New York Athletes Win Six Individual and Three Team Titles at Junior Olympic Regional Championships

Results
 

On Sunday (19-Nov) the USATF Region 1 Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships were held at Queensbury High School in Queensbury, NY. 789 athletes ages 5 to 18 and 58 teams competed for personal bests, fun, and qualifying placings for the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships (December 9; Louisville, KY). In addition to the USATF New York athletes participants from the Adirondack, Connecticut, Long Island, Maine, and New England associations competed for regional titles and bragging rights. The top 30 individuals and top five (5) teams in each division qualified for the national championships.

USATF New York was represented by 240 athletes and 20 teams with 88 individuals and 12 teams qualifying to compete next month in Louisville.

New York individuals won six regional titles and three team titles. The six individual titles represented 50% of the titles across the 12 divisions.

On the girls side, New York athletes won the four youngest divisions as Morgan Codrington (VO2Max TC), Abigail Riley (VO2Max TC), Aria Boschen (VO2Max TC), and Adriana Pettinelli (Tailwind TC) won the 8U, 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14 divisions, respectively. The boys champions from New York were Cyrus Boschen (VO2Max TC) in the 9-10 division and Sam Farjami (Prospect Park Youth RC) in the 13-14 division.

Team titles were won by Prospect Park Youth Running Club (9-10 Girls, 9-10 Boys) and Ocean Breeze Wave Runners (11-12 Girls)
 

8U GIRLS

In the 8U girls race Morgan Codrington (VO2Max TC - pictured above), the New York champion, stopped the clock at 8:03 to lead a 1-2-3 finish by New York athletes. Finishing second and third were Makenna Spencer (Tailwind TC; 8:12) and Cadence Leotaud (Hall's Express II Track; 8:25), respectively.

New York athletes earning qualifying spots to compete in Louisville were:

Morgan Codrington (1st; VO2Max TC)

Makenna Spencer (2nd; Tailwind TC)
Cadence Leotaud (3rd; Hall's Express II)
Emma Yotov (9th; Prospect Park Youth Running Club)
Yasmine Latz (10th; Tailwind TC)
Nicole Valladares (14th; Ocean Breeze Wave Runners)
Sophie Cosgrove (15th; Tailwind TC)
Cato Heijmenberg (23rd; Prospect Park Youth Running Club)
Jihanna Stewart (29th; Hall's Express II)

8U BOYS

In the 8U Boys race, nine individuals and two teams from New York earned qualifying spots for the nationals. The top New York finisher was Noah Ramos (Ocean Breeze Wave Runners - pictured above) with a second place finish in a time of 8:00. The race was won by Everett Smith (USATF New England) in a time of 7:51. William Keeley (Tailwind TC) finished sixth to nab a top-10 finish. The Ocean Breeze Wave Runners scored 44 points to finish second while the Prospect Park Youth Running Club finished fourth with 103 points as both teams qualified for the national championships.

New York athletes earning qualifying spots to compete in Louisville were:

Noah Ramos  (2nd; Ocean Breeze Wave Runners)
William Keeley (6th; Tailwind TC)
Owen McElmurray (11th; Manhattan Youth TC)     
Narayan Dabral (14th; Westchester Wolves)
Tygee Washington II (17th; Westchester Wolves)     
David Jones (20th, Westchester Wolves)  
Jaiden Goonawardena (23rd; Ocean Breeze Wave Runners)
Cody Li  (24th; Tailwind TC)
Brian Mitchell Jr. (26th; Ocean Breeze Wave Runners)

9-10 Girls

As they did last week at the New York championships, VO2Max TC athletes swept the top four places in the 9-10 girls race. Abigail Riley won stopping the clock at 11:17 with New York champion Mariam Wajid just two second back in second place. The duo were quickly followed by Catherine Cope (11:25) and Ari Pennicooke (11:25) in third and fourth, respectively. Also earning top-10 finishes were Alison Cleary (Prospect Park Youth Running) and Charli Cosentino (The Camp) as they finished sixth and 10th, respectively.

The Prospect Park Youth Running Club (pictured above) won the team title and also finished third with their "B" team. The scoring members of the winning team were: Cleary (6th), Millie Banks (14th), Ella Kahn (16th), Jazara Williams (23rd), and Amara Thegg (32nd).

