2005 XC Race Schedule/Results....

COMPETITIONS 

(Click on Competition for Team Results/Summary/Outstanding Performances)

West Genesee Boys/Girls Runners-of-the-Week

(click for synopsis)

September 10: Tom Hopkins/Elizabeth McMahon

September 17: Mike Bott/E.J. Reedy

September 24: Ken Smith/Girls Team

October 1: Charlie Deragon/Elizabeth McMahon

October 8: Pete Marshall/Katie Rothenberg

October 22: Eric Whiting/Colleen Smith

Meet: Central Square Invitational - 9/10/05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Team Place: 10 of 18

Girls Varsity:

Team Place: 2 of 18

Boys Junior Varsity:

Team Place: 10 of 20

Girls Junior Varsity:

Team Place: 5 of 10

Meet Summaries

Boys:  The boys launched their fall competitive schedule with good efforts and performance--as well as indications there will be team competition for the varsity top-7 spots this coming season. Top-30 performances in the strong field by Mike Bott and Charlie Deragon have set the stage for some front-running in the league. 'Closing the gap' on those two will be the goal for the rest of the varsity runners and will provide for many interesting shifts in team order. For the boys JV, Tom Hopkins turned in a terrific first race with the team's 7th best effort and a top-25 JV finish.

Girls: The girls sprang into action with a few surprises that signal a very interesting season ahead. Elizabeth McMahon clocked the fastest WG girls time in recent years as she signaled she'll be a force in Section III this fall. Katie Rothenberg moved up in the second half of the race for 12th place overall finish. An excellent day by freshman Colleen Smith was denied when she cramped in the final mile after moving into the team's 3rd spot. Colleen gutted it out for a team 6th place. Sarah Kibby ran a solid and steady 3rd for the team. Kayla Murphy, enjoyed a solid first varsity race in racing 4th for the team. In the girls JV race, Katie Naton used a lot of perseverance and some closing loop power to move up 4-5 places for a top-10 overall finish. Amanda Brown cracked the JV top-20 with 18th place and 2nd for her girls squad. This invitational provided a good glimpse of the potential this 2005 team can put on the start line.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Mike Bott/Tom Hopkins

Girls: Elizabeth McMahon/Kayla Murphy/Katie Naton

(Top)

Meet: South Jefferson Invitational - 9/17/05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Team Place: 8 of 21

Girls Varsity:

Team Place: 2 of 17

Boys Junior Varsity:

Team Place: 12 of 30

Girls Junior Varsity:

Team Place: 7 of 20

Meet Summaries

Boys:  The boys made further improvements in their second meet while their top-7 roster rearranged itself again. Mike Bott and Charlie Deragon both registered solid top-15 individual finishes, but a large 2-3 runner gap will need to be closed for continued invitational/dual meet success. Garrett Smith showed signs of stepping up to that task as the team's 3rd runner. Matt Cosgrove took a large step forward with a #6 team time in leading the JV runners.

Girls: The girls once again saw a different scoring alignment in their top 7, but the results were the same as they finished 2nd in their Varsity 1 race to Cicero-North Syracuse. Elizabeth McMahon battled top Sectional runner Nicki Junod of CNS for the first 3/4 miles, then fell off the pace slightly to place 2nd overall. The 'cats eyed potential disaster in that first mile when #3 runner Sarah Kibby went down on the muddy course and fell to the team's 7th runner. Colleen Smith, E.J. Reedy and Kayla Murphy picked up the slack for the Wildcats, with E.J. clocking a significant step-up performance. Both teams begin dual meet competition this coming week and will take a weekend off from invitational racing to train for the October 1st McQuaid Invitational in Rochester. Amanda Brown has a solid day in leading the JV squad while Claire Shafer opened her Varsity career with an all-out effort.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Mike Bott/Matt Cosgrove

Girls: E.J. Reedy/Amanda Brown/Claire Shafer

(Top)

Meet: WG vs. Oswego/Corcoran - 9/21/05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Score: WG-26, Oswego-30; WG-18, Corcoran-45

Dual Meet Record: 2-0

Girls Varsity:

Score: WG-15, Oswego-50; WG-15, Oswego-50

Dual Meet Record: 2-0

Meet Summaries

Boys:   Losing at the 2 mile mark, the boys squad rallied on the final woods loop of the Oswego 5k course and charged the finish for an important victory. They also swept by a young and developing Corcoran squad. Critical to the victories was the return to action of senior Ken Smith and strong late-race surges by Matt Ball and Garrett Smith.

