IAC CROSS COUNTRY: EXPERIENCE SHOULD MAKE NEWARK VALLEY COMPETITIVE (2025-09-04)

By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
NEWARK VALLEY — With 18 runners returning, including six seniors and four juniors, the Newark Valley boys and girls cross country teams should be competitive in the IAC and Section IV this season.

BOYS
The Cardinals sported a 16-4 overall record in 2024 and were led by Marcos Escalante, who is back for his senior season. NV also returns its No. 2 and No. 3 runners in sophomore Leland Houston and junior Camden King.

Other returning letter winners include senior Hunter Tyrell, junior Andrew Lelik, and sophomores Rhyley Payne, Reese Illsley and Rex Chapman.

Sheldon Houston, an 8th-grader, joins the ranks this season.

Austin DeBolt is the lone graduate.

“The team has improved quite a bit since last year, and we are hoping to be more competitive in our bigger races this season as we will have an overall better scoring group,” said coach Eric D’Arcy. “We have a very competitive schedule that should help our athletes peak at the right time of the year. We are excited to get the season started.”

NV placed fifth at the IAC meet and was sixth at sectionals.

D’Arcy expects the top Section IV Class D teams to be Delhi, Trumansburg and

GIRLS
The NV ladies have 13 competitors on the roster, 10 who are returning letter winners from a team that went 18-2 last year.

Among the veteran performers are seniors Brook Illsley, the No. 1 runner, and Olivia Vaughn, the No. 2 runner.

Also back is senior Emily LaPorte. Classmate Savannah Beebe, who ran varsity in 8th grade, is giving it a go again.

The returning group also includes juniors Abigail Escalante and Malerie Gregrow, as well as sophomores Leah Lansing, Elle Webb, Charlotte Vaughn and Kaitlyn Bohn.

The Cardinals add a trio of newcomers in sophomore Payton Rhodes, and 8th-graders Nora McCann and Hadley Merrill.

“The team had a very good summer of running, and are looking forward to a great year,” D’Arcy said. “Last year the team was third in the section and they were second the year before that. The girls are expecting to be in the hunt again this year.

“With four seniors and two juniors on the team there is a lot of great leadership,” he added.

The Cardinals were fourth in the IAC meet last fall, just behind Candor, then finished third at sectionals, a spot ahead of the Coyotes.

The top Section IV Class D teams appear to be Delhi and Trumansburg.

Newark Valley opens the season Saturday at the Dave Forbes Invitational in Oneonta.

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2025 boys roster
Marcos Escalante, senior
Hunter Tyrell, senior
Camden King, junior
Andrew Lelik, junior
Leland Houston, sophomore
Rhyley Payne, sophomore
Reese Illsley, sophomore
Rex Chapman, sophomore
Sheldon Houston, 8th

2025 girls roster
Brook Illsley, senior
Olivia Vaughn, senior
Emily LaPorte, senior
Savannah Beebe, senior
Abigail Escalante, junior
1 Malerie Gregrow, junior
Leah Lansing, sophomore
Elle Webb, sophomore
Charlotte Vaughn, sophomore
Kaitlyn Bohn, sophomore
Payton Rhodes, sophomore
Nora McCann, 8th
Hadley Merrill, 8th

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IN PHOTO 1: Leland Houston (left) and Marcos Escalante are two of NV’s top three returning boys runners. IN TOP PHOTO: NV has 10 girls returning to a team which should again be very competitive. … STOCK PHOTOS.

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