Normally in the fall in Central New York, Saturday mornings are reserved for high school cross country races large and small, runners braving all kinds of elements in lonely pursuit of excellence.
But without any post-season events – sectional, state or national – some of the area’s top teams are going to have their big league contests on Saturdays, rather than the usual mid-week slates.
And it was East Syracuse Minoa taking to the trails last Saturday for its 2020 season opener against Central Square, the Spartans managing to sweep both sides of its meet against the visiting Redhawks.
The closer boys race would go 26-29 in ESM’s favor, in part due to the individual victory by Spencer Carnival.
Taking over the lead duties after Nick Berg’s graduation, Carnival covered the ESM course in 19 minutes, one second, edging Central Square’s Kenzie Romo by one second at the line.
Then, after the Redhawks’ Jonathan Clarke finished third, the Spartans got the next three spots as John Courcy, in 19:51, was just ahead of Logan Michaels (19:52) and Aidan O’Brien was sixth in 20:36.
Still, it took Joseph Pedroso-Garcia earning 10th place in 22:42 to withstand Central Square’s comeback.
ESM’s depth on the girls side was what helped it prevail 21-34 over Central Square despite the individual title from the Redhawks’ Juila Howe, who won in 21:07.
Mary Roach, finishing second in 21:45, led a Spartans sweep of the rest of the top five, Elena Vespi getting third place in 22:42 ahead of Rachael Ladd in fourth (22:53) and Ainsley McKenna in fifth (23:10). Taylor Hoffman recorded a seventh-place clocking of 24:14.
A more routine Wednesday schedule resumes for ESM this week when it faces rival Jamesville-DeWitt.
