1: Union Springs' Howell claims school's first state title
The Citizen file photo
Union Springs' Mike Howell stands with his state medal on the Union Springs track. In June, Howell became the first athlete in school history to win a state title. He graduated from high school shortly afterward and now attends college at Onondaga Community College.
Union Springs' Mike Howell stands with his state medal on the Union Springs track. In June, Howell became the first athlete in school history to win a state title. He graduated from high school shortly afterward and now attends college at Onondaga Community College.
The Citizen staff report
It's not that easy to win anything in the rain, much less to earn the first major title in school history.
Not only did Union Springs' Mike Howell manage to overcome Mother Nature and his school's void of state titles - he did it quietly.
In June, Howell became the first state title holder in Wolves history by leaping 6-foot-4 in the high jump at the NYSPHSAA Outdoor Track and Field championships in Buffalo.
“It was a good feeling,” Howell said after the win. “To know that I could come back and beat someone who beat me before and in a bigger space too. I was hoping that I would win but I didn't know for sure. I have always wanted to win it all and I finally did it.”
The win came after Howell earned the Section IV, IAC title in the event and won the Section IV crown for the second straight season. All he did after that was win the state qualifiers and go on to take the title.
“I didn't let the rain bother me,” Howell said of the slick conditions in Buffalo.
“I wanted to go for it all and actually the day before the championships I had hoped it would rain so that it would get into the competitors' heads.”
A three-sport athlete for Union Springs before graduating last June, Howell was no stranger to success.
He was an integral part of the boys basketball team run in the state tournament, as well as a prolific boys soccer player.
“It has been a lot of fun to play all three sports,” Howell said.
“It kept me busy and made me keep my grades up through high school so that I could keep playing. It is so weird that it's all over now and I won't be competing anymore, I can't anticipate my next opponent or my next season, it's different.”
Now enrolled at Onondaga Community College, Howell had no plans to resume his track and field career, but his mark is already permanently stamped at Union Springs High School.
“Any time a team or individual wins a state championship, it is an accomplishment,” Union Springs athletic director and Howell's former basketball coach Tim Darnell said after his triumph.
“Since it is a first for our school, it makes it that much more impressive. I am personally looking forward to congratulating him, he is an exceptional athlete who played three sports for us and this is like the icing on the cake for him. We are very proud of him and all he has accomplished. We will definitely do something special to commemorate his victory and he will be rightfully recognized as he deserves to be.”
2: Skaneateles takes home a group of championships
The Citizen staff report
Look around the gym at Skaneateles High School and you'll see the titles won in the school's rich history.
The Lakers brought home several more this year and each, it seemed, were more impressive than the last.
In the fall, the boys soccer team won its first Section III, Class B title since 1989.
With just three seniors, the young Lakers took a No. 9 seed in the tournament and advanced all the way to the first round of the state tournament, beating top-seeded Mount Markham and then South Jefferson along the way.
In the mud and slop, the Lakers fell 1-0 in overtime to Section IV Chenango Forks, but the success of what they were able to accomplish should only serve as a building block for next fall.
“This team has everything to be proud of,” Lakers coach Kirk Atwater said after the loss. “To make it this far, it's hard right now but we played tough and I give (Chenango Forks coach Don Brozovic) all the credit in the world. They had a great game plan and I give them my congratulations. We're proud of what we accomplished and we're looking forward to get back into it next year.”
In the winter, the boys hockey team found success of its own, riding a 10-game win streak all the way to a Section III, Division II title over Whitesboro in Utica.
The Lakers had the toughness and talent to take home a state title, coming in as the No. 2 seed, but fell 3-2 in overtime in the first round of the NYSPHSAA tournament to top-ranked Queensbury.
“It's heartbreaking, but a couple of days down the line, they're going to realize what they've accomplished this year,” Lakers coach Mitch Major said after his team's final game. “They should all be proud of what they've done here.”
In the spring, three other teams earned Section III titles.
In May, the boys golf team stuck it out in the cold to win its second Section III, Class B title in a row, at Cannon Valley Golf Course in Oneida.
Those Lakers powered to their 43rd straight win and capped off a perfect 15-0 season with the easy win.
Jeff Baldetti was the co-medalist of the match, carding a 78 on the day.
In June, the boys lacrosse team earned a No. 4 seed in the Section III, Class C tournament, and like the boys soccer, showed some moxy by upsetting the top seed en route to a title.
