Daniel T. Connor
Superintendent
227 Main Street
Goshen, NY 10924
(845) 615-6720
District news
Goshen Cross Country sends two seniors to State competition
November 7, 2011
– Although the Section IX Cross Country
Championship races held on November 4 were nail-biters for both Goshen
boys and girls teams, seniors Chris Maroni and Jaime Lisack will
represent Goshen at the State competition on November 11.
New state regulations make qualifying tougher
This year, the road to the state meet became much tougher. New York
State decided to reduce the number of classes from five to four, based
on school enrollment figures. As a result, New York will have 264 fewer
runners at this year’s state championship meet held next week at
Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School. For Goshen, this means instead of
facing five other schools at sections, we faced nine schools.
In cross country, the first place team goes to states, followed by the
next five fastest runners. In the class B boys race, New Paltz was
projected to win. Cornwall and Port Jervis also have strong boys teams
this year. Goshen had two boys in contention for a spot at the state
meet, senior captains Chris Maroni and Shai Ben-Dor. Both boys have
taken turns at leading the Goshen varsity boys’ team throughout the
season. According to Coach Kyle Lewis, in any other year, both boys
would easily make it to states.
A close race for Maroni
At the Section IX meet, Maroni was slightly ahead of Ben-Dor for most of
the 3 mile race. Maroni was the fifth or sixth non-New Paltz runner
throughout the race. He needed to maintain that fifth spot in order to
make it to states.
Coming up to the home stretch at Bear Mountain, the sixth place runner
was gaining on Maroni. Giving it one last push, Maroni was able to
finish in 17:01.68, earning the fifth spot at the state championship
meet. Maroni finished less than a second in front of the sixth place
runner. Ben-Dor gave it everything but finished six places outside of
state meet contention.
Also representing Goshen varsity boys at sections were seniors Ryan
Henkler and Jason Basri, juniors Nick Sullivan and Kevin Rudy, and
freshman Gianni Rodriguez. The team finished in sixth place out of 10
teams.
Girls race just as tough
In the girls race, a similar story ensued. The Cornwall team was favored
to win the class B race. Goshen senior Jaime Lisack has made it to the
state meet for the past three years and would have been a shoo-in to
make it this year. Freshman Brittany Fuller, who has improved her time
in almost every race this season, was also in contention for a spot at
the state meet.
In Friday’s meet, Lisack went out fast, leading the girls’ race for more
than a half-mile. She continued running at a good pace, but soon fell
behind the lead-pack. Lisack was able to maintain her pace as the sixth
non-Cornwall girl and remained a distant sixth place for most of the
race.
With the entire boys’ team and many parents cheering her on, Lisack
began to narrow the gap between herself and the fifth place runner, with
less than a half mile to go. In the last seconds of the race, Lisack
passed the number five runner, making for an emotional finish and
earning the fifth and final spot at the state meet. Brittany Fuller also
ran a great race, but finished six places away from a spot at the state
meet.
Goshen girls running at the Section IX meet included senior Carissa
Cuccia, juniors Christy O’Brien
and Heather Koennecke, and freshmen Caleigh Loughran and Julia
Licciardi. The team finished in fifth place out of 10 schools.
Off to state competition on November 11
The two state qualifiers, along with coaches J.B. Russo and Kyle Lewis,
will travel to Verona on Friday, November 11, where Jaime Lisack and
Chris Maroni will complete in this year’s state meet.
For additional photos from throughout the season and more information on
the state meet, check out the Goshen Cross Country team’s Web site,
accessible through the athletics page at www.goshenschoolsny.org.