NYS PREVIEW #3
09.03.06 (by Tom Cuffe)
The Evil Empire continues... September is here and
cross-country is revving up for another spectacular show in the great State of New York. When we were last
together I said that we'd look into a few more teams and individuals, well
here we go!
Queensbury
(S2)
has to be considered very high as they return a formidable team in 2006.They
will be led by junior Matt Flint a 9:25.34 3200 man backed up by two 4:30 milers in Kevin Mulcahy and Sean Gallagher. Niskayuna (2) is another strong squad
to watch with Kyle
O'Connor, Nick Cioffi as well as Mike & Tim Ryan. The team to
really watch in Section Two will be Shaker coached by the long
time outstanding mentor Mr. Ed Springstead. The team brings back 6
of seven from their 2005 squad paced by senior Matt Bogdan and junior R.J. Sniffen and very strong
supporting crew.
Moving
down south to the New York City area and out
east to Long Island another tough CHSAA team will be in the hunt and this will be Kellenberg Memorial coached by Kevin Buckley (yes of the famous CHSAA BUCKLEY RANKINGS!). The 2006
version of the Firebirds are "ready to roll" and will be paced by XC All-Stater
Kasey Geller a senior and soph
Billy Posch -- 4:36 mile as freshman!
Now
let's move north and west to Ithaca home of Ivy League Cornell University ( GO
BIG RED) and Section Four
powerhouse Ithaca High coached by Rich Bernstein. The team will have
proven performer and NYS All-State XC
man senior Drew
Hart
as their leader followed closely by senior Adam Zinder and junior Paul Kintner. This appears to be one
of the best teams ever to come out of their school and their section.
Well that's it for now. If you have any more input on anything NYS
related please let me know! Keep it positive because are sport is too good for
anything else!!!
Edit: Anyone that would like to add a comment or observation for
print please email Mr. Cuffe at TJCUFFE@aol.com
– be sure to put NYS XC in the subject line.
____________________________________________________________________________
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ...
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ...
BECAUSE OF THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT I WILL BE THE EDITOR
FOR THE NTN NORTHEAST
REGION HERE IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN NYS:
I WILL CONTINUE TO EDIT THE NYSSWA
WEEKLY POLL BUT I WILL ONLY BE RANKING THE CLASS AA SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF
THE MAJOR TIME CONSTAINTS OF DOING THE NE NTN REGION, COACHING
MONSIGNOR FARRELL AND BEING THE DIRECTOR OF
THE SCHOOL AS WELL AS THE OTHER
RESPONSIBILITES ASSOCIATED WITH COACHING, TRAVEL AND ADMINISTRATION.
So if anyone out there would like to take the reigns on the Class
A rankings and the Class B rankings please let me know ASAP. Looks like we have someone
for the Class C and Class D rankings.
THANK YOU!
____________________________________________________________________________
BONUS COVERAGE
SOME ASKED FOR IT SO
HERE IT IS:
NYS PRESEASON TOP TEN
1 - Collegiate... AIS
2 - Shenedehowa... S2
3 - Liverpool... S3
3 - Warwick Valley... S9
4 - Fayetteville Manlius... S3
5 - St. Anthony's... CHSAA
6 - Chaminade... CHSAA
7 - Smithtown... S11
8 - Queensbury...
S2
9 - Byram Hills... S1
10 - Burnt Hills... S2
ENJOY AND HAVE FUN!!! See you on the
trails...
NYS PREVIEW #2
08.02.06 (by Tom Cuffe)
Is NYS that good? YES IT
IS! So good in fact that we need installment #2 in our preview
of looking at the best of the best for the upcoming season. To use a
line by NYrunner, his
signature actually: "NYS-7 teams
have competed at NTN---3 wins, 3 second
place finishes....will the dominance continue?" Well with the wealth
of talent of the athletes in NYS XC and the leadership and vision of
the great coaches of NYS -- CROSS-COUNTRY 2006 --promises to a very
exciting and competitive season indeed.
