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Sensational Saints Saunter Through Sectionals

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Featured, Sports.


Image via Saratoga Central Catholic Athletics.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 22-1 Saratoga Central Catholic varsity baseball squad earned a shot at the Section 2 Class C title after defeating Greenwich 6 to 1 on Memorial Day. As of press time, they were scheduled to face off against Granville Thursday afternoon for the championship at Joe Bruno Stadium in Troy.

In the semifinal win, the Saints were led at the plate by Max Britten (2-3), Jason Pescetti (2-3), and Ronan Rowe (1-2 with a walk). All of them batted in a run. Brian Selig shut down Greenwich on the mound, pitching 7 innings, striking out 8 hitters, and allowing 6 hits.

The one run allowed by Spa Catholic was their highest opponent score thus far in the sectional tournament, as the Saints walloped Hadley Luzerne 10 to 0 in the second round and clobbered Hoosic Valley 12 to 0 in the opening round.

Against Hoosic, Pierce Byrne tossed a no-hitter, whiffing ten batters. Contributing to the dozen runs were Ryan Gillis (2-2 with a triple and 2 RBI), Hunter Fales (1-2 with 2 RBI), and Ronan Rowe (1-2 with 2 RBI). 

The Saints haven’t lost a game since they fell to Our Lady of Lourdes 12 to 6 on May 10.

Offensive statistical standouts this season have included Max Britten (slash line: .386/.463/.421), Pierce Byrne (.395/.489/.645), Kihl Kelly (.405/.520/.544), Jason Pescetti (.471/.553/.571), Ronan Rowe (.474/.550/.645), and Brian Selig Jr. (.382/.560/.500).

Pitchers Pierce Byrne (1.33 ERA in 42 innings), Luke Dejnozka (0.51 ERA in 27.1 innings), Brian Selig Jr. (0.41 ERA in 34 innings), and Tyler Weygand (1.14 ERA in 24.2 innings) have shut down the Saints’ foes all season. 

Sports Spotlight; Andrew Blaha

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.


Photo of Andrew Blaha provided.

Andrew Blaha is currently in his senior year at the College of Charleston studying business with a concentration in leadership and a minor in physical education. He grew up in Saratoga Springs, where he was a member of the varsity tennis team. He brought his passion for the sport to Charleston, where he is president for the Charleston Club Tennis team and an intern for the athletic department.

Coach Rich Johns, a former Saratoga Springs teacher and tennis coach for nearly four decades, asked Blaha about his accomplishments and future plans as part of the “Act With Respect Always” spotlight series.

Q: Tell us more about your position as player/coach
and mentor.

A: Currently giving back day to day with my volunteer positions in tennis coaching and peer mentorship. I spend many hours working with and teaching less experienced players for our club team and I also work with current college freshmen, helping them with everything from schoolwork to social life advice. No matter what situation I am in, I try to emphasize the importance of respect both for yourself and others.

Q: What kind of modeling do you try to do to be a good leader and teammate?

A: I frequently preach the message of respect to my teammates as coach/teacher to my club team. The words respect and integrity are at the foundation of my coaching philosophy. It is also a great reminder in my personal life to treat others with respect even at difficult moments.

Q: What are your future career plans and goals?

A: I look forward to the next stage of life where I hope to pursue athletics management; the operations of athletic departments or teams, including budgets, facility management, and event planning.

Local Judoka Wins Fifth National Title

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.


Photo of Nicole Stout (wearing white) by Roy Nanjo and provided by the Jason Morris Judo Center.

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA — Nicole Stout from the Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) in Glenville won her fifth-straight US Sr. National title last Saturday, winning all her 78kg matches by Ippon (full point) at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Alabama. This ties her with JMJC alumni Carrie Chandler, who also won five nationals.

Korey Rankin also captured a gold in the novice +100kg division, a gold in the brown belt category, and a bronze in the Masters 35-39 yrs. division. Ramon Hernandez Jr. medaled for the first time, taking a bronze in the 81kg division, while Melissa Myers took home a bronze in the 70kg weight class, as well as a gold in the Masters 30-34 yrs. category. Jess Alaynick finished with a bronze in the +78kg category. JR Foster also medaled for the first time, capturing a bronze in the 60kg division. 

The JMJC has now won 55 gold and 156 medals overall at the US Nationals in its 25-year history.

Belmont Post Times Announced

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has announced post times for the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which will be held at the Saratoga Race Course from Wednesday, June 4 through Sunday, June 8.

  • Post time for the race programs on June 4, June 5, and June 8 is 12:40 p.m., with admission gates open to the public at 11 a.m.
  • The 14-race program on June 6 will feature a post time of 11:40 a.m., with admission gates open to the public at 10 a.m.
  • On Saturday, June 7, post time for the 14-race Belmont Stakes Day program is 10:45 a.m., with admission gates open to the public at 9 a.m.