The Lakers edged top-seeded LaFayette in the semis before soundly beating up on Christian Brothers Academy in the finals. Skaneateles made it to the NYSPHSAA quarterfinals, where the team fell 10-9, to Section IV's Corning East with under a minute left to play in Vestal.
And to no one's surprise, the girls lacrosse team ran over the Section III competition to their fourth-straight championship, delving deep into the NYSPHSAA Class C tournament.
But for the second straight season, the Lakers fell only to Section XI's Shoreham-Wading River in the state finals at SUNY Cortland.
3: Wrestlers dominate Section III
The Citizen staff report
More than two decades. That's how long it had been since the Cato-Meridian wrestling team sent more than one athlete to the state tournament.
Since 1989, the Blue Devils had just four Section III champions. That all changed last season when lightweight Dom Giacolone and middleweight Nick Lalone each won Division II and the Blue Devils sent three wrestlers to the NYSPHSAA tournament, after heavyweight Austin Lee earned a spot as a wild card.
It shouldn't have come as that big of a shock.
The Blue Devils won their sixth straight OHSL Patriot League title after a 21-3 effort and a fourth-place team finish in sectionals. The talented trio amassed 111 individual victories on the season, while compiling a combined 16 losses. Lee and Lalone finished an impressive sixth in the state.
“Lalone had the toughest weight class at sectionals,” Butler said after the competition. “Each match was grueling but he wrestled hard and did not give up.”
Giacolone faced some tough lightweight competition and fought through injuries to just compete.
He inched his way toward 100 career wins, reaching the milestone earlier this season, by allowing just nine points all season and pinning 16 opponents.
“I felt pretty accomplished with everything I did this season,” Giacolone said after the season. “Winning sectionals was the biggest thing of the year.”
4: Runners take center stage
The Citizen staff report
A host of local boys and girls cross country runners stood out this season, but none more than Skaneateles' Rachel Hosie and Jordan-Elbridge's Cody Stanton.
The Lakers' senior has stood out her entire high school career, but this season, she took it to the next level. She won several dual meets and invitationals, coming in third in Section III, Class C (19:41) and sixth in the state (20:10) - out of 130 Class C participants.
“She's a tremendously gifted runner - quite possibly with the natural born gifts - she might be the best that we've had,” Skaneateles coach Jack Reed said after the season.
As for Stanton, a junior, the Eagles runner has been busy establishing himself as one of Jordan-Elbridge's all-time best. He won sectionals by nearly 17 seconds (16:32) and took fifth overall in the state (17:09) - tying him for the best finish in school history.
“We could be reading about him in years to come,” Eagles coach Roger Roman said. “He is just scary fast.”
“It is so awesome, the recognition and pride that I got from winning the sectional race,” Stanton said after the season. “It's kind of weird but it's like everyone knows me now. I feel kind of famous, everyone keeps coming up to me congratulating me and hugging me, it's awesome.”
Running as the No. 1 man for Jordan-Elbridge, Stanton led the team to finish the season ranked third in the state.
“He trains hard and races harder,” Roman said. “I can't fill him up on mileage, he goes home from practice and does more.”
Also competing in the state meet this year were Moravia's Jason Phillips and Aimee Glenister, Stanton's teammate Mike Marerro and Port Byron's Christian Cobb.
5: Wolves win boys basketball title
The Citizen staff report
Their coach knew it was possible, but the team made it a reality. Union Springs boys basketball coach Tim Darnell knew what his team's playoff schedule could shape up to be when the regular season began, but it was the Wolves players that completed the fairytale season.
“It's time for our program to take the next step,” Darnell said before playing for the Section IV, Class C title against Oxford in Binghamton. “The next step is winning the sectional title. I think it's always been in our sights. I don't know if I was expecting that we would get in but it's been in our sights and we thought if we played well we'd have a good shot at maybe being there at the end.”
They were. The top seeded Wolves played like champs all season, but reached the finish line by beating No. 3 Oxford, 49-48. The school's first sectional title in 24 years came on an amazing run, which concluded with a 20-4 record overall.
“We have an uncanny way of winning when we have some adversity to deal with,” Darnell said after the sectional win. “If we have a guy in foul trouble or somebody gets hurt. We pulled out a lot of games this year when we maybe did not play our best basketball. This team has a good amount of mental toughness.”
