Four-time New York state champion Corning returned to the top of Class A boys cross country for the first time since 2022 and Lansing’s Trent Thibault won his third sectional title Thursday, Nov. 6 at the Section 4 championships at Chenango Valley State Park.
Corning put four runners in the top six to deny Ithaca’s bid for a third consecutive Class A title, 31-46. On Oct. 25, Corning topped third-place Ithaca for the Southern Tier Athletic Conference title.
Nicholas Kowal, a senior, became Horseheads’ first Section 4 boys champion in cross country since Brian Crimmins in 2011 with his Class A victory. Kowal’s time on the 3.1-mile course was 16 minutes, 29.3 seconds, second-fastest among the four boys races.
Corning’s Nicholas Ferratella took second in Class A in 16:35.
Thibault, a senior, had the fastest overall time of 16:14.9 in winning the Class C race for the third year in a row.
Owego Free Academy senior Javan Belokur repeated as Class B champion in 17:03.6.
Marathon junior Andrew Edsall was also a repeat champion, taking the Class D race in 16:53.1.
STAC meet runner-up Vestal had the next five finishers behind Belokur to win the Class B title for the fourth year in a row.
Chenango Valley earned the Class C title and Delhi/South Kortright repeated as Class D team champ.
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The New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship meet will be held Saturday, Nov. 15 at Queensbury High School, near Glens Falls. The meet begins at 9 a.m. with Class B girls and concludes with the 1 p.m. Class A boys race.
First-place teams from Section 4 and the top five individuals in each class not on the winning team qualified.
Class A results
Team scores: Corning 31, Ithaca 46, Horseheads 57, Union-Endicott 117, Elmira 131.
Top 15 individuals: 1-Nicholas Kowal (Horseheads) 16:29.3; 2-Nicholas Ferratella (Corning) 16:35; 3-Zoltan Nadasdy (Ithaca) 16:43.6; 4-Bryce Hammond (Corning) 16:55.3; 5-Sebastian Boutwell (Corning) 16:57.7; 6-Christopher Lawson (Corning) 17:04.3; 7-Nicholas Luti (U-E) 17:14.3; 8-William Boscia (Ithaca) 17:15; 9-Andor Nadasdy (Ithaca) 17:16.6; 10-Max Williams (Horseheads) 17:18.8; 11-Aidan Lazzaro (Ithaca) 17:22.1; 12-Allen Wetmore (Horseheads) 17:35.2; 13-Gavin Hornsby (Horseheads) 17:35.5; 14-Ashtyn Stark (Corning) 17:37.5; 15-Wyatt Eldermire (Ithaca) 17:42.9.
Class B results
Team scores: Vestal 20, Owego Free Academy 53, Johnson City 84, Maine-Endwell 90.
Top 15 individuals: 1-Javan Belokur (OFA) 17:03.6; 2-Tyler Hayes (Vestal) 17:05.8; 3-Thomas Ciaravino (Vestal) 17:05.9; 4-Titus Patton (Vestal) 17:11.9; 5-Kevin Middendorf (Vestal) 17:30.1; 6-Oliver Parsons (Vestal) 17:41.9; 7-Connor Smith (JC) 17:42.6; 8-Joseph Vallone (Vestal) 17:55.2; 9-Alexander Sculley (Vestal) 18:07.6; 10-Magavin Allen (OFA) 18:19.9; 11-Levi Saunders (OFA) 18:29.8; 12-David Drew (Vestal) 18:32.6; 13-Logan Heitner (JC) 18:34.1; 14-Gavin Heath (OFA) 18:39; 15-Carson Strano (M-E) 18:39.1.
Class C results
Team scores: Chenango Valley 49, Afton/Harpursville/Bainbridge-Guilford 66, Lansing 106, Waverly 106, Oneonta 127, Chenango Forks 156, Dryden 166, Susquehanna Valley 169, Thomas A. Edison 196.
Top 15 individuals: 1-Trent Thibault (Lansing) 16:14.9; 2-Aidan Skuban (Sus Valley) 16:52.3; 3-Ryan Pepples (Chenango Valley) 17:25.7; 4-Owen Degan (A/H/B-G) 17:33.6; 5-Nikhil Datta (CV) 17:42.4; 6-Chase Hine (Waverly) 18:14; 7-Hayden Montanye (Waverly) 18:16.3; 8-Connor Juraska (Whitney Point) 18:33.1; 9-Nic Sutton (Norwich) 18:42.1; 10-Jameson Duggan (TAE) 18:55.6; 11-Ethan Beardslee (A/H/B-G) 18:59.6; 12-Samuel Sternberg (Lansing) 18:59.9; 13-Anthony Battisti (CV) 19:05.1; 14-Caden Hoyt (CV) 19:08.5; 15-Sean Fowler (A/H/B-G) 19:08.8.
Class D results
Team scores: Delhi/South Kortright 58, Southern Cayuga 64, Groton 98, Newark Valley 108, Trumansburg 129, Odessa-Montour 149, Sidney 152, Watkins Glen 154, Elmira Notre Dame 202, Moravia 291, Spencer-Van Etten 312.
Top 15 individuals: 1-Andrew Edsall (Marathon) 16:53.1; 2-Ross Bush (Groton) 17:08.8; 3-Jaden Lewis (Delhi/SK) 17:21.72; 4-Brady Young (Southern Cayuga) 17:37.5; 5-Paul Hayden (Southern Cayuga) 17:46.9; 6-Gavin Meier (END) 18:00.1; 7-Owen Mott (Sidney) 18:05.6; 8-Jake Favinger (Unadilla Valley) 18:22.2; 9-Langston Comer (Delhi/SK) 18:32.2; 10-Isaac Hendrickson (Watkins Glen) 18:48; 11-Charloe Gloss (Southern Cayuga) 18:52.1; 12-Bryce Wilkinson (Groton) 18:55.9; 13-Marcos Escalante (Newark Valley) 19:10.3; 14-Logan Benjamin (Trumansburg) 19:11.3; 15-Emmett Tweed (Delhi/SK) 19:11.9.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Section 4 boys XC meet includes team triumphs for Corning, Vestal, Chenango Valley
Reporting by Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
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