From cold temperatures to wind to mud, proper conditions greeted area cross country teams when they squared off with each other last week.
Skaneateles, coming off a 2019 season where Caleb Bender won the boys state Class C individual championship, found itself claiming both sides of last Thursday’s meet against Jordan-Elbridge.
In the 15-50 boys decision, it was Matt Persampieri leading a sweep of the top nine individuals. Joe Norris finished second, with Will Girzadas third, Seamus Fogerty fourth and Aidan Ward in fifth place.
The girls race was closer, but Skaneateles still beat J-E 25-33, overcoming the Eagles’ 1-2 individual finish earned by Vassianna Klock, who won in 18:58, and Hannah Fichter, who was second in 20:46.
Lillian Coleman, who was third in 21:22, led the next five Lakers finishers. Hope Cross-Jaya got fourth place in 21:50, with Lily Yengo fifth (23:02), Sophia Auredan sixth (23:24) and Caroline McSwain (24:02) ahead of Ellie McSwain (25:49) as J-E’s Clara Derby (25:57) beat out Kendall Shaw (26:17).
Before this, Westhill met Marcellus last Wednesday afternoon. Of the two races, the girls event proved closer, with the Mustangs filling the top spots, but the Warriors rallying with its depth to prevail by a single point, 29-30.
Marcellus went 1-2 at the front, as Anella Bolster and Annie Steigerwald pulled away. Bolster took first place in 17:-03, while Steigerwald was second in 17:13.
In the race for third, Westhill’s Addie Lowery, in 17:40, beat out the 17:52 from the Mustangs’ Sophia Maum, but from there the Warriors took over.
Kylie Nowicki finished fifth in 18:05, with Angie Mesa sixth in 18:27. Bella Sampo’s time of 18:50 put her in seventh place as Kemery Sanborn, in 18:59, beat out Hannah Starowicz (19:04) and Mandy Wiezalis (19:18).
Westhill’s boys team had an easier time of it, sweeping the top four individual spots on the way to defeating Marcellus 17-45.
Brandon Mulholland claimed indvidual honors in 14:33, with Angelo Carr second in 14:52, one second ahead of Cam Niezabytowski (14:53) in third place. Alex Dacko finished fourth in 15:04.
To lead Marcellus, Jaiden Capozzi got fifth place in 15:28 and Jonah Kwasnowski finished sixth in 16:09. The Warriors’ Dan McMaster and the Mustangs’ Kolton Finarty both posted 16:15 ahead of the 16:21 from Lukas Grieb and the 16:23 from Zach Lester.
