SECTION IV CLASS B CROSS COUNTRY: OWEGO BOYS THREE-PEAT; GIRLS QUALIFY TWO FOR STATES (2011-11-07)

Tioga County Sports Report
CHENANGO VALLEY — Owego came into the Section IV Class B Cross Country Championship as the two-time defending champ in the boys meet. Despite depleted ranks experience-wise, the Indians made it three in a row on a rainy and chilly day at Chenango Valley State Park Thursday.

Paced by James McDonald's third-place finish, and four other scoring runners in the top 15, Owego ran away with the team title, it's 44 points easily outdistancing runner-up Vestal and third-place Windsor, who scored 63 and 67 points, respectively. Both teams had bested the Indians at the STAC championship meet 12 days earlier.

"I haven't ever been as happy as I am right now at the end of one of these races," said Owego head coach John Heath. "Coming into the season, the expectations were to rebuild and to be strong and to maybe have an outside shot and definitely get stronger for the next couple years to come. It was about week two or three where we realized that we were right in the mix with Windsor and vestal and Johnson City.

"The kids were motivated. Every week, we were focused. They knew what they wanted. I haven't seen a team in the 15 years I've been doing this that I've coached that have put it together the way these kids have put it together. I was thrilled. It was amazing to be a part of."

Meanwhile, Owego qualified two girls for the state meet as Abigail Fahey crossed the finish line in second place and Hannah Monell took 10th.

BOYS
McDonald registered a time of 18:05. He trailed only Windsor standout Josh Stone, who left the field in his proverbial dust while posting a time of 16:30.8, and Johnson City's Sam Shepard, who clocked 17:58.3.

Also placing in the top 10 for the Indians were Hunter Ellis in eighth with a time of 18:40.4 and Matt Miller in ninth at 18:41.5.

Rounding out the Indians' scoring were Owen Casterline, 11th with an 18:47, and Jayce Stuart, 13th in 18:48.9.

Also competing for Owego were Gavin Bowers (14th, 18:51.1), Derek Sarrge (21st, 19:13.9), Jason Barnes (25th, 19:27.7), Dylan Pitcher (28th, 19:52.5) and Nicholas Maslin (30th, 20:09.4).

"There were kids that stepped up today who had been running in the eighth and ninth spots (on the team), who finished fifth and sixth, which helped a lot," Heath said. "We have a young team and you get into a big race like the STAC meet with a lot of other kids in there and my kids might not be as confident, might not be as sure of themselves where in a small race it's easier to see where they are, and they certainly packed together well and they really ran the race of their season today."

McDonald competed in last year's state meet.

GIRLS
Fahey crossed the finish line in 21:56.5, a comfortable margin of nearly 20 seconds over the third-place runner.

Due to the rule that allows a section to send the top five individual runners not on the winning team to states, Monell grabbed the fifth spot and was 10th overall with a time of 23:09.8. Team champion M-E had five runners finish in the top nine.

The Indians' other scoring runners all placed in the top 20. Chelsea Corey finished 14th in 24:42.6, Alyssa Stephens took 16th with a 24:54.7 and Ella Rieg was 18th in 25:41.5.

Other Owego runners were Katlyn Gusse (21st, 27:08.9), Amber Neumuth (23rd, 27:22.1), Mariah Salter (24th, 27:32.8), Macy Cunningham (29th, 31:06.3) and Ryleigh Williams (31st, 31:32.1).

M-E's Lindsey Stokes won the race with a time of 19:46.

The Spartans won the team title with 25 points. Vestal was second with 52 and Owego was third with 60.

This year's meet will be held Nov. 16 at SUNY Plattsburgh.

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IN PHOTO 1: Owego's James McDonald (L). ... PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.