When
last we met we had given you some top teams to watch on the trails this year.
Now we shall add to that. The biggest news in NYS cross-country is that there
will be a transfer or two this year: J. Stephen Murdock from Saratoga Springs
(S2) to Shenendehowa (S2) is a fact that makes the Plainsmen extremely tough,
throw in another transfer (the rich get richer!) in frosh phenom Mike Danaher from CBA - Albany (S2) a 9:54.08
freshmen. With the magic of coach Matt Jones and the tradition of
big time performances out of Shen the top contending teams will have their
hands full!!! Another transfer of different proportions is that of a coaching
change at powerful St. Anthony's of the CHSAA out on Long Island. Tim Dearie (a St. Anthony's
alum!) most recently of Kevin Tshirhart, Northport (S11) fame is the former
coach of the Friars -- he lead them to three Federation titles, he takes over
the head job at his alma mater!!! Watch out CHSAA Sectional rival
Chaminade!
Burnt Hills (S2) will have a very strong team this year
with #1 returnee Drew Houghtalen a 9:17.97 performer this spring -- he will
be backed up by a strong group of young harriers. Coach Chip Button has always done a
marvelous job with his troops.
On
the individual scene Chris Mason of Auburn (S3) will truly be a force
on the XC trails this year. After watching him demolish a very fine
10,000 field at the Empire State Games last week
in winning with a very fine 33:34.68 he is one strong athlete and ran
a good 13:22.9 for 2.5 at last year's Manhattan College Invitational at the Mecca, Van Cortlandt
Park. The 5,000 at ESG was won by Tom Ruebens of Wilson
(S6)
out in the Buffalo area. His 15:45.47 was just enough to hold off Andy Clyne
(Washingtonville S9) 15:46.19. The 1,500 at ESG was by all accounts a strange
race to watch with multiply surges and a very modest pace with Aaron Foote of
Niagara-Wheatfield (S6) winning in 4:09.20 over Erik Van Ingen
4:09. from Marathon (S4). In the 3,000 steeplechase the STEEPLE
PEOPLE put on a nice show led by the outstanding frosh Joe Whelan out of Section
6's Hamburg High who won in 9:54.92.
INSTALLMENT #3 - Next edition we'll look at: Queensbury, Niskayuna
and Shaker as well a few more teams and individuals.
Edit: Anyone that would like to add a comment or observation for
print please email Mr. Cuffe at TJCUFFE@aol.com – be sure to put NYS XC in the subject line.
NYS
PREVIEW #1
7.01.06
(by Tom Cuffe)
New York State will once again be among the best if not the best state in
the nation once the fall racing season rolls around. Producing quality teams
and individuals has been a NYS tradition for years -- and 2006 will be no
exception. The history of great teams from the Empire State goes back decades and decades. Looking at recent history
and the advent of the Internet has put the Harrier sport in forefront locally
as well as nationwide. With the addition of the brilliant brain child of Josh
Rowe and John Truax of NIKE -- the Nike Team
Nationals -- has set the bar as high
as it has ever been in US history. The bottom line is that NYS has been the most
outstanding (if not just dominant!) of all team performers in the first two
edition of the NTN Championships!
In 2006 leading the way
team-wise will be two teams that will have huge national aspirations in Collegiate (AIS) of NYC and Chaminade (CHSAA) of the Catholic
league. Collegiate will be the
preseason #1 in NYS and will be ranked very high in the NTN Northeast
rankings. FM (S3) will be in
the hunt and section three rival Liverpool (S3) will field an
outstanding squad as well. Upstart Smithtown (S11) of Long Island will
field a quality state contending team. The jury is out on several
other teams as the depth chart appears to go only three deep this includes: St. Anthony’s (CHSAA); Saratoga Springs (S2); Warwick Valley (S9) and Shenendehowa (S2). Special
mention should be made of Byram
Hills (S1) who return the
majority of their 4x800 team which ran 7:44.19 at NON for sixth place and
All-American status.
