GUILDERLAND — For 35 years, the Guilderland Invitational has grown from its roots.

The seeds for the event were planted at Tawasentha Park in 1970 as a junior-high-school race was held there. The race was the brainchild of freshmen boys coach Dale Westcott; six schools competed in the first race.

The race has survived growth, coaching changes, rain, and a change in the course to become one of the most recognized in Section II, drawing teams from New York, other states, and other countries.

In 1971, the meet developed into a high-school run. Eight schools from the area took part and the event was run by Bill Drake.
"There was a need to have an invitational that was challenging," said Drake, who was making a rare local appearence this weekend. "There was another race in the area that is still going. But we wanted to get the kids off the roads, so we decided to have a little meet in here."

Drake began coaching at Guilderland in 1961. He started teaching and coaching in Ilion and was there for four years before moving to Guilderland.

Drake was a Spanish teacher at the high school and coached track-and-field as well as cross-country.

Drake left for North Carolina in 1995 and continues to coach cross-country and track, at a school in Concord, N.C.
"I started the program," Drake said of his current team. "It’s a small school with about 320 kids in grades nine through 12. We have 37 come out for cross-country and about 44 for track and field. For a small school, that is okay."

But, Drake said, that this is his last year coaching.

Drake was making his second visit to Guilderland since he moved and he was impressed with the meet; he said it is in capable hands — those of Bob Oates.
"It’s evolved over time," he said. "Bob Oates and his coaches have done a wonderful job. It’s phenomenal what they have achieved. The spirit is still here."

Drake also credited Sandy Morley and John Wagner with helping him during his tenure as coach and taking over when he moved on.

Morley and Wagner still help out with the race as do former Farnsworth Middle School physical education teachers Dan DePersis and Joe Torre.

But they are all quick to point out Drake’s accomplishments.
"It’s so great to have him here," Morley said on Saturday. "John Wagner, Bill Drake, and I have worked together for so long. Kids I coached and teached are now coaches or have kids that are running. It’s fun."

Morley still helps out every year, even though she is the assistant principal at Bethlehem Middle School. Wagner, was a former house principal at Farnsworth Middle School.

The course has had only one change. In 1995, Drake’s son, Dieter, was the new varsity coach and designed a course that is still used. The 5,000-meter course is 95-percent grass.

The meet also went international in 1984 as a team from Canada, Georgetown Secondary School, participated. This year, Thousand Islands of Ontario won the team championship in the large-school race.

The race has continued because of effort put in by Oates and the other coaches in the program. Dave Kosier, the varsity girls’ coach, and coaches Dana Doak and Alison Dollar were all directors of the meet. In the past, Marc Burg was involved but left Guilderland to take an administrative job at Averill Park.
"I’m proud of Bob Oates," Morley said. "He improved the level of competition."

Drake and Morley have reached legendary status. The large-school race for boys’ is named after Drake and the large-school race for the girls is named after Morley.
"I’m honored and embarrassed," Morley said. "I don’t know if most of them know who I am. It’s kind of neat."

Drake and Morley and the other founders of the race and cross-country programs will also be remembered.
"It’s great to have Bill back," Oates said. "He was back for the 30th and now for the 35th. We have shirts for the race with his and Sandy’s caricature on the back. You have to explain who they are and what they did for the program. Bill came to practice on Friday and the kids were like, ‘Wow! You’re the guy on the back of our shirts.’
"The kids have a connection. We talk about the long red line and we have an alumni race. We’re passing on the message of the program."