Girls: The outcome was never in doubt once the gun sounded. The girls pushed the first 7 runners across the finish line for convincing wins.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Ken Smith/Matt Cosgrove

Girls: Colleen Smith

(Top)

Meet: West Genesee vs Auburn, 9/27,05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Score: Auburn-41, WG-18

Dual Meet Record: 2-1

Girls Varsity:

Score: WG-22, Auburn-37

Dual Meet Record: 3-0

Meet Summaries

Boys:  The boys, already facing a formidable foe, were forced to race without their #2 runner. It was a tough day for the 'cats, though many on the team registered home course PR's and Mike Bott logged an excellent 3rd place finish. The

Girls: The girls fended off upset-minded Auburn with a strong surge in the 2nd mile. Elizabeth McMahon led start to finish and ran alone most of the time in lowering the course record by an eye-popping 36 seconds down to 19:18.7.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Mike Bott/Pete Marshall

Girls: Elizabeth McMahon

(Top)

Meet: McQuaid Invitational, 10/1/05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Team Place: 18 of 29(unseeded Large Schools)

Girls Varsity:

Team Place: 4 of 10(seeded Large Schools)

Boys Junior Varsity:

Team Place: 8 of 20+

Meet Summaries

Boys:  The boys couldn't quite get untracked in this large competitor crowd. Charlie Deragon had one of his best efforts of the still-young season as he found a fast pack and stayed with it. Other bright spots for the 'cats were the JV efforts of Tom Hopkins, with his top-20 performance, and Matt Kalwara. The boys will have to re-group fast for another challenging dual meet at Central Square.

Girls: The tight 2-4 runner group the girls needed for a top performance did not materialize, but the girls improvised nicely. Elizabeth McMahon ran a picture-perfect race, applying the pressure in the 2nd mile to move from 6th to a 2nd place individual finish with her second outstanding time this week and a WG McQuaid girls record time. The freshman pair of Colleen Smith and Kayla Murphy have begun to make statements. Colleen's 17th place was 2nd for the team while Kayla ran 36th as the team's 5th runner.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Charlie Deragon/Tom Hopkins/Jon Richardson

Girls: Elizabeth McMahon/Colleen Smith

(Top)

Meet: West Genesee vs. Central Square, 10/5/05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Score: Central Square-24, West Genesee-36

Dual Meet Record: 2-2

Girls Varsity:

Score: West Genesee-15, Central Square-48

Dual Meet Record: 4-0

                                                      Meet Summaries

Boys:  Despite taking 2 of the top 3 positions, the boys were unable to put enough key runners in the top-10 to pull off the upset. Charlie Deragon and Mike Bott gave the 'cats all the front-running they needed. Inconsistency in the following pack cost West Genesee. The boys re-group for their trip to NYC and the Manhattan Invitational.

Girls: The girls team rolled on, taking the first five positions for the easy win. Colleen Smith took honors for West Genesee, pacing with Elizabeth McMahon for most of the race. Next stop for the girls is the Manhattan Invitational.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Charlie Deragon/Pete Marshall/Tom Hopkins

Girls: Colleen Smith

(Top)

Meet: Manhattan Invitational - 10/8/05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Team Place: Unknown

                                                        Athlete                      Place        Time

Girls Varsity:

Team Place: 2 of 38

                                                        Athlete                         Place     Time

Boys Junior Varsity:

Team Place: JV D - 8 of 62; JV C - Unknown

JV D

                                                                                         Athlete                       Place     Time

JV C

          Athlete                      Place        Time

Girls Junior Varsity:

Team Place: JV A - Unknown; JV C - Inc.