New York athletes earning qualifying spots to compete in Louisville were:

Abigail Riley (1st; Vo2max Track Club)
Mariam Wajid (2nd; Vo2max Track Club)
Catherine Cope (3rd; Vo2max Track Club)
Ari Pennicooke (4th; Vo2max Track Club)
Alison Cleary (6th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Charli Cosentino (10th; The Camp)
Millie Banks (14th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Ella Kahn (16th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Charlie Jimenez (17th; Westchester Striders)
Jazara Williams (23rd; Prospect Park Youth Running)

9-10 BOYS

  As he did last week at the New York championships, Cyrus Boschen (VO2Max TC - pictured above) ran to victory to capture the regional title. He stopped the clock at 10:28 to win by 10 seconds over Xayvien Rudd (USATF New England). Five other New York athletes cracked into the top-10; they were Harvey Hightower (3rd; Prospect Park Youth Running), Jonah Grossman (5th; Prospect Park Youth Running), George Gitt (7th; Prospect Park Youth Running), James Jones (9th Westchester Wolves), and Ewen Caron (10th Prospect Park Youth Running).

With four runners in the top-10 the Prospect Park Youth Running Club scored an impressive 35 points to win the team title over the Sentinel Striders (USATF New England) by 18 points. The scoers for the winning team were; Hightower (3rd), Grossman (5th), Gitt (7th), Caron (10th), and Victor Wills (41st).  The Tailwind TC scored 126 points to finish fifth and also earn a spot on the starting line in Louisville next month.

New York athletes earning qualifying spots to compete in Louisville were:

Cyrus Boschen (1st; Vo2max Track Club)
Harvey Hightower (3rd; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Jonah Grossman (5th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
George Gitt (7th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
James Jones (9th; Westchester Wolves)
Ewen Caron (10th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Jeremiah Codrington (11th; Vo2max Track Club)
A.J. Tinnie Jr. (14th; Dashing Dons & Divas)
Lucas Spencer (18th; Tailwind TC)
James Crawford (21st; Manhattan Youth TC)
Hutch Walker (23rd; Manhattan Youth TC)
Walker Brown (26th; Tailwind TC)

11-12 GIRLS

  Like her younger brother, Aria Boschen (Vo2max Track Club - pictured above) backed up her New York title a week earlier with a win here. Her time of 10:36 defeated runner-up Zoe Coler (USATF New England) by eight seconds. It was Boschen's second straight regional title following the 9-10 title she won last year.  Maeve Heck (Ocean Breeze Wave Runners) and Fairfax Walker (Manhattan Youth Track Club) claimed top-10 finishes in sixth and eighth, respectively. 

Heck's low stick led her Ocean Breeze Wave Runners squad to the team title as they scored 56 points to defeat the Sentinel Striders by eight points. Following Heck for the Wave Runners were Gabriella Mitchell (14th), Olivia Casas (17th), Payton Rosado (32nd), and Toni Soleil Schnell (33rd).  The Prospect Park Youth Running Club finished third with 74 points to also earn a spot on the starting line in Louisville.

New York athletes earning qualifying spots to compete in Louisville were:

Aria Boschen (1st; Vo2max Track Club)
Maeve Heck (6th; Ocean Breeze Wave Runners)
Fairfax Walker (8th; Manhattan Youth Track Club)
Calista Cortijo (11th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Jolene Banks (12th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Sakinah Wajid (13th; Vo2max Track Club)
Gabriella Mitchell (14th; Ocean Breeze Wave Runners)
Parvati Dabral (15th; Westchester Wolves)
Olivia Casas (17th; Ocean Breeze Wave Runners)
Lila Cleary (22nd; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Danielle Davis (23rd; Dashing Dons & Divas)
Leilani Cortijo (29th; Prospect Park Youth Running)

11-12 BOYS

 
In the 11-12 Boys race Tristan Acevedo (The Camp - pictured abov) and Kilian MacKinnon (Westchester Wolves) finished third and fourth, respectively. They were separated by less than one second as Acevedo official time was 9:56 and MacKinnon's 9:57. The race was won by Conor Rightmire in 9:48. Jasper McHugh (7th; Manhattan Youth Track Club) and Alexander Riley (10th; Vo2max Track Club) also ran to top-10 placings.

