Class A Race Turns Into A Battle for a Trip to the State Meet

By Danielle Kennedy

 Verona, N.Y. - The team championship title at the Section 3 meet is like a golden ticket.  It's a guaranteed spot on the line at the state championship meet. 

F-M and Liverpool dual at Section 3 Class A race (c) 2014 Shaylyn Tuite 

Today at Vernon-Verona-Sherill High School, Fayetteville-Manlius unwrapped that golden ticket, winning the Section 3 Class A race 24-45 over Liverpool.  Senior Bryce Millar (F-M) earned his second consecutive individual sectional title, finishing the race in 15:42.  This is the Hornet's seventh consecutive team title, having earned ten wins in the last 14 years. 

Although eleven teams competed in this race, it was a duel between the Warriors and the Hornets, the top-two cross-country teams in New York State. 

“We wanted to win very badly," said Junior Ben Petrella.  "One of our biggest goals this year was to win states and it was the harder of two goals.  The other goal was to make it to Nationals and place in the top two, but we knew it would come down to sectionals.”

Liverpool didn't make that team dream come true today but it still seized three out of the five individual qualifying spots for the state meet next Saturday, November 8 in Canton.  Petrella is one of those individuals, finishing second overall today in a time of 15:51.5.  Seniors Connor Buck and Dylan McCarthy will also compete at the state meet, finishing with times of 16:26.4 and 16:29.8, respectively.

But for Petrella, the pain of the team's loss resonates more than the satisfaction of his individual performance.

"Even making states as an individual doesn’t really make up for the disappointment right now," he said.

Still, for a team that hasn't won a Section 3 title since 2007, head coach Tracey Vannatta said Liverpool's decision to get out in front of the race was a chance worth taking.  

“We tried to go out fast, we tried to go out with them and we hatched up in the mud, but maybe it wasn’t the best tactic for everybody," Vannatta said.  "It worked for some and others didn’t have their best day."  

 
But even on his best day, Petrella is still reminded of how it feels to live in the shadow of F-M.  “Because we’ve had to deal with this in the past , sadly, we’re used to this."

Looking forward, he hopes that will change.  "We also have more goals to go after," he said.

F-M will once again pressure the second half of the Warriors' goals at the Nike Regional Championship on November 29. There, Liverpool will contest for a win or an at-large bid to the Nike Cross Country National Championship for the second year in a row.  

As for the state meet next week, Vannatta said she is glad that it will be an opportunity for Petrella, Buck, and McCarthy to have some fun as they take a break from the pressure of team competition.

“I think it’s relaxing for them," she said.  "They can relax and I think there’s nothing [team-wise] at stake so it’s kind of a fun thing.”

While these three individuals have the opportunity to earn all-state honors, a break to re-focus might be all that Liverpool needs as a team to end the season on a higher note than today.