Section 2 Harrier Website

2005 Sectional Preview

    Please remember that this is to be only used as a guide to the upcoming season based on runners from last year. With the exception of a couple of cases, new runners and incoming freshmen are not included in the rankings and as past seasons have shown, these runners, especially on the girls side, can make a big impact on a team. Good luck to all teams and have a good season.

                                                                                                                                                    Jonathan Broderick

                                                                                                                                                    webmaster-section2harrier.com

Boys: Class AA, Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D

Girls: Class AA, Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D 

Class AA Boys

AA Boys Comments: Defending champion Saratoga looks to be the favorite to repeat as Class AA champs with Steve Murdock as one of the top runners and another two runners projected to be in the top ten. Second looks to be a dogfight between four teams: Shaker, Guilderland, Shenendehowa, and Niskayuna. I give Shaker the early nod due to their depth and tight pack. Guilderland has the edge for third with defending champion Brian Rhodes-Devey and Seth Dubois. Shenendehowa has a good one-two with Dan McManamon and Chris Killough and I have little doubt that they won't be better than their early prediction. Niskayuna with Kyle O'Connor and Nick Cioffi have a great shot at second with help from the rest of the team. Individually should be one heck of a race with defending champion Brian Rhodes-Devey, Saratoga's Steve Murdock, Shenendehowa's Dan McManamon and Bethlehem's Matt Shaffer. Rhodes-Devey gets my early pick as defending champion, Murdock is healthy again and had an excellent summer. McManamon, when healthy can run with anyone in the state and Shaffer had a good summer with a gold medal at Empires.

Class AA Girls

AA Girls Comments: No reason to think Saratoga won't sixth straight sectional title. Even without Nicole Blood and Caitlin Lane they still have four of the top five returning times plus two transfers. Columbia is the favorite for second. If healthy, they have five runners returning that were under 19 minutes last year. Shenendehowa lost two runners to graduation but return a good core and will challenge Columbia for second. Shaker had a tight pack and could move up if the pack moves up. Bethlehem lost two big runners to graduation but with Kristen Kenney they can do well if the young runners have a good season. Individually it should be a two girl race between Lyndsey Ferguson and Hannah Davidson. Both runners were Foot Locker qualifiers last year and have been running well this summer. Bethlehem's Kristen Kenney Looks to be third but there are plenty of runners behond her that will challenge.

Class A Boys

A Boys Preview: Will this finally be the year that Queensbury finally break Burnt Hills' six year grasp on the sectional title? Early predictions say yes. With a solid top three of Steve Soprano, Jeremy Beaudette, and Kevin Mulcahy and great depth it will be tough to take them out. Defending state champion Burnt Hills can never be counted out as they are always able to reload. Drew Houghtalen looks to have a good season and with their depth will still be a worry. Scotia-Glenville looks much improved with Brandon Madigan as one of the top runners and Ryan Madigan and Anthony Gatta looking to improve. Averill Park look to be fourth with Joel Frost-Tift leading the way but the rest of the team is young. Individually, Queensbury's Steve Soprano is the only runner returning that was under 16 minutes last year and is the early favorite. After Soprano is a tight pack with Scotia-Glenville's Brandon Madigan, Averill Park's Joel Frost-Tift and Queensbury's teammates Jeremy Beaudette and Kevin Mulcahy. I also would look for Drew Houghtalen of Burnt Hills too.

Class A Girls

A Girls Preview: This could be the best team race out of all of them. Holy Names jumped into the favorite spot when defending Class A champion Jillian King transferred. They have a solid top four but are still looking for a  good fifth runner. I think they have enough right now to take the title. Burnt Hills had a good young team lead by Meaghan Gregory. May be a year away but they are still tough. Defending state champion Queensbury lost a little to graduation but still have top runner Cara Sprague and great depth and that's what took them to the state title last year. Individually, Jillian King is the defending champion and only running that was under 18 minutes. Her top competitor will be her sister Caroline who was just over 18 minutes. Claire Hardwick of Holy Names and Queensbury's Cara Sprague should be the top challenges.

