TIOGA COUNTY CROSS COUNTRY ALL-STARS: NV'S SILBA, OWEGO'S BOWERS BLAZE THE TRAIL TO INAUGURAL TCSR ALL-STAR TEAMS (2018-12-24)

Tioga County Sports Report
TIOGA COUNTY - With the exception of one meet, Owego's Nate Bowers and Newark Valley's Marissa Silba were Tioga County's top finishers this season. Ironically, both competitors were nipped at the finish line by their own teammate. That kind of domination on the course made the seniors the obvious choices for 2018 Tioga County Sports Report's Boys and Girls Runner of the Year, respectively.

Girls Runner of the Year
Silba capped her high school career with a 12th-place showing at the Class C state championships. A five-time state qualify, it was her third top-20 finish.

She crossed the finish line first on four occasions - the season-opening SVEC IAC meet, the Pete Matzke Invitational, the IAC Championships and the Section IV Class C Championships.

Her only loss to a Tioga County opponent came at the Groton IAC meet where she was the runner-up to teammate Sophie Stewart. Silba was also second at the IAC South Division Championships. She added a third at the Bob Greene / Newark Valley Invitational, took fifth at the Marathon Invitational and placed sixth at the Owego Invitational.

Silba led the Cardinals to a team title at the Pete Matzke Invitational, second place at the IAC Championships, and to third at the IAC South Division meet and at sectionals. NV would also place in the top eight at the Owego, Bob Greene and Marathon invites.

Boys Runner of the Year
Bowers led the Indians to STAC Metro division and Section IV Class B championships, and a return trip to the state meet. He had six top-10 finishes, was 12th out of 392 runners at the St. Anthony's Invitational and placed 31st out of 114 at the state meet. He led the Indians across the finish line in every race except one.

Owego won team titles at the Windsor Invitational, the McDaniel-Baxter Invitational at Chenango Valley, at its own Owego Invitational, and the Bob Greene / Newark Valley Invitational. The Indians also won the Marathon Invitational large school division without its top two runners, Bowers and Cameron Szabo.

Girls Newcomer of the Year
Owego's Mary-Carol Hoover began the season as a JV runner and finished in the top five in two meets. By season's end, she was making the trip to Long Island to compete in the Class B state championships.

A sophomore first-year runner, Hoover started breaking into the Indians' top seven. She was fourth on the team (61st overall) at the Bob Greene / Newark Valley Invitational, fifth (35th) at the Stock-Conwicke Invitational, sixth (66th) at the Marathon Invitational and sixth (55th) at the STAC Championships.

When it came time to compete in the Section IV Class B meet, Hoover came through in a big way. She would finish eighth overall and qualify for the state meet, where she would place 104th.

Boys Newcomer of the Year
Newark Valley's Jonny Sherwood was the top freshman finisher at every meet up until the state championships, where he was the third 9th-grader to cross the finish line, placing 32nd overall in a field of 131 competitors.

With the exception of states, he placed in the top 10 in every meet

Sherwood won the five-team Groton IAC meet and the Pete Matzke Invitational - which were held in a four-day span. He was also the runner-up at the IAC South Division Championships and placed third in the five-team SVEC IAC meet, the IAC Championships and the Section IV Class C Championships.

His other performances included seventh at the Owego Invitational, and eighth at the Bob Greene / Newark Valley Invitational and Marathon Invitational .

Sherwood led the Cardinals to the IAC South Division title. The Cardinals would also place fourth at the IAC meet and take third at sectionals.

GIRLS ALL-STARS
Marissa Silba, Senior, Newark Valley
Sophie Stewart, Senior, Newark Valley
Sheridan Talada, Junior, Waverly
Brittany Sanguinito, Senior, Owego
Jenna Hunsinger, Senior, Owego
Olivia Nittinger, Freshman, Waverly

BOYS ALL-STARS
Nate Bowers, Senior, Owego
Cameron Szabo, Senior, Owego
Jonny Sherwood, Freshman, Newark Valley
Calum Avery, Sophomore, SVEC
Collin Wright, Sophomore, Waverly
Eaan Hackett, Senior, Owego
Gabe Watkins, Senior, Owego
Lewis Race, Senior, Owego

IN PHOTO: Newark Valley's Marissa Silba and Owego's Nate Bowers.