Top individuals to watch
will be the 1-2-3 finishers
from last years Federation Championship race -- Brian Rhodes-Devey (Guilderland),
Steve Murdock (Saratoga
Springs) and Colin Heenan (Liverpool). Throw in a 4:12 and 9:01.75 from Tommy Gruenewald of FM, All-American
steeplechaser (9:14.57) Ryan Mc Dermott of Chaminade (also a 4:12 miler!)
and Corey Robinson (Greece Athena) with a 9:14.91 in a downpour in 45 degree
temps at States/Feds in Canton, NY. Toss in Charles White (Garden City), Chris Williams (Collegiate),
Andy Clyne (Washingtonville) and Christian
Thompson (Candor) all four will
be in the thick of every race they run.
Three new comers to
watch will be John Badolato (West Islip) with a 4:15.73 at Feds, Lee Berube (Ticonderoga) who ran 9:17.88 at Feds and Colby DelBene (Pawling) a soph who ripped off a 9:19.60 in the rain that night at St.
Lawrence University. With all this
and MORE… NYS once again is a
national power in cross-country. The Federation Meet in November will be
nothing short of SPECTACULAR!!!
Edit: Anyone that
would like to add a comment or observation for print please email Mr. Cuffe at TJCUFFE@aol.com – be sure to put NYS XC in the
subject line.
NYS Sports Writers
RETURNING ALL-STATE
CROSS-COUNTRY 2006
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE GRADES REFLECT THE ATHLETES
YEAR IN SCHOOL FROM LAST YEAR XC SEASON!!!
First Team All-State
Tommy Gruenewald 11 Fayetteville Manlius
Colin Heenan 11 Liverpool
Steve Murdock 11 Saratoga Springs
Brian Rhodes-Devey 11 Guilderland
Second Team All-State
Christian Thompson 11 Candor
Charles White 10 Garden City
Third Team All-State
Corey Robinson 11 Greece Odyssey
Keith Stapleton 11 Curtis
Chris Williams 11 Collegiate
Fourth Team All-State
Lee Berube 10 Ticonderoga
Andy Clyne 11 Washingtonville
Drew Hart 11 Ithaca
Max Kasak 11 Byram Hills
Brendan Martin 11 Smithtown
Zach Rivers 10 Victor
Fifth Team All-State
Luke Fitzgibbons 11 Fayetteville Manlius
Ben Hall 11 Victor
Chris Mason 11 Auburn
Andrew Pfeiffer 11 Clarence
Terrence Prial 11 Warwick Valley
Sixth Team All-State
Ryan Bloom 11 Spencerport
Matt Flint 10 Queensbury
Zack Predmore 11 Shenendehowa
Derek Seber 11 McQuaid Jesuit
Seventh Team All-State
Dwayne Alexis 11 Collegiate
Andrew Corcoran 10 Westhill
Drew Houghtalen 11 Burnt Hills
Jeremy Mc Allister 11 Fonda Fultonville
Ryan Mc Dermott 11 Chaminade
Erik Van Ingen 11 Marathon
Eighth Team All-State
Christopher Allen 11 Saratoga Springs
Itse Begho 11 Collegiate
Cory Reed 11 James O'Neill
Tom Reubens 11 Wilson
Josh Zubler 11 Frontier
Ninth Team All-State
Colin Anderson 10 Cornwall
Matt Bogdan 11 Shaker
Dan Frost 11 Smithtown
Nick Scalione 11 Liverpool
Richard Schmitz 11 Port Washington
Steve Russ 11 St. Anthony’s
Tenth Team All-State
Zach Borenstein 11 Edgemont
Aaron Foote 11 Niagara-Wheatfield
Eleveth Team All-State
Mike
Brocks
11 FD Roosevelt
Ryan
Madigan
11 Scotia
Darryll
Oliver
11 Brooklyn Technical
Greg Pallotta
11 Westhill
John
Reilly
11 Monsignor Mc Clancy
Conor
Shelly
11 Kellenberg
Memorial
Dylan Trotzuk
10 Collegiate