Class B Boys

B Boys Preview: Could be quite interesting, Cobleskill-Richmondville has a strong top two with Zach Williams and Matt Langen-Peck and is a slight favorite to repeat as Class B champions. The x-factor will be incoming freshmen which gives Ichabod Crane, lead by Alex Jennings, has a great chance to upend Cobleskill with some freshmen that had a great season last year at the modified level. Schalmont returns everyone and could be a darkhorse. Bishop Gibbons has a strong top two but needs a better fifth runner. Individually, Michael Thornton of Cohoes is the defending champion and is the favorite to repeat. Broadalbin-Perth's Jon Wilcox, Cobleskill-Richmondville's Zach Williams and Sam Dikeman of Bishop Gibbons will be he closest challengers.

Class B Girls

B Girls Preview: Broadalbin-Perth had a tough top four with Alex Kuhl, Liz Ferlazzo, Lianna Ferguson, and Nicole Wojohowski and is the favorite to take the title. They may need a better fifth runner but still should have enough. Lansingburgh returns everyone lead by Amber Kinsey and MElissa Gordon and should be the best bet to challenge Broadalbin-Perth. Bishop Gibbons has great depth lead by defending champion Mairin O'Connor but will need more upfront running to challenge the top two. Individually, it will be a tight race with the Broadalbin-Perth runners, Defending champion Mairin O'Connor of Bishop Gibbons, and Angie Baggetta of Schalmont.

Class C Boys

C Boys Preview: Defending champion Fonda-Fultonville has a tough top three lead by John Moore as is the favorite to repeat as Class C champions. Class D state champions, Berne-Knox-Westerlo move up a class and lost a few to graduation but should still be tough with Travis DeRusso and should be a best team to challenge Fonda-Fultonville. Mayfield has improved much over the last year and lead by Alex Brooks could pull off the upset but will probably need a little more depth to do it. Voorheesville, lead by Mackey Lloyd, has a good top three but are pretty much in the same boat as Mayfield. Individually it looks like a Western Athletic Conference race. Fonda-Fultonville's John Moore and Berne-Knox-Westerlo's Travis DeRusso are the top two returnees with Mayfield's Alex Brooks and Nate Turner of Schenectady Christian look to move up and pull off the win.

Class C Girls

C Girls Preview: With Greenwich going down to Class D's, moving up a class was the best thing for Hoosic Valley and Berne-Knox-Westerlo as theey look to be the top two teams to win the Class C title. Hoosic Valley has a strong, young top three lead by Alyssa Bonnier, Molly Stevens, and Emma D'Ambro and are the early favorites. Berne-Knox-Westerlo were hit by injuries last year and look to be better than last year's results show. Voorheesville has a great top two with Hillary Edmunds and Chantal Little but will need better depth to challenge the top two teams. Individually it looks to be a two girl race between Berne-Knox-Westerlo's Ada Lauterbach and Mayfield's Kimberly Negrich. The two were very close last year and it's tough to pick one over the other. Lauterbach had a better time by two seconds so I'll give her the slight nod. If they falter, look for Voorheesville's Hillary Edmunds and Hoosic Valley's Alyssa Bonnier to step in.

Class D Boys

D Boys Preview: With Berne-Knox-Westerlo moving up to Class C with it's four straight Class D championships, the door is open for a new champion. Lake George has the early lead with their whole team returning lead by Joe Cerrone and T.J. Parker. It's a three team race after that with Duanesburg the early number two with Jonathan Csontos and good depth, they have the ability to win it all if they can step it up this year. North Warren also returns everyone but may be a year away as the their top seven are all underclassmen lead by Greg Turcotte. Berlin will be right behind them. They lost their top two runners but still have Phil Hartshorn and Dan Bulson runing up front. Individually is a toss up and no returning runners ran under 17 minutes last year. Greenwich's Jake D'Acchille was at 17 flat  least year which makes him the early favorite but North Warren's Greg Turcotte, Duanesburg's Jonathan Csontos, and Lake George's Joe Cerrone are right behind him and any one of those could take it. 

Class D Girls

D Girls Preview: Class C State runner-ups Greenwich moves down to Class D which is bad news from the rest of the teams. Greenwich has seven out of the top eight times returning and will be a favorite for the state title as well. Last year's champion and state runner-up Duanesburg returnd all but one of their runners and is the clear number two team lead by Ashley Jackman. Berlin returns their entire team and is a solid third with Kelsey Demich as their top returnee. Individually, it's all Greenwich. Emily Fung is the favorite over her sister Ashley with teammates Brittania O'Keefe and Chelsea Borbolla looking to step in if the Fungs go on vacation or something (jk).