Miles and Smiles
Tri-Valley Garners Boys and Girls Cross-country Wins As Jimmy Bernstein and Autumn Bender Pace Bears To Early Fall Triumphs; Annual Monticello Meet Never Disappoints As Early-Season Showdown Of County Harriers
Boys Team Scores: Tri-Valley (TV) – d. Liberty 18-37; d. Sullivan West 18-37; d. Livingston Manor 16-39; d. Monticello 15-50; Liberty (Lib) – d. Sullivan West 26-29; d. Livingston Manor 19-36; d. Monticello 15-50; Sullivan West (SW) – d. Livingston Manor 23-32; d. Monticello 15-50; Livingston Manor (LM) – d. Monticello (Mon) 15-50.
Girls Scores: Tri-Valley (TV) – d. Monticello 23-32; d. Sullivan West 25-30; d. Liberty 15-50; Monticello (Mon) – d. Sullivan West 27-28; d. Liberty 15-50; Sullivan West (SW) – d. Liberty (Lib) 15-50.
By RICHARD A. ROSS
rross@sportsinsightsny.com
Scenes from the cross-country meet at Monticello (clockwise) Sullivan West''s Reed Scott was third. Jimmy Bernstein and Omar Lopez give Tri-Valley a one-two finish. Monticello's Camryn Johnson was second. Liberty's Kane Sauchuk was sixth. Tri-Valley's Autumn Bender won the girls race and Sullivan West's Dani Myers and Kelsey Dutton finished third and fifth respectively. Tri-Valley was the team winner in both the boys and girls races.
MONTICELLO, NY-“..And miles to go before I sleep,” wrote Robert Frost in his epic poem “Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening.” It’s fall now not winter, but countless miles indeed are what lie ahead for the gritty cross-country runners as the season is just getting underway.
Every journey must have its early trials, tribulations and milestones of progress. So to that end, Monticello, as it does each fall, played host to a cadre of county teams in a colorful OCIAA meet on September 13.
This was the second outing for the Monties, the Indians from Liberty, the Bulldogs from Sullivan West and the Bears from Tri-Valley. It was the first meet for Livingston Manor and it was a delight to see so many Wildcats on hand.
Tri-Valley had already made a fine showing at the Randolph Invitational while the others got their feet wet at Washingtonville. More on that shortly.
Tri-Valley sophomore Hauk Boyes finished fourth in 17:14.
The boys race was first. Unlike prior years, Eldred was not on hand for this clash and so getting to see Yellow Jacket standouts Alex Campanella and Hunter Proscia would have to be deferred. Bears Jimmy Bernstein and Omar Lopez looked to establish their early presence and proceeded to do so from the start.
Bernstein, a senior who had never run on this course before, took to the front of the pack with Lopez and Sullivan West’s Reed Scott as the leaders came down the first slight decline. Lopez finished fourth at the Randolph Invitational and Bernstein had taken fifth. The Bears garnered third place in that season debut.
But this time out it was Bernstein (16:13) who would hold sway over Lopez who took second (16:16). Since Lopez (now a senior) transferred from Liberty last fall, the two enjoy pushing each other in practice and on race days.
Bernstein attributes his early season success to a hefty summer training regimen that saw him cover upwards of 500 miles from the time school let out in June until just before it started up again. “We had a good workout yesterday so I just wanted to go out and see what I could do today,” said the affable harrier. “We have a big race at Bear Mountain this weekend,” he added.
Asked about his goals for this year, Bernstein is focusing on one season at a time and in fall that means trying to get back to states in cross-country. He and Lopez made it a year ago and hope to improve on their standing . The state meet will be held in Verona, NY on November 12. A Division V class with Eldred looms as the first major OCIAA hurdle. T-V moved down to Div. V but remains in Section Nine’s Class C
The OCIAA league meet and sectionals follow that. “I just want to get better at every race,” said Bernstein.
Sullivan West’s Reed Scott took third. Scott (16:35) has been putting in major miles all summer and looks to reassert himself into the mix. Rounding out the top five were T-V’s Hauk Boyes in fourth (17:14) and Monticello’s Joe Klein in fifth (17:37.
Tri-Valley Coach Joe Iatauro summed things up thusly. “A fine run here today at the Monticello school. I’m very pleased with the guys. Jimmy Bernstein and Omar Lopez led the group with an okay split compared to what we have done previously. Tri-Valley’s team had five freshman a year ago. “That was the game plan in having those young guys stepping up,”said Mr. I. We’re fortunate to have two seniors in Jimmy and Omar to bolster the group.
