Though it didn’t carry the same suspense and drama as their 2018 duels, the Fayetteville-Manlius girls cross country team’s meet against Liverpool carried the same stakes.
Namely, whoever won this three-team battle at Baldwinsville would claim the SCAC Metro division regular-season title, and the state no. 1-ranked Hornets earned it, defeating the no. 5-ranked Warriors 20-41 while also sweeping the Bees 15-50.
Though challenged by Liverpool’s Jenna Schulz, F-M’s Claire Walters still won in 17 minutes, 28 seconds on the Durgee Junior High School Course, 10 seconds ahead of Schulz’s 17:38.
Phoebe White, in 18 minutes flat, was third, ahead of Grace Kaercher (18:28) and Hannah Kaercher (18:42) in the top five. Deborah Lucchetti gained seventh place in 19:31 as Adi Sydorowych was eighth in 19:50 and Amelia Amack ninth in 20:01.
F-M’s state no. 1-ranked boys team handled Liverpool 19-41 and Baldwinsville 19-42, keyed by a top-three sweep as Geoff Howles and Peyton Geehrer both finished in 15:43 and Sam Otis was third in 15:57.
Liverpool and B’ville runners claimed the next four spots before Jack Altimonda, in 16:58, beat out James Peden (17:01) for eighth place, with Daniel Patrick 10th in 17:25.
Christian Brothers Academy, who had climbed to no. 5 in last week’s boys state Class C rankings, swept both the boys and girls meet against the Phoenix Firebirds.
Joel Gaffney, in a time of 19:13, led the boys Brothers as Riley Nash, Cooper Groat, Michael McMahon and Zach Medicis each finished in 19:14.
Olivia Morganti won the girls race for CBA in 20:59, comfortably ahead of Isabella Cannizzo’s second-place 21:36, with Lea Kyle third in 22:49 as Annie Toole got fourth place in 23:55 and Mia Kirch (24:03) completed a top-five sweep.
East Syracuse Minoa, who ran Sept. 21 in a meet on the eventual state championship course at Plattsburgh, got a sweep in last Wednesday’s boys meet against Oswego and Fulton, edging the Buccaneers 27-28 and topping the Red Raiders 22-39.
Nick Berg, eighth out of 142 runners at Plattsburgh, won here in 17:19, more than a minute ahead of the 18:22 by Oswego’s Jason Purtell. Casey Engineri was fifth in 18:54 as Spencer Carnival got seventh place in 19:35 and Tommy Walters finished 10th in 20:24.
The girls race had ESM lose to Oswego by that same 27-28 margin while it beat Fulton 20-35 to salvage the split. The Spartans’ Rachael Ladd gained third place among individuals in 22:14 as Mary Roach finished fifth in 22:34. Taylor Hoffman (23:51) beat out Elena Vespi (23:53) for ninth place.
Jamesville-DeWitt swept Cortland 19-42 in last Wednesday’s SCAC Empire division boys meet, with Ahviere Reese leading the Red Rams by posting a time of 17:54 as Nate Rindfuss was close behind Reese, finishing in 18:22.
