Tioga County Sports ReportTIOGA COUNTY — Owego senior Jaelyn Chrysler capped her high school career with her fifth trip to the NYSPHSAA Girls Cross Country Championships in November.
Tioga County’s fastest female competitor at the state meet, she has been selected the All-Tioga County Girls Cross Country "Runner of the Year."
Newark Valley 8th-grader Hadley Merrill is the "Newcomer of the Year" and Owego’s John Heath is the "Coach of the Year."
Chrysler repeatedly finished near the front in her races, winning the STAC Central Division title to lead the River Hawks to the team championship. She was sixth overall in STAC.
She placed third in the Section IV Class B meet and Owego took second as a team.
At the state meet, Chrysler placed 64th overall to lead a group of four Owego competitors.
Merrill recorded several impressive finishes throughout the season, including second at the Marathon Invitational and third in the IAC Large School Division race as the Cardinals placed second in both meets.
She was the runner-up at the IAC championships and at the Section IV Class D championships, leading the NV squad to second-place showings in both events.
Merrill crossed the finish line 21st in the Class D race at the state meet, missing out on a medal by one spot.
Heath guided the River Hawks to several impressive showings throughout the fall with his team closing out the season as the STAC Central Division champions and the Section IV Class B runner-up.
2025 All-Tioga County Girls Cross Country Super 7:
Jaelyn Chrysler, senior, Owego: See above.
Hadley Merrill, 8th grade, Newark Valley: See above.
Abigail McHugh, senior, Owego: She placed eighth in the STAC Central Division and 12th overall in STAC, and led the team with a runner-up showing at the Section IV Class B meet. At the state championships, she placed 75th.
Sarah Heath, freshman, Owego: Heath took 12th in the STAC Central Division and 31st overall in STAC. She finished fifth at the Section IV Class B meet to qualify for states. She had a strong race at states, placing 76th.
Brook Illsley, senior, Newark Valley: Finishing her career with a strong campaign, Illsley placed fourth in the IAC Large School Division and fifth at the IAC championships. She went on to place eighth at the Section IV Class D meet, missing a state qualifying spot by just two places.
Sarah Palladino, senior, Owego: She placed fifth in the STAC Central Division and 22nd in STAC overall. She finished fifth at the Section IV Class B meet to qualify for states where she took 89th place.
Lilly LaFever, senior, Owego: LaFever came in sixth in the STAC Central Division and 26th in STAC overall. She crossed the finish line 13th at the Section IV Class B meet, missing out on a trip to states by just two places.
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IN PHOTO: Owego’s Jaelyn Chrysler.
