After States and Feds, New York Fields Reshuffled For NXR

By Erik Boal and Doug Binder, DyeStat Editors

The return of the Nike Cross Regional Series, which started Nov. 13, serves thousands of high school cross country runners at each of nine regional meets that span the country. NXR New York, which takes place at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. comes on the third of four compelling weekends, with live webcast coverage of every regional. 

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In its final appearance in New York this season, the top-ranked girls team in the country and one of the greatest lineups in state history will showcase once more what could have been a group contending for a third consecutive Nike Cross Nationals title in December, had the event not been canceled the past two seasons over COVID-19 concerns.

Saratoga Springs, competing again as Kinetic XC, has dominated every contender throughout the state this season and Saturday’s final expects to be no different, especially with its top challenger Fayetteville-Manlius not scheduled to compete.

Fayetteville-Manlius actually prevailed by a 47-49 margin over Kinetic in the 2019 regional. Kinetic went on to win the Nike Cross Nationals title the following week in Oregon with 78 points and Fayetteville-Manlius was seventh with 206 points.

Anya Belisle, Emily Bush, Claire Cuneo, Alycia Hart, Mackenzie Hart, Ella Kurto and Sheridan Wheeler have often swept the top seven spots in races this season, and have the potential to produce the first five finishers at minimum at Bowdoin Park.

Kurto is the top returning finisher from the 2019 regional, securing sixth overall, as Kinetic had five scorers in the top 25.

Kinetic had five of the top 11 competitors at both the Class A state final and the New York Federation meet this season, but both of those events included Fayetteville-Manlius.

Bethlehem Central, led by junior Rylee Davis, will compete as Delmar XC after placing third as a team at the Federation Championships.

Corning-Painted Post, competing as Corning Track Club, was fifth in the Class A state final. Sadie Beres is the top competitor for the group in the championship race, as Corning Track Club also has athletes participating in the open race.

Churchville-Chili, which finished sixth in the Class A state final and is led by senior McKenna Arguien, is entered as Saints Running Club.

Frontier Central freshman Lillie Bogdan, who was 13th in the Class A state meet and 14th at the Federation Championships, will get another opportunity to test herself against a deep Kinetic XC lineup.

Orchard Park sophomore Noel Barlette was 17th at the Class A state final, with John Jay senior Amelie Guzman finishing 20th at the Class A state meet, followed by 28th at the Federation Championships.

Among the Class B entries, Danielle Cirrito of Miller Place was fifth in the state final and placed 24th at the Federation Championships.

Madelyn Powers of Queensbury, representing Adirondack Runners, earned 10th at the Class B state final and was 49th at the Federation Championships.

Jamisen Vendetti of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, representing Havoc XC, finished 14th in the Class B championship.

Pipher Reid, a senior at Chenango Forks, was second in the Class C state final, before securing 23rd overall at the Federation Championships.

Tea Malone-Bonacci of Harley Allendale Columbia is also entered following a third-place finish in the Class D state meet.

Ava Carsley, a junior at Valley Central, is scheduled to compete after placing 25th at the Federation Championships, with St. Joseph Hill sophomore Ava Gumb also entered following her 32nd-place performance at Feds.

Class B Champs Look To Maintain Bowdoin Park Mojo

Deluge XC (Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) will return to Bowdoin Park looking to add a New York regional title to the New York Federation victory it earned last weekend.

The Class B champions will face Corning Track Club (Corning-Painted Post), the Class A champion and the No. 1 team in the region all fall. Corning TC is competing without its top individuals, senior Jack Gregorski and junior Ashton Bange, who have opted to run at the Eastbay Northeast regional, which is also Saturday. 

When the two teams last met, at the McQuaid Invitational on Oct. 2, Corning finished second with 92 points and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake was third with 126.

Peter Fulgieri led BH-BL last weekend with an 18th place finish as the group's scoring five split 50 seconds in a deep field. Seniors Nick Grock and Ryan Allison, and junior Matthew Rounds, give the team a compact top four.

Corning will counter with a lineup that includes Matthew Gensel, Tevin McLaren, Gabe Cornfield and Joshua Beres.

Halfmoon Harriers (Shenendehowa Central), the Class A third-place team, is another team title contender with a lineup that is led by seniors Nathan Brimhall and Michael Clay.  

Cow Harbor TC (Northport) finished seventh at the Federation Championships. 

Senior Ike Blough, the NY Section 9 individual champion and fourth-place finisher in the Class B state final, will lead Mount XC Club (Mount Academy). He was 17th at Feds.

Zachary Winnicki, running unattached, was ninth at the Class A final for Lancaster Central. 

Pierce Young, the third-place finisher in the Class D state final, will run for Haight Hill Running Club.