SARATOGA SPRINGS — Prior to October, Saratoga Springs senior Lira Bonitatibus had never played 18 holes of golf competitively. But many wouldn’t have been able to guess, after watching the Blue Streaks’ golfer earn a 14th-place finish at the 2023 Section 2 Girls Golf Championships.

Bonitatibus was the Saratoga girls team’s top finisher at sectionals, capping off her first and only season of varsity golf in style. She had played from a young age in competitions and for fun, but said her experience this fall led her to discover a passion for the sport and goals of playing at the next level.

On the first day of sectionals, Bonitatibus shot a 90, and followed that up with a 95 on the final day, earning a 14th-place finish out of 61 competitors. It was an impressive finish for the senior, especially considering nearly all of her prior competitive match experience came this fall season with the Blue Streaks.

“The day before the first day (of sectionals) was the very first time I played 18 holes all at one time,” Bonitatibus said, noting she played the Edison Club the day prior as preparation. 

“I told myself to just go out there and just do the best that I could,” she said of her mindset. “I mean, everybody’s going to have a bad shot or a bad day, a bad hole, whatever it is. All I can do is bring my best, and that’s what I did.”

Lexie Bonitatibus, Lira’s mother, said her ability to stay mentally focused and balanced was one of the keys to her success all season.

“I think that mental piece was really what got her all the way through to this high level of sectionals,” said Lexie Bonitatibus.

Bonitatibus first began playing golf around age three, and had competed in PGA Jr. League scrambles and advanced to the sub-regionals four times in the Jr. League’s Drive, Chip, and Putt tournament. She has also competed in numerous other sports, including basketball and tennis, and is a black belt in tae kwon do. 

However, Lira’s first full-time foray into competitive golfing wasn’t until this fall, when she returned to the Saratoga Springs district after completing her sophomore year at Laurel Springs School, an online school. 

She had also begun playing tennis at age five, and said choosing between the two this fall was “a back and forth decision.” However, at the end of her time enrolled in Laurel Springs, Bonitatibus realized she would have enough credits to graduate early, and decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

The 16-year-old would currently be in her junior year, but instead will join the Class of 2024 at their graduation ceremony in June. She said this was a factor in her decision to pursue golf this fall.

“But I ultimately was like, ‘I’m going to be a senior, so I might as well just try it out,’” said Bonitatibus of her decision to join the golf team.

Bonitatibus said graduating early will allow her to “see more of the world,” noting she traveled often during her year enrolled in Laurel Springs School.

“I think what made me push skipping is the fact that I can see more of the world,” said Lira Bonitatibus. “(While in Laurel Springs School) I traveled a lot, and so I got to see different environments and how the people were there. It really just taught me a lot about the world.”

After deciding to try out for the golf team, Bonitatibus said that Saratoga head coach Karen Cavotta made a strong impression on her. However, entering the start of the season, Bonitatibus admitted she didn’t necessarily have high expectations for herself.

“I wasn’t expecting anything, honestly, because I didn’t play consistently,” she said. “I was just like, ‘I’m just going to go out and play.’”

In addition to her finish at sectionals, Bonitatibus recorded low nine-hole scores of 43 and 44, and also said one highlight of the fall was shooting an eagle on the first hole at McGregor Links in a practice round.

Now, Bonitatibus has hopes of golfing at the next level, saying she is hoping to join a Division II or III team in the South. Naturally, the process of applying to colleges is moving quickly for a student who will be graduating a year early.

“It’s going really fast. I’m trying to keep up in writing everything,” Bonitatibus said. “But I’m looking for colleges in the south, where it’s warmer. Like Florida, Texas, the Carolinas. I’d like to play DIII or DII golf.”

Bonitatibus credited her teammates for an enjoyable season, saying, “We’ve had some really fun moments out on the course.” She also credited Cavotta for “constantly” giving and receiving feedback, and assisting with her college search.

“She was going around the course constantly, getting feedback from us,” said Bonitatibus. “She wants to help us in our journeys after. She wants to know how she can help me post-graduation, for college and stuff, and where I want to play in the future. She’s really great.”

And thanks to her experience this fall, Bonitatibus says she has found a new passion.

