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New York Region Girls Early Season Rankings 2023Published by
Saratoga Springs remains a significant favorite, with Bethlehem Central looking to become a consistent national presence as Fayetteville-Manlius hopes to rebound in impressive fashion in order to return to Oregon By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor Girls NXR New York Preview For the first time in nearly two decades, there isn’t a New York girls program leading the conversation for the best team in the country, whether it has been Saratoga Springs winning Nike Cross Nationals titles in 2019 and 2022 – and remaining the top group nationally in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic – after Fayetteville-Manlius captured 11 championships in a 12-year span from 2006-17. But Saratoga Springs remains the elite program in New York this fall, with Fayetteville-Manlius trying to return to national prominence after having a streak of 14 consecutive appearances at Nike Team Nationals or NXN halted last year when the Hornets decided not to compete at the regional meet. Bethlehem Central, which qualified for the first Nike Team Nationals in 2004, returned to NXN last year following a runner-up regional finish and placed 17th overall in Oregon. The Eagles, who became the ninth girls program from New York to make multiple appearances in Portland, are now seeking back-to-back trips to compete at Glendoveer Golf Course. Northport and Sayville, the reigning Class B state champion, are both seeking their first NXN berths. Sayville took third at the regional meet last year, with Northport – third at the New York Federation championship – finishing sixth at the NXN qualifier. Although New York has received 13 at-large berths in meet history, the last one for the state came in 2018, placing an increased premium on securing the two automatic berths Nov. 25 at Bowdoin Park. Reigning regional champion Lillie Bogdan of Frontier Central, in addition to Izzie Sullivan of Fayetteville-Manlius and Sarah Lawson of Corning-Painted Post are all athletes who competed last year at NXN. Zariel Macchia from William Floyd and Sophia McInnes from Bayport Blue Point are also potential contenders, as well as Ithaca freshman Tsadia Bercuvitz, Orchard Park’s Noel Barlette, Cicero North-Syracuse’s Gabby Putman, Sayville’s Mullane Baumiller, plus Hunter College Campus teammates Ella Cohen and Dylan McElhinney.
1. Saratoga Springs. In recent years, it hasn’t been a case of whether Saratoga Springs would win Class A state, New York Federation, regional and NXN titles, but by how much would the Blue Streaks dominate the field. When it comes to New York, Saratoga Springs still has a significant advantage against the rest of the state this season, especially with the senior trio of Emily Bush, Anya Belisle and Alycia Hart leading the way. The Blue Streaks have also been able to develop the next group of potential standouts with freshmen Heidi Berglund, Natalie Wilding and Tong Ang gaining valuable experience learning from past national championship lineups. Katie Turner and Alyssa Connors, both juniors, provide meaningful depth for a roster that is still capable of competing against any team in the country at Glendoveer Golf Course in December.
2. Bethlehem Central. Although the Eagles didn’t compete at the Class A state meet following a runner-up finish behind Saratoga Springs at the Section 2 qualifier, Bethlehem Central placed second behind the Blue Streaks at the New York Federation Championships and regional meet. It marked the first time since 2018 when Liverpool earned an at-large berth that a New York team other than Saratoga Springs and Fayetteville-Manlius competed at NXN. And the most encouraging aspect of the experience for the Eagles is returning four athletes from the lineup that raced in Portland. Katherine Bannigan and Charlotte O’Meara, both juniors, help form the nucleus of the Bethlehem Central team, along with sophomore Olivia Deer and freshman Anna Chrapowitzky. Maeve Conway and Liv Pachter, both seniors, add leadership and depth for a group that is motivated to make consecutive appearances in Oregon following an 18-year gap in between their first two trips.
3. Fayetteville-Manlius. Following a runner-up finish at the Class A state final last year, veteran Hornets coach Bill Aris decided the mental and physical health of the entire Fayetteville-Manlius roster was more important than pursuing additional competition at the New York Federation or regional meets. As a result, the longest streak of consecutive appearances at Nike Team Nationals and NXN – 14 straight trips from 2006-19 – came to a humbling end. The Hornets began their pursuit for new postseason opportunities with one of the top athletes in the state, junior Izzie Sullivan, as the team’s catalyst. Fellow juniors Maria Khalifeh and Catherine Walters, along with sophomore Camille Ryan, provide significant support for Fayetteville-Manlius, which is also relying on the depth and experience of seniors Ava Beecher and Charlotte Knutsen on the roster.
4. Northport. There is plenty of optimism for the Tigers following a third-place finish at the New York Federation Championships last year, but there is still also plenty of ground to make up against the elite programs in the state. Fortunately, one family provides Northport with great potential to continue improvement this season in pursuit of challenging fellow Class A teams Saratoga Springs, Bethlehem Central and Fayetteville-Manlius in the postseason. Freshman twin sisters Finnley Wickard and Mia Wickard, along with senior Emily Wickard, form an impressive trio up front for the Tigers, who will need to receive significant contributions from juniors Cate Coronato, Karen Stehlik and Maggie Taylor, as well as sophomore Kayla Forsch, in order to improve on their sixth-place regional performance last season.
5. Sayville. The Golden Flashes not only prevailed against two quality programs in Cornwall Central and Somers to capture the Class B title last season, but they also demonstrated the ability to compete with the top Class A teams as well by finishing fourth at the New York Federation Championships and third at the regional meet in consecutive races at Bowdoin Park. Mullane Baumiller, a senior, is a strong leader for Sayville, which is attempting to become the first Class B team to qualify for NXN since East Aurora – now competing in Class C – not only earned an at-large berth, but finished fourth overall in Oregon in 2012. Isabella Gerena is another senior who provides the Golden Flashes with consistency in their lineup, allowing a younger roster with juniors Carly Brady and Carly Strining, sophomore Megan Lankowicz, plus freshmen Marianna Duffy and Catherine Simovich to continue to develop in preparation for the postseason, where Class B showdowns against Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake and Pittsford Sutherland await.
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