The Inside Track
Sunday August 23, 2009

Sunday August 23, 2009: Special Edition: Boys XC Suburban Council Pre-Season Preview

The Suburban Council Boys teams have been dominated by Shenendehowa in recent years. For the past decade, Shen has finished the league meets with an undefeated record in all but two seasons. Only Shaker’s undefeated league record in 2007 and Saratoga’s undefeated 2005 season have tarnished the Shen reputation. After losing 4 of the top 5 runners to graduation, the Shen Boys are again considered pre-season favorites in the Suburban Council, but this year the outcome is far less certain. The 12-team league has been divided into three groups of four teams each to help identify the top, middle and bottom groups for the upcoming season.

Top Group:

Shenendehowa – The team will be led by senior Dan Harris, one of the top two returning runners in Section 2 and among the top Class AA runners in New York this year. Shen, the defending State Champion, is expected to reload this year with several runners from the strong JV and Frosh teams over the last few years including Ian Dorset, Mitch Todorov, Sam Kimmey, Chris Shartrand and Fred Hance.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake – This is the team with the most experienced and probably strongest group of top three runners in the Section. The real question is whether the #4 and #5 runners can stay close enough to the front. This team will be tough to beat in league meets and has a good chance to win the Class A State title. They are led by junior Otis Ubriaco, who many local runners believe could be the best in Section 2 history before he graduates in a couple years along with seniors Scott Maughan and Sean Pezzulo. Summer running results indicate they may have a solid # 4 runner, so finding a consistent #5 and keeping the top guys healthy are the key factors.

Shaker – The young Shaker team has shown great potential over the last few years. The real question will be how quickly the younger runners will be able to adjust to the demands of twice weekly varsity meets. Senior Ryan Egan after a strong year as a junior, is expected to lead the closely bunched and deep Shaker team. Among those also returning from last year’s Section 2 Championships are juniors Casey Gilboy and Kyle Foster, soph Mike Libruk and senior Eric Young. Among the long list of others competing for top varsity spots will be junior Dave Marthy, sophomore and former soccer player Jon Vallecorsa and middle distance track star Chris Herman. There are several other underclassmen who are also capable of joining the varsity team during the season.

Saratoga – This may be the surprise team in the league this year. Even with the loss of Demetri Goutos to graduation, this team will return most of their top runners. They most likely will be led by juniors Sam Place, Kyle Wegner and Joe Fairley. Saratoga may be a year away from competing at the highest level, but shouldn’t be overlooked based on their summer running results.

Middle Group:

The next group of four teams has at least one runner who finished within the top 20 in the Sectional Class AA and A Championships last year. Bethlehem’s Yosef Zaid, Ballston Spa’s Max Groves and Jake Flynt, Niskayuna’s Marshall Pagano and Colonie’s Erich Voelker (21st at Sectionals) are all expected to be among the league’s top runners this year.
The biggest challenge for each of these teams will be competing through the # 5 scoring spot as they try to develop their young talent.

Bottom Group: - It could be a long season for the final four teams on the list. Guilderland, Averill Park, Columbia and Mohonasen are likely to have to earn any league wins against each other as they compete in the deeply talented Suburban Council.

Of course, any of these 12 teams could be impacted by injuries or other factors. That is why having depth to fill in during the season, can impact a team’s results over the next several months. It should be a lot of fun.