The 2009 PSAL Cross Country Championships will be run Saturday, November 14th at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. The following time schedule will be followed:
| Event |
Race |
Time |
| Boys |
Individual |
10:15am |
| Girls |
Individual |
10:40am |
| Boys |
Championship |
11:05am |
| Girls |
Championship |
11:30am |
| Boys (JV) |
Championship |
11:55am |
| Girls (JV) |
Championship |
12:20pm |
The top four boys’ and girls’ teams will qualify for the New York State Federation Cross Country Championships to be held on November 21st at Bowdoin Park in Wappinger Falls. The top 12 boys and 12 girls not part of the teams that qualified will also represent the PSAL at the New York State Federation Cross Country Championships.
Last year, McKee/Staten Island Tech unseated Curtis (2006, 2003, 2002) and Stuyvesant (2007, 2005, 2004) as the only boys’ teams to win in the previous five years. No clear cut favorite stands out this season. Look for Bronx Science (Bronx champ), Brooklyn Tech (Brooklyn champ), Curtis, Midwood, MSIT (Staten Island champ), Newtown (Queens champ) and Stuyvesant (Manhattan champ) to challenge for the title.
In the girls’ championship, two-time defending champion Curtis could be peaking at the right time. Don’t count out borough rival Port Richmond, which was the top PSAL finisher at the Mayor’s Cup. Health Professions (Manhattan champ), Townsend Harris (top team in Queens) and always dangerous Tottenville, will be in the hunt as well.
Boys’ Runners to Watch: (2008 PSAL Team Championship Finish in Parenthesis)
Runner |
Yr |
Team |
2008 |
Cross Country Highlights |
Daniel Hyman Cohen |
12 |
Stuyvesant |
(2) |
Won 2006 Freshman and 2007 Sophomore titles |
Jason Stapleton |
12 |
Curtis |
(4) |
Won 2009 Mayor’s Cup title |
Scott Rizzo |
12 |
MSIT |
(5) |
2009 Staten Island champ, 2008 Staten Island runner-up |
Michael Coogan |
12 |
Brooklyn Tech |
(8) |
2009 Brooklyn 4th-place |
Raul Avalos |
12 |
Susan Wagner |
(10) |
2009 Staten Island runner-up |
Hao Zhou |
12 |
Bronx Science |
(11) |
2009 Bronx champion |
Zakariah Malik |
12 |
Brooklyn Tech |
(13) |
2009 Brooklyn 3rd-place |
Joseph Carlin |
12 |
MSIT |
(16) |
2009 Staten Island 10th-place, 5th at 2008 Mayor’s Cup |
Michael Coppola |
12 |
Tottenville |
(22) |
2009 Staten Island 4th-place |
Sammy Lazhir |
12 |
Paul Robeson |
(24) |
2009 Brooklyn runner-up |
Matthew Heath |
12 |
Clara Barton |
(27) |
2009 Brooklyn 9th-place |
Tozar Roberts |
12 |
Curtis |
(29) |
2009 Staten Island 8th-place |
Chonn Cadiz |
12 |
Brooklyn Tech |
(32) |
2009 Brooklyn 7th-place |
Miguel Orea |
12 |
Curtis |
(34) |
2009 Staten Island 11th-place |
James Bowen |
12 |
Curtis |
(65) |
2009 Staten Island 3rd-place |
Konrad Surkont |
10 |
Stuyvesant |
--- |
2009 Manhattan champion: PSAL Soph. runner-up |
Michael Delligatti |
10 |
Francis Lewis |
--- |
2009 Queens 3rd-place, PSAL Soph. 3rd-place |
Andy Chen |
11 |
Stuyvesant |
JV |
2009 Manhattan runner-up |
Nicholas Ruiz |
10 |
Midwood |
JV |
2009 Brooklyn 6th-place, 2008 PSAL Freshman champ |
Hugh Prince |
12 |
Jefferson |
(1)* |
Won 2008 PSAL Individual championship |
Wayne Laroche |
12 |
Van Buren |
(2)* |
2009 Queens champ, 2008 PSAL Individual runner-up |
Mark Dressman |
12 |
Grady |
(3)* |
2009 Brooklyn champion; ran 2nd at 2009 Mayor’s Cup |
Younes Benzaid |
12 |
Bryant |
(6)* |
2009 Queens runner-up |
*Finish in 2008 PSAL Individual Championship
Girls’ Runners to Watch: (2008 PSAL Team Championship Finish in Parenthesis)
Runner |
Yr |
Team |
2008 |
Cross Country Highlights |
Katherine Currier |
11 |
LaGuardia |
(5) |
Two-time defending Manhattan champ |
Charisma Clerk |
12 |
Curtis |
(6) |
