Amsterdam’s Olivia Lazarou was one of several Foothills Council athletes selected by the New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA) to represent Section 2 of New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) on the 2017 all-state cross country team.
Lazarou was the only Section 2 girls runner named to the Class B second team. During her senior year, Lazarou went undefeated in Foothills Council dual meets and went on to win the girls varsity title at the league championships. Following a second place finish in the NYPHSAA Section 2 Cross Country Championships at Saratoga State Park, where she finished with her personal best time (18 minutes, 15.89 seconds) on the course in the Class B race, Lazarou earned a third trip to the NYSPHSAA Championships at Wayne High School where she again achieved a career best finishing tenth overall in the Girls Class B race with a time of 20:52.2. Lazarou was the top Section 2 runner in that race finishing ahead of Burnt Hills- Ballston Lake’s Rory Graham (21:04.2), the Section 2B champion, who was chosen as a third team selection by the NYSSWA. Queensbury senior Emily Atamanchuk (21:44.5 at states), who finished second at the Foothill Council championships, and 32nd at the state championship meet was a Class B sixth team choice by the NYSWWA.
Johnstown’s Julia Sarullo was named to the second team for Class C girls. The senior qualified for states winning the NYSPHSAA Section 2 Girls Class CC race, and was in the top five overall in Class C/CC. The senior posted a time of 21:15.6 to finish tenth in the Girls Class C race at the State Championships. Also named to the Section 2 Class C team were Duanesburg’s Jennifer Skeeter and Elaine Atanasova. Joining Sarullo as Foothills Council representatives were Schuylerville’s Sunniy LaBounty, a third team selection who finished 12th in the Class C race at the state championships, and Glens Falls’ Kate Culliton, who was one of several Section 2 athletes receiving an honorable mention.
First team honors were handed out to Saratoga Springs junior Kelsey Chmiel, who was also chosen as the NYSSWA’s junior Runner of the Year. Chmiel took first in the Girls Section 2 Class A race, and was runner up in the NYSPHSAA and Federation meets. Mayfield freshman Madison Relyea, who was seventh in the Girls Class D race at the state meet, and Greenwich’s Brynne Wright, the Section 2 Class D girls champion, and the runner up at states also received first team honors. Wright’s teammates Emma Cronin, and Teagan Wright were named to the Class D second team. Brooke Wright was selected to the Class D fourth team. Shenendehowa’s Hannah Reale was named to the Class A second team. Ballston Spa’s Faith Demars, and Niskayuna’s Abigail Spiers were named to the Class A third team, Bethlehem’s Rachel Hodge, and Shenendehow’a Olivia Lomascola were fourth team choices, Saratoga Springs’ Carley Vetter was a fifth team choice, and Hanna Belleville, and Charlotte Hartman of Shenendehowa were named to the Class A sixth team.
Hughes a first team all-state choice
Foothills Council, Section 2, and NYSPHSAA Class C champion Chris Hughes was the only Foothills Council boys runner to make the NYSSWA all-state team. Hughes was named to the Boys Class C first team. Other Section 2 choices included Albany Academy’s Alex Foyt (Class C -2nd team), Rensselear’s Henry Goca (D- 2nd team), and North Warren/ Johnsburg’s Brandon Olden (D- 3rd team).
Saratoga Spring’s Shea Weilbaker was named a first team choice for Class A. Donovan Tucker of Niskayuna received a second team nod, and Bethlehem’s Jack Huber, and Schenectady’s Maazin Ahmed were Class A third team selections.
Section 2 and NYSPHSAA Class B Boys team champion Burnt Hills- Ballston Lake placed seven on the all-state team. Tyler Berg, and Aidan Gilooley received first team honors, Evan Brennan, and David Metacarpa were named to the Class B second team, Michael Messere earned a third team honor, Nick Hunziker was named to the fifth team, and Kevin Board was given an honorable mention. Schalmont’s Francisco Beltran (Class B- 3rd team), and Antonio Beltran (B- 4th team) rounded out the Section 2 Class B boys honorees.
Both Olivia Lazarou and Julia Sarullo were named 2017 Section 2 Cross Country Sportsmanship Award winners by the NYSPHSAA.
2017 Foothills Council cross country all-stars
Amsterdam’s Olivia Lazarou, Lauren Santiago, and Trevor Dzikowicz were among several local school athletes named to the 2017 Foothills Council Cross Country all-star team.
Lazarou, the 2017 girls varsity league champion was named to the girls first team along with Queensbury’s Emily Atamanchuk, and Maggie Borgos, Scotia- Glenville’s Juliana Geniti, and Laura Meade, and Schuylerville’s Sunni LaBounty.
Broadalbin- Perth’s Gabrielle Larsen was part of the girls second team that included Johnstown’s Julia Sarullo, Gloversville’s Daley Jo Christman, Delaney Krough of Scotia- Glenville, Schuylerville’s Anya Vautrin, and Queensbury’s Aberlyn Doin, and Kinsley Holl.
Santiago was one of several honorable mention choices that also included Broadalbin- Perth’s Samantha Murphy, Gloverville’s Rhea Winter, Megan Linendoll of Hudson Falls, Claire Barton and Teagan Murray of Schuylerville, South Glens Falls’ Kara Hammond, and Kiana Bennett, Scotia- Glenville’s Olivai Wheeler, Niki Dugan, and Courney DiCarlo, and Queensbury’s Alexis Bartlett, Annalise Beyerbach, Shea Murray, Carlyn Fitzgerald, Olivia Nassivera, Maggie Jacobs, and Paige O’ Donnell.
Freshman Trevor Dzikowicz was the only Amsterdam boys runner named to the 2017 Foothills Council all-stars. Dzikowicz was a second team selection along with Queensbury’s Nick Logan, and Nick Sponzo, Scotia- Glenville’s Gabe Winters- Bona, and Kyle Ostrander, Schuylerville’s Ethan Burch, and South Glens Falls’ Cowen Leininger.
Among the Foothills Council boys first team choices were boys varsity champion Chris Hughes of Glens Falls, Kevin Bouyea, Brian Beyerbach, and Cody Metcalf of Queensbury, South Glens Falls’ Frank Triolo, and Nate Nagle, and Nathan Tabbert of Scotia- Glenville.
Honorable mention choices included Broadalbin-Perth’s Micah Smith, Gloversville’s Skyler Reed, Gabe Cole, Mark Cwiakala, and Michael Simone of Johnstown, Schuylerville’s Max Dwyer, South Glens Falls’ Jacob Rafferty, Scotia Glenville’s Jacob Leaper, Ryan Bruce, Alex Tebano, Nick Swain, and Noah Greski, and Dan Manzella, Ethan Stark, Stephen Kolalczyk, Drew Fedele, and Dan Nielson of Queensbury.