“Golf, it just used to be a hobby,” Bonitatibus said. “I’d do it on weekends, play with my dad, and just be outside. But now, it’s a passion.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Regional YMCA hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 26 to celebrate the grand opening of its newly expanded space on their West Avenue campus.

The 23,000 square foot expansion includes a new gymnasium to accommodate expanded youth and childcare programs, an indoor adventure center, a 14,000-square foot wellness center, and three new studios for group exercise and evidence-based health initiative programs, according to a press release from the Saratoga YMCA.

The space also includes an intergenerational lobby connecting the YMCA to the newly constructed Saratoga Senior Center, which is now located on the Y’s campus.

The Saratoga Regional YMCA credited donors, community members, volunteers, and YMCA members for their support in the project. Over $8 million was raised to help offset the cost, with $3 million coming from Stewart’s Shops and the Dake Family, and $1 million being donated by the Robert and Lisa Moser Family Foundation, Inc., the release states.

“Today represents a milestone in our organization’s history and a significant investment in our Saratoga Springs facility to better serve the growing needs of YMCA members and the community at large,” said Saratoga Regional YMCA CEO Scott Clark in the release. “The Saratoga Regional YMCA has been an integral part of the community for over 150 years, providing a wide range of programs and services to promote youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Founded to help grow and increase opportunities for local youth basketball participation, Saratoga Battle Basketball has quickly picked up steam in the Capital Region youth basketball circuit.

Originally established in 2019, Saratoga Battle plans to offer 12 to 13 teams this season between boys and girls teams at a variety of grade levels, said president Adam Britten, who noted the program has grown “a thousand percent” since its inception. There are roughly 150 kids participating this year across all of the Saratoga Battle teams.

“We have two fourth-grade teams, we have one fifth-grade team, two sixth-grade teams, one seventh-grade team and one eighth-grade team on the boys side,” said Britten. “And then we basically double that on the girls side as well.”

The league is open to all kids who reside inside the Saratoga Springs City School District, whether they attend a district school or otherwise.

The boys teams compete in the Capital District Youth Basketball League (CDYBL), while the girls teams compete in the Capital District Girls Basketball League (CDGBL). Teams play a schedule of roughly 16 to 18 games, plus an end-of-season tournament. Games are played from the first weekend of November to the first weekend of March, Britten said.

The program has seen strong results early on, with three of its boys teams winning CDYBL championships at their respective age levels last season, said Britten.

“We’re really trying to act as a feeder program for middle school, freshman, JV, varsity basketball, no matter what school you go to in the Saratoga district,” said Britten. “I’m happy to say that my entire eighth grade team last year, they were all playing on the modified team at Saratoga. That’s the ultimate goal, is to make the high school-level teams.”

One major perk for the program are the annual games played on the hardwood at MVP Arena in Albany. In the week leading up to Christmas, the Saratoga Battle teams have an opportunity to play in the arena, with Britten saying “It’s probably the number one thing that the kids and parents look forward to.” The teams also attend a Siena College game at the arena.

“It’s just something really cool,” Britten said. “The night of the game, we do reserve a banquet hall, and get the whole program in there, and have some food. … It’s just definitely a very cool experience.”

Saratoga Battle is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and is entirely funded by donations and sponsors, with Britten saying they aim to keep fees as low as possible for families and kids who wish to play. He noted Saratoga Battle will work to sponsor families who may need financial assistance, and offer carpools to help transport kids to games and practices. Britten also credited the organization’s sponsors for their support.

“Our goal is to always be cost-effective for the families to play, and to keep fees as low as we can,” said Britten. “We want to keep families interested, and we think the number one factor in that is keeping costs to a minimum. That’s always our goal there.”

Saratoga Battle’s teams will play their home games this season at Gavin Park in Wilton. Britten noted the organization has to pay to reserve gym time, which he said is currently the program’s “biggest challenge.” 

“We’re raising money and spending it on the kids,” said Britten. “There’s no man, no adult or coach making any money on the program.”

Britten, who was born and raised in Saratoga Springs, said he “grew up in these programs,” and noted it is meaningful to offer a strong opportunity for local kids to get involved with basketball, and also to build a presence and connections in the community.

“A lot of what we do is making sure that every kid has an opportunity to play,” Britten said. “At the end of the day, there’s probably four or five hundred kids playing basketball in Saratoga. We’re happy with our presence.”

