This week the Section X cross country teams met at Potsdam’s muddy course for Interdivisionals, which determines the overall Section Champions and All-Northern awardees. The first-place runner for boys and girls also won an individual Federations qualifier.
Canton sophomore Bennett Schmitt continued her section-wide dominance, placing first and qualifying for the Federations meet in November. Although she made a wrong turn on the course, she quickly recovered to finish in 20:12. Norwood athletes Maddie Carista and Allie Snell filled in the next two spots, finishing in 20:35 and 20:40. Canton freshman Ori Casserly placed fourth, in 21:27. Canton Freshman Lena Frank placed 12th in 22:49, junior Violet Foster placed 20th in 24:12, and junior Lorelei Harper placed 32nd in 25:39. Norwood-Norfolk won the meet and became Section Champions with 28 points. Canton placed second with 50 points, Franklin Academy placed third with 70 points, Brushton-Moira took fourth with 94 points, and Massena placed fifth with 126 points. The top seven runners won the First Team All-Northern Awards, which went to Schmitt, Carista, Snell, Casserly, Emily Perham from Franklin Academy, Rachel Hewey from Norwood-Norfolk, and Brielle Gates from Norwood Norfolk. The Second Team All-Northern Award winners were Abby Bowman from Gouverneur, Millie Dean from Potsdam, Tye Lawrence from Franklin Academy, Meredith Bush from Gouverneur, Lena Frank from Canton, Addie Snell from Norwood-Norfolk, and Zoe Griffith from Gouverneur.
Norwood Norfolk’s Dominic Fiacco had another first-place finish, also winning a Federations Qualifier, in 17:09, followed by Andrew David from Massena, who finished in 17:44. Canton juniors took the next four spots, Aiden Rodriguez-Doyle in 17:51, Rylan Lee-Powell in 17:56, Kaden Worthley in 18:05, and Lucas Watts in 18:11. Canton’s fifth runner was sophomore Adam Sabatini, who placed ninth in 18:31. This incredible 1-5 split of 40 seconds was enough to win the Bears the Section Championship with 27 points. Norwood-Norfolk was second with 48 points, Franklin Academy was third with 82 points, Potsdam took fourth with 93 points. Brushton-Moira took fifth with 116 points, Massena took sixth with 149 points, and Ogdensburg placed seventh with 207 points. The First Team All-Northern Winners were Fiacco, David, Rodriguez-Doyle, Lee-Powell, Worthley, Watts, and William Jones from Potsdam. The Second Team All-Northern Awards went to Riley Sweet from Norwood-Norfolk, Sabatini (from Canton), Logan Bradley from Norwood-Norfolk, Justin Bormann from Franklin Academy, Brandon Lachance from Franklin Academy, Tyler Clark, from Norwood-Norfolk, and Dylan Keating from Malone.
The Bears will race again on Thursday, November 2nd, in Ogdensburg at the Sectional Meet, which determines State Qualifiers.