NYRA Program Spotlights Local Horse Farms

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced this week that the Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm program will be offered Thursdays through Sundays during the 2025 Saratoga summer meet. Previously, the program was available Wednesdays through Saturdays.

This year’s Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm tours are presented by New York Thoroughbred Breeders and will feature three area farms: Old Tavern Farm, Sugar Plum Farm, and Song Hill Thoroughbreds.

Old Tavern Farm is a private boutique thoroughbred-breeding operation in Stillwater that was founded in 2016 by Walt and Michelle Borisenok. The farm helped launch the Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm program in 2022.

Established in 2005 and managed by owner Robin Malatino, Sugar Plum Farm is a private breeding operation located just minutes from Saratoga Race Course. The farm also serves as the summer home of New York’s leading Turf Sire, War Dancer, who is on hand to greet visitors from his paddock.

Song Hill Thoroughbreds, owned by Jim and Tina Bond, was established in Mechanicville in 2005.

The tours will be available every Thursday through Sunday during the 2025 Saratoga summer meet, beginning with Opening Day, Thursday, July 10, and continuing through Sunday, August 31. The lone exception is Sunday, August 10, whose tour to Sugar Plum Farm will be offered on Wednesday, August 6.

 Tickets for the Breakfast and Breeding Farm program are now available at NYRA.com.  

Saratoga Grads Earn Baseball and Tennis Accolades

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.


SARATOGA SPRINGS — Two Saratoga Springs High School graduates, Zander Teator and Nick Grosso, found continued success at their respective colleges this month. Teator earned First-Team All-NEWMAC Honors on the baseball diamond for Babson College, while Grosso secured All-Liberty League singles honorable mention on the tennis court for Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Grosso also garnered second-team doubles recognition alongside Nick Fischer.


Photo of Zander Teator provided by Bill Teator.

Zander Teator

Teator earned his first All-Conference selection as a utility player after seeing action as both a second baseman and a closer. He led his team and ranked sixth in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) with a .386 batting average, producing 34 hits, 11 doubles, a triple, four dingers, and six stolen bases. He was second on the team with 34 RBI, fourth with 29 runs scored, and third in the NEWMAC in slugging percentage (.670).

On the mound, Teator made 16 appearances and posted a 2.41 ERA, allowing 16 hits while striking out 15 batters in 18.2 innings of work. He shared the NEWMAC leaderboard with six saves. His 12 career saves are the second-most in program history.


Photo of Nick Grosso via Adam Faird/Hobart and William Smith Colleges Athletics.

Nick Grosso

Grosso was named to the All-Liberty League teams for the first time in his career. He was 11-10 in singles action this season, including a 10-8 mark in dual matches. He was also 9-8 at No. 3 singles and won his lone appearance at No. 2 singles. He has a 41-26 career singles record.

Alongside Fischer, Grosso also formed Hobart’s top doubles team this year. They were 12-9 overall, including a 9-7 record in dual matches. Fischer and Grosso won four of their final five matches of the season. Grosso also has a career 23-15 record in doubles play.

A Kentucky Derby Rematch at the Spa? Preakness Winner Heads to Saratoga

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Sports.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — When the connections of Sovereignty, the winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby, decided to forgo the Preakness Stakes in pursuit of the Belmont, it ignited a firestorm of controversy among racing fans. Has the Triple Crown become obsolete? Should schedules be adjusted to encourage more attempts at a feat so impressive that Netflix named a TV show after it?

Despite all the grumbling, fans may soon bear witness to something arguably more spectacular than a Triple Crown attempt: a final showdown between the winners of the Derby and the Preakness here in Saratoga.

On Monday, the gleaming chestnut coat of Preakness winner Journalism was led casually into a Spa City-bound horse van. His trainer, Michael McCarthy, will have until June 1 to decide whether the colt is ready and able to run the Test of Champions.

“It would be three races in five weeks but if the horse is doing as well as he’s doing now, it would be hard to offer up any excuses,” McCarthy told BloodHorse on May 18. “Now it’s two races in two weeks. He ate up last night and he seems pleased with himself. So, we’ll weigh the pros and cons.

“I think it would be great for the sport if these horses stay healthy and whether it’s for the Belmont, Travers, or Breeders’ Cup Classic, we get a rematch,” McCarthy added. “It would be great for racing. Period.”

Journalism was upset by Sovereignty at Churchill Downs in front of the largest Kentucky Derby television audience since 1989. But at the Preakness, he boldly squeezed his way through two other horses, emerging unscathed enough to rocket ahead for a spectacular first-place finish. 

