×

Saranac Lake boys triumphant at Burnt Hills

The seven boys on Saranac Lake High School’s varsity boys varsity cross country team stick together at the start of Saturday’s Burnt Hills Cross Country Invitational meet at the Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs. From left are Adam Hesseltine, James Catania, Micah McCulley, Lauchlan Cheney-Seymour, (behind) Jacob Alberga, Tyler Martin and Anderson Gray. They took first place out of 25 teams in the Division 2 race for medium-size schools. (Enterprise photo — Peter Crowley)

SARANAC LAKE — A really good season for the Saranac Lake boys cross country team keeps getting more impressive.

On Saturday, the Red Storm’s state-ranked unbeaten boys achieved another major accomplishment, taking the Division 2 school team title at the Burnt Hills Cross Country Invitational meet on the Saratoga Spa State Park course.

Saranac Lake topped a field of 25 schools by a wide margin in the Division 2 race, finishing with a winning total of 43 points. Schalmont was the next closest opponent, claiming runner-up with 127 points. The Griffith Institute of Springville rounded out the top three with 146 points.

[Click here to see an buy photos of Saranac Lake and Lake Placid runners in the Burnt Hills Cross Country Invitational meet.]

Anderson Gray led a Red Storm team that placed four runners in the top 10 and had a fifth member claim 15th in a race that featured 175 competitors.

Anderson Gray of Saranac Lake approaches the finish line on the way to a fifth-place result in the Burnt Hills Cross Country Invitational meet Saturday at the Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs. (Enterprise photo — Peter Crowley)

Gray finished fifth in 16 minutes, 26.45 seconds, and teammates Lauchlan Cheney-Seymour, Micah McCulley and Tyler Martin followed with respective eighth- through 10th place showings. Shalmont’s Francisco Beltran won the race in 15:28.76, Chris Hughes of Glens Falls was runner-up in 15:39.45 and Shalmont’s Antonio Beltran finished third in 15:49.81.

Also for Saranac Lake, James Catania placed 15th in 17:07.14, Adam Hesseltine was 32nd in 17:38.54, and Jacob Alberga finished 48th in 18:00.53.

“It was a great day for our guys team,” said Saranac Lake coach Bill Peer, whose boys squad is ranked seventh in the New York State Sportswriters Association Class C poll. “We needed the opportunity to run in a bigger race with a strong field, and this race did that.

“Our guys have put together a nice season, and as we turn the corner into the final four weeks, a meet like this gives us a sense of how we stack up,” Peer continued. “There are some very good class C teams in New York state, and at this point we feel we are part of that mix.”

Saranac Lake’s girls also had a solid showing in the meet, placing eighth among 20 teams competing in Division 2. Senior Madison Grimone paced the Red Storm, finishing 26th overall in 20:43.35. The girls Division 2 race included 156 competitors.

Jesse Izzo of Lake Placid grits his teeth as he sprints to the finish line of Saturday’s Burnt Hills Cross Country Invitational meet. (Enterprise photo — Peter Crowley)

Gwen Mader was next for Saranac Lake, placing 33rd in 20:54.59. Also for the Red Storm: Evelyn Eller finished 44th, Sierra O’Mahoney was 54th, Leara Bogdanova placed 60th, Kaylee McClean was 83rd, Sylvie Linck finished in 103rd place, and Molly Bell rounded out the team in 118th place.

Greenville’s Tess Fitzmaurice won the girls Division 2 title with an 18:57.31 finish time, Elle Russell of Springville was runner-up in 19:04.97 and Isabel Vogel placed third in 19:07.76.

Saranac Lake’s girls had a score of 204 points. Canton won the team title with 103 points, Peru placed second with 116 points, and Saranac Central was third with a 130 total.

Lake Placid’s boys captured third place in Division 1 with 103 points. Mount Greylock won the crown with 59 points and Maple Hill was second with 71 points.

Scott Schulz paced Lake Placid, finishing 11th overall in 16:51.37. The Blue Bombers had three more runners in the top 25, with Jesse Izzo and James Flanigan leading the way with respective 18th and 19th place results with finish times of 17:09.70 and 17:515.52. Kai Frantz took 25th in 17:29.07. Also for the Blue Bombers, Mike Scutt finished 34th, Van Ledger was 53rd, Max Flanigan placed 68th, and Tim Kelleher took 79th place.

Brandon Olden of North Warren was the boys Division 1 champion in 16:05.59, and Jesse Seid and Sam Culver, both of Mount Greylock, grabbed second and third place. Mount Greylock won by a wide margin with 41 points, with Duanesburg taking the next spot with 114 points.

Just an eighth-grader, Annie Rose-McCandlish turned in a standout performance for Lake Placid in the girls race, finishing in 11th place with a 20:18.06 result. Mayfield’s Madison Relyea won the race in 18:44.66, Jeacki Wells of Mount Greylock was runner-up in 18:46.76, and Duanesburg’s Elaine Atanasova finished third in 18:53.63.

Mount Greylock, Duanesburg and Hoosic Valley claimed the top three spots in the team competition in order.

Also for Lake Placid: Sara Rose-McCandlish was 41st, Alexa Harper finished 91st, Sandra Harper was 96th, and Lily Flanigan was 112th runner to cross the line.

Lake Placid’s girls placed 11th in the 16-team field with 247 points.

The Saranac Lake and Lake Placid cross country teams return to Champlain Valley Athletic Conference competition on the road Tuesday. The Red Storm travels to Cadyville for a meet with Saranac Central, Schroon Lake and Ticonderoga, and the Blue Bombers compete along the shores of Lake Champlain at the Point Au Roche State Park against Beekmantown, AuSable Valley and Elizabethtown-Westport.

Both meets are scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today