It has been a full season now, but the Holland Patent boys cross country team hasn’t forgotten the joy of winning a Section III championship last fall.
The Golden Knights squad will once again lead the field of local runners as they look to retain their Class C title in this year’s championship meet scheduled to be held at Jamesville Beach Park on Saturday.
The first of a series of 10 boys and girls class meets is set to start at 11 a.m.
The winning teams along with the top individual finishers will advance to the state meet at SUNY Plattsburgh on Saturday, Nov. 14.
The Rome Free Academy, Remsen, South Lewis, Oriskany, Westmoreland, Adirondack and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill boys and girls squads will also be on the course at Jamesville Beach Park.
RFA will send eight boys to this year’s meet to compete amongst the Class AA field, including seniors Thomas Gymburch, Jordan Hoffman, and Frank Mastraccio, along with sophomores Jeff Brown, Connor Butters, Brandon Trautner and freshmen Josh Knapp and Matt Silver.
RFA has been riddled with injuries this season, but it has been Mastraccio who has stood out from the group, according to coach Ty Knamm.
"Frank has had a solid year," Knamm said. "He has improved from the race held at the same course in September," he added.
RFA competed in the Chittenango Invitational at the same site early in the season. Rome was led during that meet by Mastraccio with a sixth-place finish, followed by Connor Butters’ 17th place finish at the meet.
Knamm also said that the team rested three of its starters due to either injury or illness in last weekend’s Adirondack Cross Country Invitational event but is hoping his squad will be back on track this weekend.
"We have been slowed by injuries this year," said Knamm. "We had a strong performance from those runners in the race, but we are looking to have our best performance of the season (on Saturday)," he added.
On the girls side, Rome is sending eight girls as well, including Christy Sirni, Jessica Razy, Brianna Weir, Shelby Knapp, Jackie Sirni, Erica Stapleton, Melanie Entelisano and Paige Paquette.
Sirni came away with a 34th-place overall finish for the Lady Black Knights, while teammate Razy finished 36th overall during the Jamesville Beach Park meet earlier this season. "I’m pleased that we have been getting better and better as the season has gone on. Our last two races, the New Hartford Invitational and the CNYCL National Division league meet have been our best races this year with most of the girls posting either season best or career best times," said RFA girls coach Rich Miller.
"We know the Jamesville Beach course very well and would like to be aggressive on the flats and in the hills. We are competing well and hope that will continue on Saturday," he added.
The Rome girls didn’t compete in the Adirondack Invitational because Miller said that he wanted his runners to focus more on the sectional meet.
The HP boys squad, which edged out Jordan-Elbridge with 62 points to take the title last season, will once again be at the top of the short list of schools to come away with a Class C title.
The Golden Knights are led by the twin brothers Dylan and Cody Racha, while Robert Baird, Tyler Evans, Steve Lisi and Eric Stevens are also having fine seasons for the Golden Knights.
The Lady Golden Knights team will be led by Leah Rice, Cheyenne Petrillo-Laver, and Jennifer MacMillan.
Another boys team that will be looking to make noise during the meet will be the VVS squad.
The Red Devils boys team will send out runners Seth MacDonald and Nathan Faherty to also come away with the Class B title while Lauren McDonald and Kerry Miley will pace the girls’ squad.
Sam Anderson will lead the way for the boys team for the South Lewis Falcons while the trio of runners, including Victoria Campanian, Alexandra Doney, and Helenka Ostrum, will soar for the Lady Falcons team in the Class D group.
Other Class D competitors, Westmoreland, Oriskany, and Remsen will also be looking to take the class down, as well.
The Westmoreland boys’ team is led by Peter Donnelly, while Eric O’Donnell and Jesse Pratt will guide the Oriskany boys’ team and Lizzy McGough and Erin Corrigan will guide the Remsen girls squad during the competition.