“It went from the devastation of not being able to win the race, with what looked like an impossible task, to hopeful that he was going to somehow make a miracle happen,” Aron Wellman, president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, told the New York Racing Association (NYRA). “It took a superior, elite horse and jockey to be able to overcome those circumstances and make it happen.”

With Sovereignty resting comfortably in Saratoga, a rematch between the two thoroughbreds seems both inevitable and widely desired.

Journalism has visited Saratoga before (he was the third-straight Preakness champion to come out of Fasig-Tipton’s annual Saratoga Sale), but he hasn’t yet competed at the Graveyard of Champions. It may not be long before that changes.

Other horses who may run in the Belmont include Preakness second-place finisher Gosger, Kentucky Derby third-placer Baeza, Peter Pan-winner Hill Road, and Wood Memorial-victor Rodriguez.

NYRA also revealed this week that Preakness third-place finisher Sandman will likely target the Jim Dandy on July 26 at Saratoga.

Upgrades May Be Coming Soon to Saratoga Athletic Facilities

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Sports.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Depending on how district residents vote on May 20, some Saratoga school athletic facilities may soon get facelifts.

Part of the $142.8 million Legacy 2025 Capital Project referendum includes resurfacing the track and installing turf on the high school softball diamond.

“The thing that I have in my mind more than anything is safety concerns for the track,” said Boys Track Coach Chris Conley in a video posted by the district. “There’s been parts of it that have been starting to peel up and those areas start to become very unsafe; tripping hazards, slipping on it. It’s really not conducive to running very smart. If we could get it resurfaced so that it’s safe, that would be awesome.”

Varsity Softball Coach Geoff Loiacono said that a turf infield would make the high school softball field “playable all the time” because weather conditions wouldn’t affect it.

For more information on the project, visit www.saratogaschools.org/about-us/capital-project/2025-legacy-capital-project/

Undefeated Saints Clinch Wasaren League Title

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Sports.


Image via Saratoga Central Catholic Athletics. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The undefeated Spa Catholic varsity baseball team demolished Mechanicville last Thursday 8 to 1, clinching their 25th Wasaren League championship.

Pitcher Brian Selig gave up the lone run and only 5 hits in 6 innings of work, notching 8 strikeouts. At the plate, Selig smacked an RBI double. He was joined by Hunter Fales, Jason Pescetti, and Ryan Gillis, all of whom hit at least one double apiece (Fales managed to earn two). 

The victory put the Saints at 12-0 in their conference and 15-0 overall on the season. Although a relatively one-sided affair, Spa Catholic had more trouble the prior day against Mechanicville, battling into extra innings to eke out a 5-4 win that kept their undefeated strike alive. In that game, Ronan Rowe went 4-6 with a double, while Fales added a triple.

Prior to that pair of contests, the Saints have been nearly unstoppable, racking up one dominant W after another (21-0 against Waterford-Halfmoon, 27-0 against Hoosic Valley, 10-0 versus Fonda-Fultonville, and 16-0 against Stillwater).

The Saints have a handful of games remaining on their calendar before the first round of the Section 2 Class C playoffs begin on May 22 at Veterans Memorial Park. 

Lacrosse Team Honors Saratoga Student’s Memory, Raises $16K for Childhood Cancer Research

Written by Jonathon Norcross on . Posted in Sports.


Local lacrosse players present a $16,000 check to the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and the Live Like Liv Foundation. Photo provided.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Lacrosse players from both Saratoga Springs and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake honored the memory of Olivia Allen, a former Blue Streak who succumbed to leukemia last year, prior to their game on May 3.

The student-athletes completed 47 passes to draw attention to the fact that 47 kids are diagnosed with cancer each day in the United States. The teams were able to raise $16,000 in support of childhood cancer research, a $6,000 increase from the sum raised last year.

The touching tribute was part of the LaCROSSe Out Cancer Challenge, which supports the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and the Live Like Liv Foundation, the latter of which was founded in memory of Allen.

“Liv’s heroic story is being heard and felt throughout the entire country,” said Coach Jennifer Furze at last year’s event. “It is truly a testament to the beautiful human being she was.”

According to Bonnie Lattimore, the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation’s senior director of development and strategic partnerships, cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for kids, but only a small percentage of federal funding for cancer research is devoted to children.

“We try to do anything we can, like partner with Saratoga Springs lacrosse or other organizations, to try to fill that funding gap, and they’ve done a fantastic job,” Lattimore told Saratoga TODAY. Lattimore also said that $50 funds about one hour of research. “This has a huge impact for pediatric cancer,” she said.

Olivia Allen graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 2023 and planned to attend Florida State University to study nursing. She played for the Blue Streaks field hockey and gymnastic teams.