BKW boys and girls rsquo cross-country take Western Athletic Conference title
By Jordan J. Michael
BERNE The BKW cross-country team claimed the Western Athletic Conference title in both boys and girls divisions on Oct. 21 in Fort Plain.
“I have the pleasure of coaching a special group of runners,” said Head Coach Bill Tindale. “They all go the extra mile.”
The boys came in first place with 24 points, 57 points ahead of the runner-up. The team had five runners in the top eight. Connor Devine finished first overall with a time of 16:10. “He pulled away from everybody else,” said Tindale.
Jeff Moller (16:28), Sean Reynolds (16:34), and Josh Glick (16:41) took fourth, fifth, and sixth. David Haverly placed eighth and Derek Struck came in 18th. “Haverly has been nursing a bad ankle all year but he’s finally back,” said Tindale.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything more out of these guys,” Tindale said. “Five runners in the top eight? That is unbelievable.”
The girls weren’t far behind with a 45-point first-place finish, seven points ahead of Duanesburg. Courtney Tedeschi crossed the line first with a time of 18:42 and Christina Bartonicek followed in second at 19:47.
“Tedeschi has been our top runner all year long, and she’s only an eighth-grader,” said Tindale. “Bartonicek is a senior that is very steady, with a great work ethic.”
Martha Mackey, Rachel Raiti, and Angela Cunningham also had strong finishes in the WAC Championship.
The Bulldogs took an interesting trip to Disney World during Columbus Day weekend. The team ran in a very competitive race against other teams from the east coast. The boys placed 14th and the girls came in 20th.
“It was a wonderful experience away from home,” Tindale said. “Some parents came along and we had to do quite a bit of fund-raising to afford it. The only complaint was the heat and humidity.”
The Bulldogs are getting ready for the Section II Championships in Saratoga State Park on Friday. The team will be competing in Class C with a chance to go to States.
“Voorheesville is the favorite, but we’re hoping to win,” said Tindale. “We have been running superb as of late. If we continue running like that, we’ll have a good chance to take it all.”