HALFMOON — Charlie Greiner and Carter Sica of the Saratoga Springs varsity boys golf team have each clinched their spots at the 2024 NYSPHSAA Boys Golf Championships in June, earning top-nine finishes at the Section 2 State Qualifiers last week.

Greiner placed eighth overall, while Sica placed ninth. The 2024 championships will be Sica’s third trip to states, and Greiner’s second. Head coach Jake Zanetti said that it was meaningful to see the pair advance to yet another state tournament, saying both golfers “showed some toughness” to earn their spot.

“Carter had a very difficult opening nine holes, shooting a 43. And then for him to grind out a 39 on the back to end up qualifying, ultimately, showed a lot of grind and grit and toughness out of him,” said Zanetti. “Charlie Greiner, in a similar situation, with only four or five holes left to play, he birdied 14, which is one of the toughest holes. … Then he had a great shot on 17, which is where he said it basically sealed the deal for him as far as qualifying.”

Now the duo will have plenty of time to prepare for the state championships, which begin June 2 at the Mark Twain Golf Course in Elmira. Zanetti noted that Greiner and Sica have months to work on their game, and added that both having prior state experience can prove beneficial.

“So they’ve now had the experience of going, and now they can put that away, and go out there and compete,” Zanetti said. “They’ve got … seven more months of training to get under their belt in anticipation of states in June. Them buying themselves that much more time to improve their games is huge. They could be that much better come June.”

Greiner and Sica’s finish at state qualifiers comes after the Blue Streaks placed second as a team at the Section 2 Championships, ending their bid for back-to-back sectional titles. But despite the finish at sectionals, it was still a remarkable year for the Blue Streaks’ squad, going 14-0 in the regular season and winning the Suburban Council Championships as a team.

Zanetti emphasized the depth of the team this year, noting that although the Blue Streaks were only allowed to bring six golfers to the section championships, all nine members of the varsity roster qualified for sectional play. Thomas Bundy, Charlie Blake, and Cole Whitman also advanced to the state qualifiers for the Blue Streaks this year after strong finishes at sectionals.

“We were very strong, one through nine,” Zanetti said. “Our nine guys could compete with anybody. We actually had to leave three kids off our sectional roster, even though they qualified.”

He noted that he hopes this rule will change at some point to allow all qualified golfers to attend the section championships. He also added the program had a “very strong” JV team this year, and also started an unofficial modified team to allow more kids an opportunity to play.

“We want to keep the numbers pumping for Saratoga golf,” said Zanetti.

Looking forward, the Blue Streaks’ coach said he is excited to travel with Greiner and Sica to states in June, saying, “It’s always a fun trip.”

“It’s a bonding experience for the boys, among the Section 2 team. It’s great for all the other coaches to get together,” Zanetti said. “We’ve got some really good coaches in Section 2 that get to shed their wisdom on boys from other teams, which is kind of a rare thing. It’s a fun all-around trip.”

LEXINGTON, KY — The Kentucky Horse Park held a memorial service Oct. 8 for one of its most famous residents, Funny Cide, who passed away on July 16 at the age of 23. 

The 2003 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner lived out his retirement at the Park’s Hall of Champions barn since 2008. This past Sunday, fans, caretakers, and Jack Knowlton, Sackatoga Stable Operating Manager and Funny Cide’s Owner, gathered at the Park to commemorate the “Gutsy Gelding.”

During the event, the Kentucky Horse Park announced that a commemorative statue of the legendary Thoroughbred will be added to the Memorial Walk of Champions at the Park. 

“Funny Cide was a true champion,” said Lee Carter, Kentucky Horse Park President, in a press release. “Adding this statue allows us to continue to share the story about the Gutsy Gelding with future generations.”

“We are on to the next chapter. We’re going to work to have a statue that will be fitting for him,” said Jack Knowlton in the release.

A celebration of Funny Cide’s life, the Funny Cide Send-Off, was held at Siros Restaurant in Saratoga Springs on Aug. 16. The event featured retired Race Caller Tom Durkin, Trainer Barclay Tagg, Assistant Trainer Robin Smullen, and Hall of Fame Jockey José Santos. The event raised $12,500, which marks the lead contribution towards the statue.