The Prospect Park Youth Running Club finished fourth with 90 points to qualify for the national championships.

New York athletes earning qualifying spots to compete in Louisville were:

Tristan Acevedo (3rd; The Camp)
Kilian MacKinnon (4th; Westchester Wolves)
Jasper McHugh (7th; Manhattan Youth Track Club)
Alexander Riley (10th; Vo2max Track Club)
Eytan Goldberg (11th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Lionel Donlon (13rd; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Romel Barrett (16th; Vo2max Track Club)
Miles Dutra (25th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Chuck Keeley (27th; Tailwind TC)

13-14 GIRLS

As she did at the New York championships a week earlier, Adriana Pettinelli (Tailwind TC - pictured above) ran to victory here to add the regional title to her resume. She stopped the clock at 14:34 to win by one second over Susan Wisniewski (USATF New England).  It was Pettinelli's second straight regional title following the 11-12 title she won last year. Saffa Ellis (Prospect Park Youth Running) finished seventh in a time of 14:57 to join Pettinelli in the top-10.

The Prospect Park Youth Running Club finished fifth with 124 points to qualify for the national championships.

New York athletes earning qualifying spots to compete in Louisville were:

Adriana Pettinelli (1st; Tailwind TC)
Saffa Ellis (7th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Aisha Wajid (14th; Vo2max Track Club)
Eleanor Lewis-Jenkins (18th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Milani Jackson (28th; Ocean Breeze Wave Runners)

13-14 Boys

  At last year's regional championships Sam Farjami (Prospect Park Youth Running Club) finished over one minute behind the winner placing 13th in the 13-14 division. This year he came to Queesbury as the New York champion and one of the favorites. In a hard fought three man battle he left Queensbury as the regional champion as he out-dueled Noah Geiger (USATF New England) to win by less than one second. Farjami stopped the clock at 13:09 with Geiger at 13:10 and Isaac McNaughton (USATF New England) capturing third place in 13:11. Marshall Brown (Tailwind TC) just missed a top-10 finish as he finished 11th; less than one second behind Colton Orr (USATF New England).  

Farjami led his Prospect Park Youth Running Club squad to a third place team finish and a trip to Louisville next month. 

New York athletes earning qualifying spots to compete in Louisville were:

Sam Farjami (1st; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Marshall Brown (11th; Tailwind TC)
Nicholas Watson (14th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Abraham Wilchins (27th; Prospect Park Youth Running)

15-18 GIRLS

 

In the 15-18 Girls race, that included athletes competing in the 15-16 and 17-18 divisions, the top New York finisher was Maxine Paul-Emile (Prospect Park Youth Running Club - pictured above) who finished sixth in the 15-16 division running 20:03. Other top-10 finishers in the 15-16 division were Sage Boschen (13th; Vo2max Track Club) and Mahawa Kouyate (10th; Harlem Children's Zone).

In the 17-18 division the top finisher was Leilani Gibson (unattached) who finished second running 20:35. Other top-10 finishers in the 17-18 division were Delahni Shaw (4th; Golden Eagle Elite) and Naomi Zephyrin (9th; Prospect Park Youth Running).

New York athletes earning qualifying spots to compete in Louisville were:

15-16 Division

Maxine Paul-Emile (6th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Sage Boschen (13th; Vo2max Track Club)
Mahawa Kouyate (10th; Harlem Children's Zone)
Jahira Davis (18th; The Running Edge Nyc)
Penelope Gonsalves (20th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Foune Keita (22nd; Harlem Children's Zone)
Nyla Monge (25th; Prospect Park Youth Running)

17-18 Division        

Leilani Gibson (2nd; Unattached)
Delahni Shaw (4th; Golden Eagle Elite)
Naomi Zephyrin (9th; Prospect Park Youth Running)

15-18 BOYS

New York athletes earning qualifying spots to compete in Louisville were:
15-16 Division

Rishi Shadaksharappa (4th; Westchester Wolves)
Yuhan Cruz (6th; Westchester Wolves)
Gavin Wynn (13th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Ariel Yaron (14th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Weston Macari (16th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Wyatt Powers (17th; Prospect Park Youth Running)
Jermaine Carter (21st; New York Starz Track)

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