The Saratoga Springs High School student-athletes who participated in a National Signing Day ceremony on Nov. 12. Photo via the Saratoga Springs City School District.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Earlier this month, 22 Saratoga Springs High School student-athletes participated in a special National Signing Day ceremony, signifying their commitment to play sports at colleges and universities.
Below is a list of the student-athletes, where they are going, and what sport they will play:
Ted Alba: Lacrosse at Farmingdale State
Sarah Berls: Girls Lacrosse at University of Connecticut
Lily Caramadre: Rowing at Stetson University
Jack Covell: Baseball at Suffolk University
Braeden Crowe: Baseball at SUNY New Paltz
Lucia DeVito: Soccer at LeMoyne College
Gianna DiMaggio: Diving at University of Richmond
Ava Goodman: Soccer at LeMoyne College
Olivia Goodman: Soccer at LeMoyne College
Emilia Hall: Field Hockey at Hamilton College
Mia Khazin: Field Hockey at Quinnipiac University
Cathryn Kolligian: Girls Lacrosse at University of Tampa
Alex Landau: Baseball at Siena College
Nia Law: Softball at RPI
Olivia Lill: Rowing at University of Central Florida
Esther Lodico: Field Hockey at Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Pictured left to right: Saratoga Springs varsity volleyball player Peyton Keegan, Junior Varsity Volleyball Coach Rob DiFusco, player Jackson Holtby, and player Noah Wescott at the 5th annual DiFusco Family Trust Scholarship Banquet on Nov. 13.
Photo by Varsity Volleyball Head Coach David Brown.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dale Romans, a Thoroughbred horse trainer who has long been a fixture at the Saratoga Race Course, formally announced a bid for the U.S. Senate on Nov. 12. Romans, a Democrat, will seek to replace Mitch McConnell, the longtime Republican senator from Kentucky who is retiring at the end of his current term.
Kentucky’s two senators, McConnell and Rand Paul, are both Republicans. A Democrat hasn’t held a U.S. senate seat in Kentucky since Wendell Ford retired in 1999. The New York Times called Romans the “Democrats’ latest long shot.”
Kentucky’s primary election will occur in May.
Romans has called himself an “independent Democrat” who is “committed to restoring trust in government by putting aside the partisan nonsense.” In his campaign launch video, Romans said he “wouldn’t be beholden to the [Democratic] party, but also wouldn’t be a puppet to the president, like a Republican freshman senator would have to be.”
Like many successful trainers, Romans has been a regular presence in Saratoga during track season. According to the Thoroughbred Daily News, 2024 was Romans’ 32nd-straight summer at the Spa. (“I always say Saratoga is like a box store in Manhattan,” Romans told the publication in a Q&A last year. “You are never going to make money. It’s expensive here. But you have to have a presence if you want to be at the top of the game.”) Last summer, Romans appeared at a New York Racing Association (NYRA) breeding farm tour at Old Tavern Farm in Saratoga. In 2015, his horse Keen Ice famously upset American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes.
Saratoga Central Catholic varsity baseball players Carson Moser (left, at Duke University table) and Pierce Byrne (right, Siena University table) participate in an athlete signing ceremony in the high school’s gym on Nov. 13. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last Thursday, Saratoga Central Catholic celebrated two members of its state championship baseball team, both of whom have signed on to play for Division 1 schools, with a signing ceremony in the high school gym.
Pitcher Carson Moser will head to Duke University, while pitcher/outfielder Pierce Byrne will play for nearby Siena University. Both players will graduate from Spa Catholic in 2026.
“What an exciting day in the history of our sports programs,” said Alphonse Lambert, the school’s athletic director and varsity baseball coach. “Both boys and [their] families are in my Hall of Fame of people—great families, great student-athletes.”
Byrne is a 6’2” right hander from Warrensburg with a fastball that can hit 88 mph. In his high school career, he netted a 2.03 ERA across 194.2 innings, totaling 332 strikeouts. At the plate, he earned a 1.082 OPS in 2025 and a 1.087 OPS in 2024. He’ll be joining a Siena program that has sent dozens of players to the majors, including pitcher Matt Gage, who pitched for both the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants during the 2025 MLB season.
