next three spots in the standings before Sarah Klein crossed the line in seventh place in 21:55. Klein led a quartet of B’ville runners that included Elizabeth Fawwaz, who was eighth in 22:52, just ahead of Mia Bolton (22:56) and Natalie Farnett (23:01).
Moving on to the Chittenango Invitational, B’ville was third among 11 teams in Varsity Race 1, with 96 points. Liverpool had 50 points, but finished runner-up to West Genesee, who prevailed with 47 points.
Holden-Betts again led the Bees’ efforts, claiming fourth place in 19:39.4 as Jamesville-DeWitt’s Hannah Butler (18:52.4) took the individual title. Klein was 12th, in 20:51.4, with Anna Demer (21:20.3) 19th and Fawwaz (21:33.4) in 20th place. Leah Carpenter (22:42.0) was 42nd, just ahead of Farnett (22;55.1) and Jenna Costello (22:55.4).