The boys results were as follows;
(3.1 miles): 1. Jim Bernstein (TV) 16:13; 2. Omar Lopez (TV) 16:16; 3. Reed Scott (SW) 16:35; 4. Hauk Boyes (SW) 17:14; 5. Joe Klein (Mon) 17:37; 6. Kane Sauchuk (Lib) 17:46; 7. Justin Weintraub (SW) 17:56; 8. Neal Mock (LM) 18:30; 9. Raiquawn Malloy (Lib) 18:36; 10. Brendan Hasbrouck (TV) 18:45; 11. Ethan Morgan (SW) 18:52; 12. So Woo Chon (TV) 19:09; 13. Eric Haberli (SW) 19:11; 14. Erick Cuellar (Lib) 19:31; 15. Matt Rourke (Lib) 19:32.
Boys team records: Tri-Valley 4-0 (1-0 DIv. V); Sullivan West 2-2 (0-1 DIv. IV); Liberty 3-1 (1-0 Div. IV); Livingston Manor 1-3 (0-1 Div. V); Monticello 0-4
The girls race soon got underway. Manor does not have a girls team so this was four-team encounter. The leaders in the early going included Tri-Valley eighth grader Autumn Bender, Sullivan West freshman Kelsey Dutton and junior Dani Myers and Monticello’s Camryn Johnson.
Sullivan West eighth grader Courtney Meyerer shows great promise. She finished eighth.
Bender(19:16) soon surged forward to assume the lead she would never relinquish. Making her debut last fall with a win in the freshman race at the Randolph invitational and then against division rivals at Liberty, Bender would go on to states along with 2011 June grad Caroline Bertholf and SW’s Dutton and Myers.
Bender come into the season in great shape again. “This summer we just did distance. It really wasn’t anything too hard. This year Bender took 14th in the varsity race at the Randolph Invitational. “Today was just a regular race. I didn’t push it,” said the smiling Lady Bear of few words. Her major statements are reserved for her performances on the courses she attacks. Look for her to lead the Lady Bears to yet another division victory, sectional success and a presence at states.
Monticello’s Camryn Johnson (19:32) took second in the race, a bright spot for Coach Pete Wysochanski would is hoping his squad will soon evince a more pronounced work ethic, a philosophy also expoused by Liberty coach Ralph Bressler when it come to his Indians.
Sullivan West’s Dani Myers was battling some pain in the arch of her foot incurred when she hit a rock at Washingtonville. Myers was third (19:55) just ahead on Monticello’s Sydney Johnson, Camryn’s twin sister. Sydney’s time was 20:14. Dutton, who missed a flag, slipped and then had to go back and run around it, was fifth (20;28).
Sullivan West coach George Shakelton had run four of his girls in the freshman race at Washingtonville. Dutton was fourth among 61 girls in that encounter. “Our surprise contender is eighth grader Courtney Meyerer,” said Shakelton. The cross-country newbie took eighth in this race (21:33).
Tri-Valley coach Missy Iatauro noted that her team had undergone a tough workout the day before and that the goals for this race included having certain people finish in certain places. We looked much better today than we did last Saturday. We just need to put more work in. The team now includes Sabrena Smith and Brooke Gillette. We have a young team. Olivia Rehm is our only senior,” she added.
Girls results were as follows:
(2.9 miles): 1. Autumn Bender (TV) 19:16; 2. Camryn Johnson (Mon) 19:32; 3. Dani Myers (SW) 19:55; 4. Sydney Johnson (Mon) 20:14; 5. Kelsey Dutton (SW) 20:28; 6. Sabrena Smith (TV) 20:40; 7. Olivia Rehm (TV) 21:04; 8. Courtney Meyerer (SW) 21:33; 9. Brooke Gillette (TV) 21:43; 10. Danielle Graham (TV) 21:58; 11. Brittny Rupp (Mon) 22:22; 12. Erica Concors (Mon) 22:35; 13. Corrine Van Wagner (SW) 23:22; 14. Rosa Martinez (SW) 23:29; 15. Bryana Swewell (Mon) 23:44. Also: 18. Stephanie Heisler (Lib) 24:38.
Girls Team Records: Tri-Valley 3-0; Sullivan West 1-2 (1-0 DIv. IV); Liberty 0-3 (0-1 Div. IV); Monticello 2-1.
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