That was shown in the team's state tournament quarterfinals game against top-seeded West Canada Valley. The Wolves came out fast, but ultimately fell to the then-25-0 team, 51-46.
It's not that easy to win anything in the rain, much less to earn the first major title in school history.
Not only did Union Springs' Mike Howell manage to overcome Mother Nature and his school's void of state titles - he did it quietly.
In June, Howell became the first state title holder in Wolves history by leaping 6-foot-4 in the high jump at the NYSPHSAA Outdoor Track and Field championships in Buffalo.
“It was a good feeling,” Howell said after the win. “To know that I could come back and beat someone who beat me before and in a bigger space too. I was hoping that I would win but I didn't know for sure. I have always wanted to win it all and I finally did it.”
The win came after Howell earned the Section IV, IAC title in the event and won the Section IV crown for the second straight season. All he did after that was win the state qualifiers and go on to take the title.
“I didn't let the rain bother me,” Howell said of the slick conditions in Buffalo.
“I wanted to go for it all and actually the day before the championships I had hoped it would rain so that it would get into the competitors' heads.”
A three-sport athlete for Union Springs before graduating last June, Howell was no stranger to success.
He was an integral part of the boys basketball team run in the state tournament, as well as a prolific boys soccer player.
“It has been a lot of fun to play all three sports,” Howell said.
“It kept me busy and made me keep my grades up through high school so that I could keep playing. It is so weird that it's all over now and I won't be competing anymore, I can't anticipate my next opponent or my next season, it's different.”
Now enrolled at Onondaga Community College, Howell had no plans to resume his track and field career, but his mark is already permanently stamped at Union Springs High School.
“Any time a team or individual wins a state championship, it is an accomplishment,” Union Springs athletic director and Howell's former basketball coach Tim Darnell said after his triumph.
“Since it is a first for our school, it makes it that much more impressive. I am personally looking forward to congratulating him, he is an exceptional athlete who played three sports for us and this is like the icing on the cake for him. We are very proud of him and all he has accomplished. We will definitely do something special to commemorate his victory and he will be rightfully recognized as he deserves to be.”
2: Skaneateles takes home a group of championships
The Citizen staff report
Look around the gym at Skaneateles High School and you'll see the titles won in the school's rich history.
The Lakers brought home several more this year and each, it seemed, were more impressive than the last.
In the fall, the boys soccer team won its first Section III, Class B title since 1989.
With just three seniors, the young Lakers took a No. 9 seed in the tournament and advanced all the way to the first round of the state tournament, beating top-seeded Mount Markham and then South Jefferson along the way.
In the mud and slop, the Lakers fell 1-0 in overtime to Section IV Chenango Forks, but the success of what they were able to accomplish should only serve as a building block for next fall.
“This team has everything to be proud of,” Lakers coach Kirk Atwater said after the loss. “To make it this far, it's hard right now but we played tough and I give (Chenango Forks coach Don Brozovic) all the credit in the world. They had a great game plan and I give them my congratulations. We're proud of what we accomplished and we're looking forward to get back into it next year.”
In the winter, the boys hockey team found success of its own, riding a 10-game win streak all the way to a Section III, Division II title over Whitesboro in Utica.
The Lakers had the toughness and talent to take home a state title, coming in as the No. 2 seed, but fell 3-2 in overtime in the first round of the NYSPHSAA tournament to top-ranked Queensbury.
“It's heartbreaking, but a couple of days down the line, they're going to realize what they've accomplished this year,” Lakers coach Mitch Major said after his team's final game. “They should all be proud of what they've done here.”
In the spring, three other teams earned Section III titles.
In May, the boys golf team stuck it out in the cold to win its second Section III, Class B title in a row, at Cannon Valley Golf Course in Oneida.
Those Lakers powered to their 43rd straight win and capped off a perfect 15-0 season with the easy win.
Jeff Baldetti was the co-medalist of the match, carding a 78 on the day.
In June, the boys lacrosse team earned a No. 4 seed in the Section III, Class C tournament, and like the boys soccer, showed some moxy by upsetting the top seed en route to a title.
The Lakers edged top-seeded LaFayette in the semis before soundly beating up on Christian Brothers Academy in the finals. Skaneateles made it to the NYSPHSAA quarterfinals, where the team fell 10-9, to Section IV's Corning East with under a minute left to play in Vestal.