This past spring, Moser, who looms over the mound at 6’7”, pitched for 11 innings in 4 starts, striking out 25 of 53 batters faced. He allowed 6 earned runs for an ERA of 4.91, while limiting his opponents’ batting average to .140. According to one of his scouting profiles, his fastball has topped out at 94 mph. The Blue Devils’ baseball program has produced MLB standouts such as Marcus Stroman, who most recently pitched for the New York Yankees, and Joey Loperfido, who made the Toronto Blue Jays’ American League Championship Series roster in 2025.
The new, digital LED sign at the Saratoga Springs Ice Rink on Weibel Avenue. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The City of Saratoga Springs celebrated the installation of a new digital LED sign at the Saratoga Springs Ice Rinks and Bike Park with a small ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.
“This vibrant new communication tool will serve as a central hub for sharing community updates, upcoming events, and important announcements with residents and visitors,” said John Hirliman, the Saratoga Springs Recreation Department’s administrative director, in a statement.
“This new sign is more than just an upgrade — it’s a symbol of our proud history and a beacon for the future,” said Rick Cobello, a former Saratoga Springs ice hockey coach who helped raise funds for the sign. “We’re honoring everyone who’s worn the jersey over the past five decades — the players, coaches, parents, and supporters who built this program.”
The new sign is expected to highlight upcoming games, player achievements, special events, and community announcements.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Ten members of the Saratoga Springs varsity field hockey team were named to Section 2 All-Star teams this week.
First team honorees included seniors Alexis Georgeadis, Mia Khazin, Emilia Hall, and Roisin Finnegan. Last month, Khazin famously broke her school’s single-season scoring record with her 30th goal of the year.
Named to the second team were Blue Streak seniors Esther Lodico and Andi Schiffer, as well as junior Catie Firehock.
Honorable mentions were awarded to sophomores Liza Sanita and Mila Phinney, and to senior Madison Finn.
COLONIE — The Saratoga Springs varsity football team secured the Section 2 Class AA title last Saturday in a barnburner threatened by lightning and soaked with rain.
The Blue Streaks eked out the win against reigning champions Christian Brothers Academy (CBA), 14 to 13, relying on standout running back Benjamin Coryea, who rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown after a season in which he led all of New York State with more than 2,100 yards for an average of nearly 200 yards per game and nearly 9 yards per carry. Quarterback Bobby Morris also found the endzone, racking up 72 rushing yards of his own on just 7 carries.
After the game’s start time was delayed due to lightning, both of Saratoga’s touchdowns came quickly in a rainy first quarter. With less than six minutes left, Morris faked a handoff to Coryea and then scrambled 45 yards into the endzone. Then with just a tad over a minute left, a direct snap to Coryea on third and short resulted in a 46-yard rushing score.
A successful two-point conversion on a short pass from Morris, followed later by a missed extra point by CBA in the fourth quarter, added up to the decisive one-point difference that put Saratoga over the edge.
On the defensive end, Blue Streak senior Josh Simon earned 2 sacks while Caleb Brilling added another. Eliot Moglia led his unit with 16 total tackles.
Saratoga’s victory over CBA was decidedly an upset. CBA won the title last year and defeated Saratoga 40 to 21 earlier in the season. The last time Saratoga beat CBA was in 2018. The 2025 section title was also the Saratoga football program’s first in a decade.
Next up for the Blue Streaks is a Saturday, Nov. 22 state tournament quarterfinal game held at Colonie High School against Section 9’s Middletown.
Saratoga Springs girls varsity swim and dive seniors pose with the Section 2 championship plaque. Photo provided by Joshua Muldner.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — In the career of an athlete or coach, moments of pure ecstasy can be few and far between, if indeed they happen at all. Perhaps someone who has devoted much of their life to baseball will experience the otherworldly sensation of a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth of a championship game. Maybe a football star will feel the thrill of catching a game-winning Hail Mary pass in the endzone as the final seconds of the fourth quarter tick off the clock. For many, these are just dreams. But for the Saratoga Springs girls swim and dive team, the fantasies have been fulfilled.
“There were points where we questioned whether we’d ever be able to bring home a championship for Saratoga,” said the team’s Head Coach Joshua Muldner. “Many of us were pretty teary after that… It was really, really emotional.”
The seemingly impossible moment arrived last weekend, when the swim and dive squad won its first Section 2 championship in 23 years after an undefeated regular season. The Blue Streaks defeated Niskayuna with a total score of 434, 70 points better than the runners-up. After securing the title, Muldner and his staff of volunteer coaches lept into the pool to join their victorious athletes.
