By Rob Potter
MONTICELLO — September 16, 2005 – Amid warm and humid conditions Tuesday afternoon, runners from seven area high schools competed in a cross country meet at Monticello High School.
While the air was heavier than one might expect on a September afternoon, the competitors took the weather conditions in stride as they ran a course which featured a couple of hills and took them behind the high school building and around many of the school’s athletic fields.
Runners from Chester, Cornwall, Goshen, Minisink Valley, S.S. Seward, Tri-Valley and host Monticello competed in the meet.
Colin Anderson of Cornwall won the boys’ race in a time of 16 minutes, 49 seconds. Goshen’s Matt Koennecke was second in 17:04 and Monticello sophomore Brendan Devine took third place with a time of 17:24.
“It was fun,” Devine said after crossing the finish line. “It was good to be up front with great runners like Colin [Anderson] and Matt [Koennecke].
“The heat was a little bothersome today, but it was still a fun race along a new course,” Devine added.
Devine noted that Monticello Coach Peter Wysochanski designed the course last Thursday, so the Monticello athletes were only able to run it a couple of times prior to Tuesday’s race.
Other county runners who finished among the top 40 were Derek Smith of Tri-Valley, who was fourth in 18;17, T-V’s Michael Kaplan (seventh, 18:38), T-V’s Nick Denman (15th, 19:54), Monticello’s Brendan Ference (17th, 20:12), T-V’s John Huppke (18th, 20:16), T-V’s Justin Tompkins (19th, 20:17), Monticello’s John Bowens (21st, 20:47), T-V’s Josh Mattingley (36th, 21:51) and Monticello’s Robert Venditti (37th, 21:58).
In the team results, Monticello defeated Chester (15-50) and Seward (25-32), but lost to Cornwall (19-37), Goshen (19-43) and T-V (22-37).
T-V defeated Chester (15-50), Minisink Valley (15-44), Monticello (22-37) and Seward (18-45), but lost to Cornwall (22-33) and Goshen (22-35).
Cornwall’s Lynn Moody took first place in the girls’ race in 19:26. She was followed to the finish line by teammates Jackie Bozloh (second, 20:54), Allison Cole (third, 21:35) and Chelsea Brisman (fourth, 21:37).
The top county finisher was Monticello freshman Emma Cohen. She captured fifth place in 21:40.
“It was really hard with the heat and the hills,” Cohen commented. “It just didn’t let up. But it was fun. It was nice to finish up front with the Cornwall girls. They are really good runners.”
Other county runners to place in the top 20 were T-V’s Rachel Sanborn (eighth, 22:20), T-V’s Courtney Roosa (10th, 23:53), Monticello’s Kayla Gager (13th, 24:40) and Monticello’s Rachel Bowens (14th, 24:43).
In the team results, Monticello fell to Chester (15-50), Cornwall (15-50), Goshen (15-50), Minisink Valley (15-50) and T-V (15-50).
T-V defeated Chester (15-50), Minisink Valley (24-35), Monticello (15-50) and Seward (15-50), but lost to Cornwall (15-50) and Goshen (25-32).