JV A

                                                                                         Athlete                       Place     Time

JV C

                                                                                         Athlete                       Place     Time

Meet Summaries

Boys:  Through the slop and rain, the boys Varsity suffered a finish chute screw-up by the officials but still put together a good team day. The boys JV 'D' squad notched a nifty top-10 finish in their huge 62 team field, led by the excellent step-up performance of Ron Ta. The boys look to grab another dual meet victory this coming Wednesday when they take on Fowler.

Girls: Pretty good performances all-around, including the final Manhattan for senior Katie Walsh. In the high winds and rain of their Varsity 'D' race, the Wildcats were paced by Elizabeth McMahon's first-place effort. Alone in front after the first mile, Elizabeth clocked the 2nd fastest all-time WG mark on the Manhattan course, despite the atrocious race conditions and lack of competition. Course conditions precluded fast cumulative team-times, but the 'cats effort compared favorably with other top-20 teams. As a result, they rose in the weekly Class AA state rankings to #9. They return to dual-meet action this week against Fowler.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Ron Ta/Ben Seigal/Justin Trombetta

Girls: Elizabeth McMahon/Katie Rothenberg/E.J. Reedy/Jamie Hamilton

(Top)

Meet: Fowler - 10/12/05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Score: WG-20, Fowler-39

Dual Meet Record:  3-2

Girls Varsity:

Score: WG-18, Fowler-Inc.

Dual Meet Record: 5-0

Meet Summaries

Boys:  Heavy in the legs following a long Manhattan weekend and two tough pre-race practices, the boys nonetheless pulled together a solid team performance to ensure themselves of a 2005 winning season.

Girls: Like the boys, the girls came into the meet tired from an accumulated sleep-loss and hard workouts. They mustered up the push, however, to perform well against an incomplete Fowler squad.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Eric Whiting/Ben Seigal

Girls: E.J. Reedy

(Top)

Meet: WG vs F-M, 10/19/05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Score: FM-15, WG-48  

Dual Meet Record:  3-3

Girls Varsity:

Score: F-M-35, WG-24

Dual Meet Record:  5-1

Meet Summaries

Boys:  The boys competed against the current #2 ranked team in the country. Spurred on by their presence, the result was a number of WG course personal records, with Charlie Deragon able to break into the Hornet's top-7 with a 6th place and his course PR.

Girls: Hoping to stage an upset, the 'cats' kept close through their #3 runner but were unable to mount the team depth necessary as F-M swept places 7-12. Elizabeth McMahon locked into an exciting dual with Kristen Taylor of F-M and won by 20 seconds with a strong surge in the final 1/2 mile. Katie Rothenberg ran a strong 5th while Colleen Smith continued her rise in Section III with a 6th place effort.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Charlie Deragon/Pete Marshall

Girls: Elizabeth McMahon/Colleen Smith

(Top)

Meet: Weedsport Invitational, 10/22/05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Team Place: 4 of 5

Girls Varsity:

Team Place: 1 of 4

Boys Junior Varsity:

Team Place: 3 of 8

Girls Junior Varsity:

Team Place: 2 of 5

Meet Summaries

Boys: Already down a top-5 runner to ACT's, Charlie Deragon's almost cartwheel fall down steep Science Hill of the sloppy course didn't help matters. Other Wildcats Eric Whiting, Matt Kalwara and Ben Seigal, however, had good days in the cold rain and sloppy conditions. The boys need a solid practice week in preparation for a solid OHSL Championship race October 29th.