2009 Staten Island runner-up |
Alexis Panisse |
10 |
Cardozo |
(7) |
2009 Queens 4th-place, PSAL Frosh. & Soph. titles |
Victoria Stepanova |
11 |
LaGuardia |
(8) |
2009 Manhattan 3rd-place |
Terese Thompson |
11 |
Health Professions |
(9) |
2009 Manhattan runner-up, 2008 PSAL Soph. runner-up |
Jamie Abatemarco |
11 |
Townsend Harris |
(10) |
2009 Queens champ, 2008 Queens runner-up |
Christina Melian |
10 |
Susan Wagner |
(11) |
2009 Staten Island champ, 2009 PSAL Soph. runner-up |
Louise Duffy |
12 |
LaGuardia |
(12) |
2009 Manhattan 10th-place |
Laila Mahran |
12 |
Health Professions |
(14) |
2009 Manhattan 6th-place, 2007 Manhattan champ |
Daniel Sorrentino |
11 |
Port Richmond |
(17) |
2009 Staten Island 6th-place |
Brittney Killebrew |
12 |
Madison |
(18) |
2009 Brooklyn 5th-place, 2007 & 2008 Brooklyn champ |
Julisa Baez |
11 |
Dewitt Clinton |
(20) |
2009 Bronx 4th-place, 2008 Bronx champion |
Pathwahand Silva |
11 |
Curtis |
(22) |
2009 Staten Island 8th-place |
Alaine Tate |
12 |
Bayside |
(23) |
2009 Mayor’s Cup champ and runner-up in Queens |
Bryanna Chestnut |
10 |
Banneker |
(29) |
2009 Brooklyn runner-up, 2008 PSAL Frosh. 3rd-place |
Dayna Eikeseth |
12 |
Tottenville |
(30) |
2009 Staten Island 3rd-place |
Nynneya Columbus |
10 |
Port Richmond |
(32) |
2009 Staten Island 5th-place |
Tineika Toussaint |
12 |
Boys & Girls |
(40) |
2009 Brooklyn champ |
Amina Smith |
12 |
Townsend Harris |
(80) |
2009 Queens 3rd-place, 2006 PSAL Freshman champ |
Beverly Seignious |
9 |
Truman |
--- |
2009 Bronx champ, 2009 PSAL Freshman champ |
Alana Menendez |
11 |
American Studies |
(2)* |
Bronx runner-up three years in a row |
Alesa Liverpool |
12 |
Clara Barton |
(5)* |
2009 Brooklyn 3rd-place |
Chandera Jones |
12 |
Truman |
(8)* |
2009 Bronx 3rd-place, 2007 Bronx champ, PSAL Soph. champ |
*Finish in 2008 PSAL Individual Championship
Boys’ Teams to Watch:
Team |
Highlights |
Bronx Science |
Won 2009 Bronx championship by sweeping top five places |
Brooklyn Tech |
2009 Brooklyn champs; 4th at 2009 Mayor’s Cup |
Curtis |
PSAL champs three of past seven seasons; runner-up in 2005 and 2008 |
Midwood |
Third place (2005-07); second place (2001-02) |
MSIT |
Won 2008 PSAL & Mayor’s Cup titles; PSAL runner-up in 2007; 2009 S.I. champs |
Newtown |
2009 Queens’ champs can’t be counted out |
Stuyvesant |
PSAL champion 2004, 2005 and 2007; swept top five places at 2009 Manhattan boroughs |
Girls’ Teams to Watch:
Team |
Highlights |
Boys & Girls |
2009 Brooklyn champions; 2004 PSAL champions |
Curtis |
Two-time defending PSAL champions: 2009 Staten Island champs |
Health Professions |
PSAL runner-up in 2007-2008; edged LaGuardia by one point at 2009 Manhattan boroughs |
Port Richmond |
2009 Staten Island runner-up; top PSAL team at Mayor’s Cup with 2nd-place finish |
Tottenville |
Won back-to-back PSAL titles in 2005-2006: ran third at 2009 Staten Island boroughs |
Townsend Harris |
PSAL runner-up in 2003, 2005 and 2006; 2009 Queens champs |
Truman |
2009 Bronx champion |
Past PSAL Boys’ XC Team Champions:
Year |
First Place |
Second Place |
2008 |
MSIT |
Curtis |
2007 |
Stuyvesant |
MSIT |
2006 |
Curtis |
Stuyvesant |
2005 |
Stuyvesant |
Curtis |
2004 |
Stuyvesant |
Brooklyn Tech |
2003 |
Curtis |
Erasmus |
2002 |
Curtis |
Midwood |
2001 |
South Shore |
Midwood |
Past PSAL Girls’ XC Team Champions:
Year |
First Place |
Second Place |
2008 |
Curtis |
Health Professionals |
2007 |
Curtis |
Health Professionals |
2006 |
Tottenville |
Townsend Harris |
2005 |
Tottenville |
Townsend Harris |
2004 |
Boys & Girls |
MSIT |
2003 |
MSIT |
Townsend Harris |
2002 |
MSIT |
Curtis |
2001 |
Townsend Harris |
Tottenville |