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New York Region 
Regional Meet: November 29, 2008 at Wappingers Falls, NY
New York state teams (Northeast region also at same site, same day)

Two NY teams and five individuals per gender qualify
for NXN Nationals December 6, 2008 at Portland OR.

Preview

Which New York power will NOT make it
to national finals?  That's the tough question

Fay-Man girls, Shen boys big favorites; after that it is a tossup

by John Nepolitan

At all the other NXN Regional races the question asked is what teams will make it to Portland for the December 6th championship.  In the New York qualifier this weekend the question is what team might NOT make it. 

Four girls teams ranked in US top 25 but only 2 get automatic qualifiers

Girl’s teams from the Empire State have won every version of the national championship since teams started to gather in Portland in 2004.  Last year four New York teams were chosen for the elite field and went on to place 1st – 3rd- 5th  and 11th showing the depth of talent and the reason why New York has its own region.  The 2008, teams from NY are no less talented and it is very possible that  four girls teams from New York may make the trip west, but only two will be guaranteed this Saturday. 

USA #1 Fayetteville Manlius has won the last two NTN (now NXN) Championships and after dominating performances at the McQuaid Invite, Manhattan Invitational, and the NYSPHSAA  Class “AA” Championship races it appears that there is nobody that can stop them from earning a 3rd straight trip to Portland Meadows.  Behind Fay-Man this is where it starts to get cloudy as 3 other teams are in the nation’s top 25.  USA #11 Burnt Hills, although they lost to Fay-Man at the McQuaid meet, have posted wins at the Suburban Council Championships (over Saratoga) , the NYSPHSAA Class “A” Championship, and a Fay-Man-less NYS Federation Championship. 

Runner up to Burnt Hills at the Federation Meet and the Suburban Council meets was USA #17 Saratoga Springs, but the winners of the 1st NTN Championship were ahead of Burnt Hills on the merge of the NYSPHSAA Championships and the NY Section 2 Championships. US#20 Queensbury had lost to Burnt Hills at the Section 2 Championships which means they would not have a chance to run at the NYSPHSAA meet, but came back to get 3rd at the Federation meet.  Earlier in the season, Queensbury placed 3rd in the Eastern States race of the Manhattan Invitational, ahead of Burnt Hills and Saratoga.   

Fay Man looks to be just about a lock on getting 1st, and it will be a toss up between Burnt Hills and Saratoga for the 2nd auto qualifying position with possibly Queensbury being the odd team out, but based on the Manhattan results alone they cannot be counted out.  Two of these teams, although in the USA’s top 25,  will have to wait to see if they get the call on Sunday to see if they will be added to the field as at-large qualifiers as two New York teams did last year.

Girls Individuals - The individual battle could be just as hot as the team battle.  It is expected that a number of Fay-Man runners will be up front all with a chance for the individual crown including NYSPHSAA Class “AA” champion Courtney Chapman.  Burnt Hills has defending NXN NY champion Sam Roecker and Molly Pezzulo to counter.  Not to be counted out will be the Saratoga duo of Cassie Goutos and Brianne Bellon.  Leading  Queensbury will be NY Federation 3rd placer Danielle Winslow

Shenendehowa may only have a slim chance of advancing as a team to the Portland Championship, but could have Lizzie Predmore making the trip as an individual qualifier who should be right with the leaders long into Saturday’s race.  Three runners who will not be competing as part of a team will be in contention for individual qualifying positions, they include Brianna Welch and Samantha Nadel both of North Shore and the NYSPHSAA Class “D” Champion Amanda Moreland of Broomfield HS. 

The five qualifying slots for national finals go to the top five finishers not on a qualifying team.

Shenendehowa boys look like a lock; after that it's a tossup

The boys race is far less complicated.  USA # 11 Shenendehowa has not lost to a New York school all season and claimed its 3rd straight Federation title and looks like a lock to return to Portland for the 3rd straight year.  Behind Shen there are a number of teams that all have a claim to the final automatic slot.  Leading the pack is USA # 19 Fayetteville Manlius which passed up the Federation meet, but finished 2nd to Shen at the NYSPHSAA Championships and was 2nd in the merge at the same meet.  Burnt Hills ran tight with Shen at the Suburban Council Championships and went on to claim the NYSPHSAA Class “A” Championship, but was only 5th in the merge.  Early in the season at the McQuaid Meet, Burnt Hills was able to knock off Fay Man for best team of the day honors.  Honeoye Falls – Lima upset Shoreham Wading River at the NYSPHSAA Class “B” Championship, but it was Burnt Hills that placed 2nd at the Federation meet with Shoreham 3rd and Honeoye Falls-Lima 4th.  The question for any one of this pack that does not finish 2nd, it will be difficult for any of them to get an at large birth since teams from other regions all may have more at large points.

Boys Individuals - Individually the race up front could be a re-match of the NYSPHSAA Class “AA” race where Shen’s Alex Leuchanka and Fay Man’s Alex Hatz went right o the line with Hatz getting the win.  Leuchanka took the Federation while Hatz rested. 

The “AA” race was not the only race this season where Leuchanka was pushed right to the line.  At the Suburban Council Championships he had to come from behind in the final 400 meters to run down Otis Ubriaco (Burnt Hills) and was pushed right to the final meters of the Federation meet by Max Straneva (Chenango Valley). 

Others who are sure to be in contention for the individual title and possible qualifying place either as part of a team or as an individual include Bobby Andrews (Shoreham Wading River), Alex Deir (Honeoye Falls – Lima, Mike Hickey (Pearl River) and Adam Doherty (Arlington).


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