And to no one's surprise, the girls lacrosse team ran over the Section III competition to their fourth-straight championship, delving deep into the NYSPHSAA Class C tournament.
But for the second straight season, the Lakers fell only to Section XI's Shoreham-Wading River in the state finals at SUNY Cortland.
3: Wrestlers dominate Section III
The Citizen staff report
More than two decades. That's how long it had been since the Cato-Meridian wrestling team sent more than one athlete to the state tournament.
Since 1989, the Blue Devils had just four Section III champions. That all changed last season when lightweight Dom Giacolone and middleweight Nick Lalone each won Division II and the Blue Devils sent three wrestlers to the NYSPHSAA tournament, after heavyweight Austin Lee earned a spot as a wild card.
It shouldn't have come as that big of a shock.
The Blue Devils won their sixth straight OHSL Patriot League title after a 21-3 effort and a fourth-place team finish in sectionals. The talented trio amassed 111 individual victories on the season, while compiling a combined 16 losses. Lee and Lalone finished an impressive sixth in the state.
“Lalone had the toughest weight class at sectionals,” Butler said after the competition. “Each match was grueling but he wrestled hard and did not give up.”
Giacolone faced some tough lightweight competition and fought through injuries to just compete.
He inched his way toward 100 career wins, reaching the milestone earlier this season, by allowing just nine points all season and pinning 16 opponents.
“I felt pretty accomplished with everything I did this season,” Giacolone said after the season. “Winning sectionals was the biggest thing of the year.”
4: Runners take center stage
The Citizen staff report
A host of local boys and girls cross country runners stood out this season, but none more than Skaneateles' Rachel Hosie and Jordan-Elbridge's Cody Stanton.
The Lakers' senior has stood out her entire high school career, but this season, she took it to the next level. She won several dual meets and invitationals, coming in third in Section III, Class C (19:41) and sixth in the state (20:10) - out of 130 Class C participants.
“She's a tremendously gifted runner - quite possibly with the natural born gifts - she might be the best that we've had,” Skaneateles coach Jack Reed said after the season.
As for Stanton, a junior, the Eagles runner has been busy establishing himself as one of Jordan-Elbridge's all-time best. He won sectionals by nearly 17 seconds (16:32) and took fifth overall in the state (17:09) - tying him for the best finish in school history.
“We could be reading about him in years to come,” Eagles coach Roger Roman said. “He is just scary fast.”
“It is so awesome, the recognition and pride that I got from winning the sectional race,” Stanton said after the season. “It's kind of weird but it's like everyone knows me now. I feel kind of famous, everyone keeps coming up to me congratulating me and hugging me, it's awesome.”
Running as the No. 1 man for Jordan-Elbridge, Stanton led the team to finish the season ranked third in the state.
“He trains hard and races harder,” Roman said. “I can't fill him up on mileage, he goes home from practice and does more.”
Also competing in the state meet this year were Moravia's Jason Phillips and Aimee Glenister, Stanton's teammate Mike Marerro and Port Byron's Christian Cobb.
5: Wolves win boys basketball title
The Citizen staff report
Their coach knew it was possible, but the team made it a reality. Union Springs boys basketball coach Tim Darnell knew what his team's playoff schedule could shape up to be when the regular season began, but it was the Wolves players that completed the fairytale season.
“It's time for our program to take the next step,” Darnell said before playing for the Section IV, Class C title against Oxford in Binghamton. “The next step is winning the sectional title. I think it's always been in our sights. I don't know if I was expecting that we would get in but it's been in our sights and we thought if we played well we'd have a good shot at maybe being there at the end.”
They were. The top seeded Wolves played like champs all season, but reached the finish line by beating No. 3 Oxford, 49-48. The school's first sectional title in 24 years came on an amazing run, which concluded with a 20-4 record overall.
“We have an uncanny way of winning when we have some adversity to deal with,” Darnell said after the sectional win. “If we have a guy in foul trouble or somebody gets hurt. We pulled out a lot of games this year when we maybe did not play our best basketball. This team has a good amount of mental toughness.”
That was shown in the team's state tournament quarterfinals game against top-seeded West Canada Valley. The Wolves came out fast, but ultimately fell to the then-25-0 team, 51-46.
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