By Frank Rizzo
UTICA — November 14, 2000 – Heather Iatauro of Tri-Valley became the first state champion cross country runner from Sullivan County since fellow T-V harrier Kate Landau in 1993.
Iatauro, a freshman, won the Class D race in a time of 20:06.3 to beat out Lauren Noble of Little Falls (20:12.9) over the 3.1-mile course at Suny Utica on Saturday.
And no, winning a state meet was not in Iatauro’s immediate master plan.
“I wasn’t expecting to win,” she said, adding that there were several runners who had beaten her the week before in a race in Central Park, NYC (see related story). “I just went out and ran.”
Iatauro said she did not go out fast.
“I was far back at the beginning — started on the inside and got boxed in, but moved up fast,” she said.
Iatauro took the lead at the mile mark, but was passed by Noble with 300 meters to go. However, she overcame Noble to win at the end.
Conditions at the course were not ideal, according to Iatauro.
“It was pretty cold, and the course was a mudslide,” she said.
She had raced at Utica earlier this year in the New Hartford Invitational and ran 20:48.
Iatauro was third in the state Class C-D race two years ago at Lake Placid and finished fourth last year in the D race at Westchester Community College. (This is the second year in which Class D schools race separately.)
“That wasn’t my best race, but it was good for the conditions,” Iatauro said.
Iatauro was 11th overall, and second to Michelle Wale of Pine Bush (19:20.7) among Section IX runners.
Wale’s time was second best overall to Class A champ Laura McCloskey of John Jay (19:19.8).

Class C Girls
Jamie Clifford finished 25th to pace two Sullivan West teammates. Clifford, an eighth-grader, clocked 21:25.4. Danielle Hendrickson was 75th with a time of 23:01.4 while Kristin Clifford was one place behind with a 23:02.6.
Jackie Kosakowski of Sauguoit Valley won the race with a time of 19:59.2. Skaneateles beat out Pearl River for the team title, 44-50.
Class C Boys
Sullivan West finished eighth with 208 points as Bayport Blue Point of Long Island took the title with 39.
Pearl River’s Brendan Fennell took the individual championship with a time of 16:56.3.
Ian Parnett led the SW contingent with a 48th place time of 19:00.0. The rest of the lineup: 66. Kevin McCarthy 19:25.2; 71. Adam Bassney 19:32.0; 93. Steve Mulvihill 20:02.2; 95. Matt Parks 20:06.1; 100. Brent Rose 20:20.2; 125. Neil Snedeker 23:18.4.
Liberty’s Matt Manzi had the top county finish, 42nd with a time of 18:44.4. Teammate Ryan Ringi placed 57th with a 19:11.7.
Class D Boys
Tri-Valley had a good showing, placing fifth with 122 points. The champion, with 69, was Tully of the Syracuse area.
Trevor Cable of Frewsberg was the individual champ with a 17:02.7 as Steve Creek led the Bears with a time of 18:29.8, good for 25th place.
The rest of the Bears: 40. Zane Illing 18:58.1; 60. Travis Wolfe 19:30.3; 63. Brenton Smith 19:34.9; 67. Todd Goldstein 19:41.5; 71. Adrien Hobbs 19:50.8; 109. Adam Wilson 21:37.1.