SULLIVAN COUNTY — March 16, 2007 — Despite a lack of snow for the first half of the 2006-2007 high school ski season, many local skiers performed well at the recent Section IX meet and New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) alpine championships.
And the ski season will continue for two local skiers. Chris Egenes of Fallsburg/Tri-Valley and Justin Garritt of Liberty have qualified for the Eastern High School Alpine Championships at Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire. The event begins today and continues tomorrow and Sunday.
Ten boys and 10 girls from New York State were invited to race against high school racers from other states in the Northeast.
Egenes and Garritt placed in the top 20 in both the slalom and giant slalom races at the NYSPHSAA alpine championships, which were held on February 27 and 28 at Whiteface Mountain. Egenes was 13th in the giant slalom with a combined time of 1 minute, 36.09 seconds for his two runs and 18th in the slalom with a combined time of 1:41.90. Garritt was 16th in the slalom (1:41.16) and 17th in the giant slalom (1:37.57).
Three other boys from Sullivan County high schools qualified for the state alpine championships: John Bernstein of Fallsburg/T-V, Monticello’s Richard Heins and Monticello’s Ryan Sonnenschein.
Sonnenschein finished 22nd in the giant shalom with a combined time of 1:37.98. Bernstein was 39th (1:42.77) and Heins placed 46th (1:46.28).
County girls who earned a trip to the state meet were Samantha Adriaans of Fallsburg/T-V and Jackie Bunce of Monticello. Adriaans was 45th in the slalom and 51st in the giant slalom. Her respective combined times were 2:10.44 and 1:52.08. Bunce finished 65th in the giant slalom with a combined time of 2:00.56.
The members of the Section IX girls’ team, who placed fourth overall, included: Adriaans, Bunce, Marliese Coombe (Onteora), Robin Davenport (Rondout Valley), Alexandra Fichera (Cornwall), Katie Haggerty (Onteora), Margo Hanstein (Kingston), Brianna Kullberg (Cornwall), Giorgia Nagle (Onteora), Anne Pennington (Warwick), Jessica Tar (Onteora), Diann Wetzel (James I. O’Neill) and Claire Wilsey (Onteora – alternate).
Members of the Section IX boys’ team, who placed third overall, included: Charlie Agro (Monroe-Woodbury), Tyler Bailey (Onteora), John Bernstein (Fallsburg/T-V – alternate), Doug Clark (Onteora), William Dutcher (Monroe-Woodbury), Egenes, Garritt, Heins, Brad Merrill (Kingston), Sonnenschein, Michael Thompson (Onteora), Kevin VanBlarcum (Onteora) and Michael Warman (John A. Coleman Catholic).
The Onteora girls’ state team won the NYSPHSAA championship, while the Onteora boys’ state team finished third.
Bailey was the NYSPHSAA slalom champion for the second consecutive year.
Egenes’ 13th place finish in the giant slalom race was the best among the Section IX boys who competed in the event.
Haggerty won an eighth place medal in slalom and the ninth place medal in the giant slalom.
Tar placed third in the giant slalom race.
The respective boys’ and girls’ NYSPHSAA Alpine Combined Champions were Tim Williams of Brighton High School and Hannah Swartz of Canandaigua High School. Swartz and Williams were both members of the Section V state team.
Locals ski at Section IX meet
Several Sullivan County skiers competed at the Section IX meet, which was held on Feb. 21 at Belleayre Ski Area after a week of weather-related delays.
The individual Section IX champions were: boys’ – Tyler Bailey, Onteora (defending section champion); Michael Thompson, Onteora (runner-up); girls’ – Jessica Tar, Onteora; Katie Haggerty, Onteora (runner-up).
Onteora won both the boys’ and girls’ team championships. Cornwall was the runner-up in the girls’ division, while Monticello was the runner-up in the boys’ division.
The Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Division team plaque winners were: Division I girls – Onteora, sixth consecutive time as champions; Division II girls – Warwick; Division I boys – Onteora, 10th consecutive time as champions; Division II boys – Warwick.
The OCIAA Division Champions seeded into the sectionals were: Katie Haggerty, Onteora – Division I girls; Briana Kullberg, Cornwall – Division II girls; Tyler Bailey, Onteora – Division I boys; Charlie Agro, Monroe-Woodbury – Division II boys.
Sullivan County boys who placed among the top 50 individuals in the Section IX championship race were as follows: 4. Justin Garritt, Liberty, 101.96 for combined best runs in slalom and giant slalom; 6. Ryan Sonnenschein, Monticello, 102.72; 8. Chris Egenes, Fallsburg/T-V, 106.70; 12. Richard Heins, Monticello, 108.48; 14. Ian Laufersweiler, Monticello, 109.00; 15. John Bernstein, Fallsburg/T-V, 110.06; 26. Jason Lubniewski, Monticello, 119.81; 27. Will Van Hage, Monticello, 119.07; 31. Stefan Levinson, Sullivan West, 124.54; 33. Matt Green, Liberty, 140.13; 37. Evan Kirsch, Liberty, 143.78.
Sullivan County girls who placed among the top 50 individuals in the Section IX championship race were as follows: 10. Jackie Bunce, Monticello, 116.96; 12. Samantha Adriaans, Fallsburg/T-V, 117.05; 16. Maria Pavese, Monticello, 123.83; 18. Rebecca Ramirez, Liberty, 127.54; 21. Caity Baker, Liberty, 132.15; 27. Dayna Halprin, Fallsburg/T-V, 133.74; 29. Devinne DePuy, Monticello, 133.96; 37. Kellee Thelman, Sullivan West, 138.07; 38. Kassie Thelman, Sullivan West, 129.50.
In the Section IX boys’ team standings, the Monticello team of Heins, Laufersweiler and Sonnenschein placed second with a total score of 320.20. The Liberty team of Garritt, Green and Kirsch placed sixth with a total score of 385.87.
In the Section IX girls’ team standings, the Monticello team of Bunce, DePuy and Pavese placed fifth with a total score of 374.75.
OCIAA regular season standings
The Sullivan County scholastic teams placed well in the final OCIAA Division I regular season standings. Monticello earned second place in the boys’ and girls’ standings, while Liberty finished third in the boys’ standings and Fallsburg/T-V was fourth in both the boys’ and girls’ standings.
The complete Division I standings were as follows:
Boys’ – 1. Onteora, 42-0; 2. Monticello, 33-9; 3. Liberty, 29-13; 4. Fallsburg/T-V, 27-15; 5. Kingston, 19-23; 6. Rondout Valley, 12-30; 7. Sullivan West, 6-36; 8. John A. Coleman Catholic, 0-42.
Girls’ – 1. Onteora, 42-0; 2. Monticello, 32-10; 3. Kingston, 34-8; 4. Fallsburg/T-V, 24-18; 5. Sullivan West, 16-26; 6. Liberty, 9-33; 7. Rondout Valley, 8-34; 8. Middletown, 0-42.