It was the culmination of a season that opened with back-to-back victories against Niskayuna and Shenendehowa, two schools that historically have been tough challengers for Saratoga. Throughout the year, records were shattered and names were added to the history books, with eight athletes making the list of all-time top times.
“This was a magical team season,” Muldner said in a statement. “Although there are a lot of individual and relay highlights, I really believe the biggest accomplishment was getting contributions from every team member. We don’t beat Shen or Nisky in dual meets or at sectionals without extraordinary contributions from each member of the team. We did not focus on going undefeated or winning a sectional title. In fact, we never spoke about these things as a group. Instead, these athletes zeroed in on what they could control. They trusted the process, focusing on the little things, and the results followed.”
At sectionals, the Blue Streaks earned state-qualifying times in the 200-yard medley relay, the 100 backstroke, the 100 breaststroke, and diving. Victoria Lill will head to states after finishing second in the backstroke with a time of 58.95 seconds. Saturn Cogan will also make the trip to the state championship thanks to her 100-breaststroke time of 1:08.51. The medley relay team of Lill, Cogan, Cadhla Weil, and Catherine Kim also qualified. These four athletes joined divers Gianna DiMaggio and Amelia Covey in qualifying for the New York State Championship meet scheduled to take place on Nov. 21 and 22. (The last time Saratoga sent two divers to states was in 2019.)
Also at the sectional meet, senior DiMaggio scored a 531.70 at the 11-dive, which was more than 45 points higher than the diver who finished second. Covey scored an impressive 465.25, earning fifth place.
During the regular season, DiMaggio broke school records at both Schenectady (6-dive meet) and Bethlehem (11-dive meet). This is in addition to her shattering her own Saratoga Springs High School record. DiMaggio is now ranked 4th in the state for 6-dives and tied for 7th in New York for 11-dives. She has been recruited by the University of Richmond, where she will continue her diving career next fall as part of a Division 1 NCAA program.
“It’s funny, there weren’t as many nerves as I thought there would be with a brand new group of girls,” Muldner said. “They really stepped up. I think they were excited. I think they trusted each other.”
Trust is a crucial part of Muldner’s program, and his mantra is “trust the process.” He credited this “positive and team-oriented mindset” with helping the Blue Streaks acquire both their undefeated season and a sectional title.
“Throughout this season, the coaching staff was continually impressed by our team’s exceptional work ethic, their ability to listen and learn, and their willingness to trust the process,” Muldner said. “This was one of the most fun and rewarding teams [the coaches] ever had the privilege to coach.”
Muldner added: “The 2025 season will be remembered by coaches, athletes, and families as one of the most extraordinary in Saratoga Springs swim and dive history. A dynamic blend of experienced, high-performing veterans and a talented group of new athletes came together to form a unified, driven, and record-breaking team—one that truly embodies the best of what high school student athletics can be.”
Highlights from the 2025 swim and dive season included:
5 new freshman records
200 Medley Relay: 10/11/25 at Albany – Time: 1:59.64
Victoria Lill: 29.19
Skylar Panetta: 34.93
Catherine Kim: 28.87
Maeve Moynahan: 26.65
200 Free Relay – 09/30/25 at Skidmore – Time 1:48.16
Victoria Lill – 26.41
Maeve Moynahan – 27.38
Skylar Panetta – 28.01
Catherin Kim – 26.36
400 Medley Relay – 10/8/2025 at Schenectady – Time: 3:57.31
Skylar Panetta – 1:00.27
Victoria Lill – 59.32
Catherine Kim – 59.39
Maeve Moynahan – 58.33
100 Backstroke – 11/8/25 at Shen – Time: 58.95
200 IM – Skylar Panetta – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 2:15.29
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga-Wilton Elks Lodge No. 161 will hold its annual Hoop Shoot basketball free throw shooting competition on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Saratoga Springs Recreation Center at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue.
This event is free and open to boys and girls ages 8-13. Boys and girls will be divided into separate age groups of 8-9 year olds, 10-11 year olds, and 12-13 year olds. Participants’ eligibility will be determined as of their age on April 1, 2026. Pre-registration is not required.
Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in all groups. Local winners will advance to the district championship and have the opportunity to advance to regional, state, and national championship competitions. All national champions will be enshrined in the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
For more information, please contact the Director of the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Hoop Shoot, Steve Dorsey, at (518) 369-1985.