Girls: Missing their #2 runner, Katie Rothenberg, the girls regrouped and pulled out a victory under trying conditions. Elizabeth McMahon took charge of the race early to win. Freshman Colleen Murphy stepped up for the team and battled the #1 Auburn runner for 2 miles before finishing 3rd. Another good day was had by E.J. Reedy, running fourth for the 'cats. All five scoring runners finished in the top-10 of the small 4 team race.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Eric Whiting/Matt Kalwara/Ben Seigal

Girls: Elizabeth McMahon/Colleen Smith/E.J. Reedy/Jamie Hamilton

(Top)

Meet: OHSL Championship, 10/29/05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Team Place: 14 of 39

Boys Varsity II:

Team Place: 6 of 14

Girls Varsity:

Team Place: 3 of 34

Girls Varsity II:

Team Place: 6 of 14

Meet Summaries

Boys:  Looking for a top-15 finish, the boys did that as a number of the top-7 registered seasonal PR's. In a huge, talent-ladened field, Mike Bott's 31st was best for the 'cats. The boys will try to continue closing the runners gaps for Sectionals. Some solid performances marked the boys Varsity II race as they scored a 10th place in their 36 team field.

Girls: It was a rough day at the office for the Girls Varsity I. A team-wide case of 'heavy legs' affected performance. Though 5 of the top-7 registered seasonal PR's, the girls placed well behind league leaders CNS and FM. Elizabeth McMahon, regardless, powered her way to the number #1 spot to become the first-ever West Genesee OHSL champion. The girls Varsity II ran well in their 6th place effort, led by Amanda Brown's top-20 race.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Mike Bott/Pete Marshall

Girls: Elizabeth McMahon/Amanda Brown

(Top)

Meet: Section III Championship - 11/6/05

Meet Results

Boys Varsity

Team Place: 9 of 13

Girls Varsity:

Team Place: 3 of 10

Meet Summaries

Boys:  The boys hoped for a little bit more, but everyone gave it there all. These guys worked hard all season and began the turn-around for a Wildcats boys squad that will continue to improve into the future.

Girls: It was a step-up day for the girls, as they made a strong case for being one of the top-10 Class AA teams in the state and a contender for a Federation Championship bid. All gave strong efforts, with Sectional Champion Elizabeth McMahon leading the charge, followed by an outstanding 6th place race by freshman Colleen Smith that propels her to the State Championship with Elizabeth as individual qualifiers.

Outstanding Performances

Boys: Mike Bott/Charlie Deragon/Garrett Smith/Matt Ball/Eric Whiting/Matt Kalwara/Ken Smith/Tom Hopkins/Ben Seigal

Girls: Elizabeth McMahon/Colleen Smith/Katie Rothenberg/Kayla Murphy/E.J. Reedy/Sarah Kibby/Stephanie McGrath/Amanda Brown/Jamie Hamilton/Molly Hollenbeck

(Top)

Meet: State Championship, Queensbury N.Y. - 11/12/05

Meet Results

Meet Summary

Girls: West Genesee's two State Championship qualifiers, freshman Colleen Smith and junior Elizabeth McMahon, enjoyed solid races on the relatively flat and very fast Queensbury 5k course. The weather was picture-perfect, though pictures were hard to come by because the majority of the course was hidden in the woods from spectators. Colleen ran close to her seasonal best as she got caught up in heavy traffic the first mile but finished strong for 72nd place in the 108 runner field. In the individual meet merge, she did quite well, placing 202 out of about 500 runners. Elizabeth overcame a slow start(21st at the half-mile) to rise to 9th at the finish line with a personal best of 18:14.9. She became West Genesee's first state top-10 female finisher and was Section III's top time in the meet. Things got even better when the individual merge was released. Elizabeth placed 10th in that individual merge, which ensured her of an individual Federation Championship bid.

Congratulations to both girls.

(Top)

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(Top)

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(Top)

2005 Cross-Country

Runners-of-the-week

September 10

Boys:  Tom Hopkins

Tom is in his first year of varsity competition. A hard worker, he has steadily improved throughout pre-season workouts and signaled in the team time trial he might vie for a varsity spot this season. With an excellent controlled JV race and top-25 finish at the Central Square Invitational, he's demonstrated that will likely happen.

