By Rob Potter
ELMA MEADOWS — November 16, 2001 – Seven local runners competed in the New York State cross country championships last Saturday.
Liberty and Sullivan West each had two boys compete in the Class C race and Tri-Valley had one runner in the boys’ Class D race and two runners in the girls’ Class D event. The competition was held at Elma Meadows Golf Course, near Buffalo.
T-V’s Heather Iatauro turned in the best performance among the county – as well as Section IX – runners. She finished fifth in the girls’ Class D race, with a time of 19:30.
Iatauro will be the only Sullivan County runner participating in tomorrow’s New York State State Federation Meet. The event, which begins at 12:15 p.m. at Bowdoin Park in Poughkeepsie, includes runners from the state’s public schools as well as competitors from private, parochial and New York City schools.
The 40 boys and 40 girls with the top times – regardless of class – in last Saturday’s public school meet qualifed for the federation meet.
T-V’s Tara Taylor was 39th in Saturday’s girls’ Class D race with a time of 21:15.
Liberty junior Matt Manzi was Section IX’s second best finisher, placing 20th with a time of 17:08 which earned him an individual medal.
“Matt ran his best race of the season, getting out strong and staying there,” Liberty cross country coach Dee Maopolski said. “He finished in the 40s last year and his goal this year was to break the top 20. Matt has been struggling with an injury all season but he really came through.”
Fellow Liberty runner Ryan Ringi placed 80th among the Class C boys, finishing in 18:26.
“The course and weather were beautiful,” Maopolski said. “It was a hard course with rolling hills and some open stretches where the wind definitely was a factor! The first mile was a tough, gradual uphill and the grass was very soft which was hard on the legs!”
Also competing in the boys’ Class C race were Sullivan West’s Ian Parnett and Kevin McCarthy. Parnett placed 34th with a time of 17:35 and McCarthy was 52nd, running the course in 17:55.
In the boys’ Class D race, T-V’s Steve Creek placed 66th. He ran the course in 18:27.