Girls:  Elizabeth McMahon

Following a 2004/05 Indoor season and a 2005 Outdoor season devoted largely to rehabilitation, Elizabeth signaled with her 2nd place overall finish that she will again be a top sectional XC runner and ready for any challenge.  

September 17

Boys:  Mike Bott

Mike ran a steady 5k on the sloppy and difficult South Jefferson invitational course, moving up places in the middle mile and finishing strong. A solid work ethic is beginning to pay off as he sits on the cusp of breaking into the top runner echelon in Class AA.

Girls:  E.J. Reedy

One of the team's most dedicated and disciplined trainers, E.J. has admittedly labored in some competitions. Not this race. Running smoothly and confidently on a difficult, technical course, E.J. stepped up when the team needed her most. She may have sent the signal that all her tough training will now be visible on the race course as well as the practice field.

September 24

Boys:  Ken Smith

Just back from injury, it would have made sense for Ken to enjoy a 'break-in' meet to make sure the knee was fully functional. The team could not offer him that opportunity. An all-out effort would be needed in a tight race against Oswego. Ken responded with a great effort. His pivotal 10th place and 5th runner for the 'cats made victory possible. 

Girls:  Team Effort

  The girls put together a nice team effort against Oswego/Corcoran as they placed the first 7 runners across the finish line in a work-like effort to notch a 2-0 dual meet record.

October 1

Boys:  Charlie Deragon

Big efforts in big races have happened to Charlie before, but usually it is championship season. Charlie got out well at McQuaid, stuck his nose in a fast group and stayed there. His 16:20.8 is the 2nd fastest WG boys time at McQuaid.

Girls:  Elizabeth McMahon

  This was a week to remember for Elizabeth. On Tuesday, she ran alone end-to-end at a home dual meet against Auburn, lowering the course record by 36 seconds. Saturday, in the McQuaid seeded Varsity large-schools race, she faced formidable runners from Hilton, Morgantown and Fayetteville-Manlius, to name only a few good schools. Elizabeth ran smart in the first mile, setting on the back of the lead pack. Except for the lead Hilton runner, the 2nd mile belonged to Elizabeth as she moved steadily up through the pack. Two hundred meters into the third mile, she had captured the 2nd spot, which she held by widening her lead on the third place runner. Her time was a new WG McQuaid record.

October 8

Boys:  Pete Marshall

It's not all about the front-runners. Against Central Square in a 10/5 dual meet, the normally mild-mannered Pete Marshall spurned a coaches congratulations and declared quite loudly he'd "run like crap." Pete apparently felt his efforts didn't equal his expectations. Fair enough. A quick check by the coaches found that Pete's 27:34.0 was, in fact, his seasonal PR and only 20 seconds off his all-time 5k best. But we like the expectations.

Girls:  Katie Rothenberg

Big races come in different disguises. For several weeks, declining performances and mysterious stomach discomfort had been bothering Katie both physically and mentally. Still, she refused to make excuses and just kept at her quiet, determined way. A doctor's appointment finally pinpointed a slight anemia, easily correctable. At Manhattan, the reaction seemed to be an outstanding 12th place finish in a quality race field. Welcome back Katie.

October 22

Boys:  Eric Whiting

Eric has been everywhere from 3rd to 12th runner for the Wildcats this season. The last three weeks, however, consistency has begun to appear in his race game, highlighted by a solid team 4th in the rain and mud of the 10/22 Weedsport Invitational. Becoming a regular team top-5 runner would spell good things for the 'cats championship races.

Girls:  Colleen Smith

Freshman runners are always learning--learning about training, learning about competing, learning about their true potential. For Colleen this past week the learning curve steepened. Following a solid team third place against Fayetteville-Manlius, she stepped up at the Weedsport Invitational in the absence of teammate Katie Rothenberg. Colleen ran 2nd to Elizabeth McMahon for 2.5 miles until Auburn's lead-runner was able to overtake her.  Colleen's effort sparked a West Genesee victory.

October 29

Boys:  

Girls:  

November 5

Boys:  

Girls: