QUEENSBURY — Former Saratoga Springs softball player Natalie Conroy recently won the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Region 3 Athlete of the Week Award for the week ending Mar. 16, going 15 for 25 at the plate in her debut season with the SUNY Adirondack softball team. She also hit a double, two triples, a home run, and stole 7 bases to earn the honor.
Conroy has had a superb season thus far, despite only being a freshman. In her first 8 games, she notched 18 hits in 30 at-bats for a .600 batting average, .647 on-base percentage, and a .933 slugging percentage.
Conroy is a right-hander who plays both shortstop and catcher. In addition to her time with the Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks, she also played for the Electric City Bombers National 18u team and she competed in the inaugural 518 Futures High School Softball Classic in 2024.
Dolly Cairns with her family following the championship victory. From left to right: Cairns’ brother Jack, Dolly Cairns, Cairns’ mother Kay, Cairns’ father Don, Cairns’ aunt Barb, and Cairns’ uncle Pat. Photos via Coach Rich Johns & Dolly Cairns.
NORMAN, OKLAHOMA — At Saratoga Springs High School, Dolly Cairns sank hundreds of buckets to become the school’s all-time points leader. On Saturday, she brought her sharpshooting skills to the NCAA March Madness tournament, leading all Florida Gulf Coast University players in points (15 total, 12 from beyond the arc) and minutes played (36).
Despite Cairns’ show-stopping performance, the No. 14 seed Eagles fell to the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners, 81 to 58.
The game was within reach at the start of the final quarter, with Florida trailing by only 7. But the Sooners had an advantage that was difficult to overcome: height. The Eagles’ tallest player was 5’9”, and Oklahoma’s 6’4” center loomed large over her would-be defenders. Although the Eagles hoped to best the Sooners from long range, the team collectively only made 8 of 41 three-point attempts, half of which were made by Cairns. In the fourth quarter, Oklahoma was able to use its considerable size advantage to outscore Florida 26 to 10, solidifying their victory and advancing to the second round to face No. 6 Iowa.
Dolly Cairns cuts down the net after her Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles won the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Women’s Basketball Championship.
In a news release, Cairns credited her teammates for getting her the ball when she was open. “I wish a couple more went down, but just credit to my teammates for setting screens for me, looking for me, and getting the ball to me when I was open,” she said.
“They are just a resilient bunch,” said the Eagles’ first-year Head Coach Chelsea Lyles. “They don’t back down from a challenge, and they don’t play to the scoreboard. So, they continued to play hard and continued to attack. We just had a few lapses going into the fourth, and we couldn’t come back from that. But there was never a doubt in my mind that we would come out and compete.”
In addition to netting 15 points, Cairns also grabbed 4 rebounds and blocked a shot in the tough loss. It was the second time in as many years that the Eagles were knocked out of the March Madness tournament by the Sooners. Last season, the game came down to the final shot, with Oklahoma barely eking out a 73 to 70 victory.
Earlier this month, Cairns and the Eagles won their 12th Atlantic Sun Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship, which allowed them to qualify for the March Madness tournament. Cairns scored 10 points in that contest.
Overall, Cairns finished the 2024-25 season averaging 9 points per game on 45% shooting from beyond the arc. Her accuracy was good enough to make her one of the best three-point shooters in all of women’s college basketball. At the end of the season, she ranked 10th in three-point percentage at the Division 1 level. On Nov. 29, she scored a season-high 21 points against California Baptist.
Cairns played for the Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks girls basketball team, scoring more than 2,000 points to set the school’s all-time scoring record. She also captained the team in her senior year. In 2019, she committed to the University of Rhode Island, where she played for two seasons before transferring to Florida Gulf Coast.
At the end of last season, Cairns told Saratoga TODAY that she intended to pursue a career in healthcare after graduating from Florida Gulf Coast.
Spa Catholic High School baseball players Hunter Fales, Tyler Weygand, Ronan Rowe, and Ryan Gillis at their Senior Signing Day Celebration on Mar. 13. Photo via Miles Knussman/Saratoga Central Catholic School.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last Thursday, Saratoga Central Catholic High School celebrated some of its senior student-athletes at Senior Signing Day, when the standout Saints officially committed to playing baseball at the collegiate level next year.
Hunter Fales – St. John Fisher University
Tyler Weygand – Barton College
Ronan Rowe – Oswego State
Ryan Gillis – SUNY Adirondack
“Their dedication, perseverance, and talent—both on the field and in the classroom—have led them to this incredible achievement,” the school said in a statement. “We celebrate not only their hard work but also the unwavering support of their families, who have been an integral part of their journey.”
Event flier image via the Saratoga Springs City School District.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Pick up your paddle and join the Saratoga Schools Education Foundation for their 2025 Pickleball Tournament.
All proceeds from the event will support the foundation, which “awards grants to educators who show a passion for enhancing student achievement and learning through innovative and creative practices.”
The tournament, scheduled for May 3, will have a round robin format, which means that all teams will remain in the tournament from start to finish. Games will begin at 9 a.m. at the East Side Recreation Park in Saratoga Springs
To register a team, visit https://playpass.com/go/Am1EDEL.
Schuylerville varsity girls skier Taylor Dennis competed in two events at this year’s New York State Championship at Gore Mountain, placing 6th in the Slalom and 8th in the Giant Slalom. Dennis competed against 58 other skiers in the Slalom, earning a combined time of 1:29.67. In the Giant Slalom, she had a combined time of 2:03.51. Photo via the Schuylerville Central School District.
Saratoga Springs swimmers Anderson Baird, John Gregory, Anthony Sanchez, and Preston Arnold pose with their medals after the New York State Federation Championship event in Ithaca. Photo via Elizabeth Baird.
ITHACA — School records were broken and medals were brought home after the Saratoga Springs varsity boys swim team competed in the New York State Federation Championships in Ithaca earlier this month.
Blue Streak Anderson Baird placed 4th in the 200 IM A Final with a school record-breaking time of 1:50:72. He also placed 7th in the 500 freestyle with another school record-breaking time of 4:38:70.
The 200 Medley Relay team of Baird, John Gregory, Anthony Sanchez, and Preston Arnold finished 7th in the A Final with a time of 1:35:75, good enough to smash yet another school record. Then in the 400 Free Relay, the same team finished 5th in the finals with (you guessed it) a school record-breaking time of 3:12:72.
As a team, Saratoga placed 9th overall with a score of 105.
Members of the Skidmore College baseball team celebrate junior Eddie Galvao’s two-run homer in a Mar. 14 game against Otterbein in Florida. Photo via Kyle Lancto/Skidmore Athletics.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — There are many factors that can determine the outcome of a baseball game, from a well-balanced lineup to a lights-out bullpen. But there’s one strategy that’s almost always guaranteed to work: score a crap ton of runs.
Skidmore College did just that while on an extended road trip to Fort Myers, Florida that helped kick off their 2025 season. On Mar. 14, the Thoroughbreds played two games: one against Dean College in the morning and the other against Otterbein University in the afternoon. Skidmore won both, by scores of 17 to 3 and 15 to 5 respectively, resulting in the total accumulation of 32 runs in one day.
Against Dean, the Thoroughbreds put up 5 runs in the first inning and 8 runs in the sixth. Offensively, Skidmore was led by two-run doubles by Zachary Leiderman and Ewen Donald. On the mound, starter Ethan Barnett allowed only 2 runs in 6 innings, striking out 3 batters in the process.
In the game against Otterbein, Skidmore was tied at the top of the eighth inning, when Eddie Galvao smacked a two-run, go-ahead dinger that sparked a whopping 13-run rally. In that same inning, Trey Bourque cranked out a bases-clearing triple to help give the Thoroughbreds an insurmountable lead.
The victories served as needed rebounds after the Thoroughbreds were handed a pair of back-to-back losses earlier in the week against Illinois Wesleyan and Haverford.
Overall, Skidmore exited their nine-game appearance at the Gene Cusic Classic in the Sunshine State with 6 wins and 3 loses. Another loss at McDaniel to open the season gave them a 6-4 overall record prior to their home opener against Vassar on Mar. 21. That game is scheduled to be played at the David Alexander Castle Diamond at Ingram Park while the school’s new turf field on Daniels Road finishes construction.
Emma is a multi-sport athlete at Saratoga Springs High School who has competed in soccer, Nordic skiing, triathlon, and cycling.
In Nordic skiing, Murray is a five-time Team MVP and three-time captain. She helped make history with Saratoga’s first-ever Section 2 title, then played a role in securing the 2025 New York State Relay and Team Championship—the first in school history. In the championship race, she delivered the fastest relay split of the day by 12 seconds and was the only skier to go sub 8:00 (7:59.59). A four-time New York State Championships qualifier (2022-2025), she earned First Team All-Section honors three times and has medaled multiple times at the Empire State Games. She also qualified for the 2025 Junior National Championships.
As a triathlete, Murray finished the 2022 season ranked 22nd in the USA, 2nd in the Northeast, and 1st in New York State in the 0-15 Female Age Group. Now competing in a higher age group, she continues to rank among the top 50 U17 triathletes in the nation.
In cycling, she claimed the 2024 New York State U18 Time Trial Championship and previously placed third in the 2021 New York State Mountain Biking Championships.
As a four-year varsity player for the Saratoga girls soccer team, she served as co-captain her senior year, helping lead the squad to its first Sectional Championship in 35 years and its first-ever State Semifinal appearance. She was also awarded her team MVP as a sophomore and was named First-Team Suburban Council in 2024.
Murray was recognized with the Sportsmanship Award at both the New York State Soccer Championships and the New York State Nordic Championships, a testament to her leadership and character. Her peers also honored her by voting her the Most Athletic Female in her senior class.
Emma was recruited by colleges for soccer, triathlon, and Nordic skiing but will continue her athletic and academic journey at Haverford College, where she will play soccer and major in Neuroscience with the goal of becoming a surgeon.
“I have found that hard work and success go hand-in-hand,” Murray said in her recruiting profile. “There are people more talented on the pitch and more intelligent than me in the classroom, but nobody will outwork me in the classroom or the soccer field.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association (NYRA) recently announced the stakes schedule for the 2025 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which will open Thursday, Jul. 10 and continue through Monday, Sept. 1. The 40-day summer meet will offer 18 Grade 1 races as part of 64 stakes worth more than $20 million in total purses.
Following the four-day opening week, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from closing week, when the 2025 meet will conclude on Labor Day.
Some highlights of the schedule include:
The 156th Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on Aug. 23
The Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Aug. 2
The Grade 1 FanDuel Fourstardave, which has been added to a Whitney Day card that will now include four Grade 1 events and six total stakes on Saturday, Aug. 2. (NYRA has also increased the purse of the Fourstardave by $250,000 to $750,000 for the one-mile turf tilt for older horses).
The Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial, a 2 3/8-mile steeplechase test on Jul. 23
The seven-furlong state-bred $150,000 Johnstone (previously run as the Johnstone Mile) for females 3-years-old and up on Wednesday, Jul. 30
The state-bred $150,000 John Morrissey on Thursday, Jul. 31 for ages 3-and-up.
The Grade 2, $400,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, a one-mile turf test for sophomores, on Friday, Aug. 1.
The Grade 1, 12-furlong turf $750,000 Sword Dancer for older turf marathoners on Saturday, Aug. 9
The Grade 2, $500,000 [up from $400,000] Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational, a 1 3/16-mile grass route for sophomore fillies, also on Saturday, Aug. 9
The Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales at 1 1/4 miles for sophomore fillies on Saturday, Aug. 16
The Grade 1, $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard Memorial, a 2 3/8-mile test for older steeplechasers, on Wednesday, Aug. 20
The final Saturday of the meet, Aug. 30, offers the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway, a seven-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, along with the 11-furlong turf Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl for older fillies and mares
Sunday, Aug. 31 features the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, a 1 1/4-mile test for 3-year-olds and up
Closing Day (Monday, Sept. 1), is led by the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful for juveniles
For the complete Saratoga stakes schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/stakes-schedule/.
Photo of the Saratoga Race Course Marylou Whitney entrance via the New York Racing Association (NYRA).
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association (NYRA) recently announced ticket and hospitality on-sale dates for the 2025 season at the Saratoga Race Course, which includes a special July 4th Festival as a prelude to the traditional 40-day summer meet.
The July 4th Racing Festival, typically held at Belmont Park, will take place from Thursday, July 3 through Sunday, July 6 at Saratoga while construction continues on a new Belmont Park. The 40-day summer meet will open Thursday, July 10 and continue through Monday, September 1.
Full-space group hospitality reservations are available beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5 for the 1863 Club, Paddock Suite, Surfside Party Deck at The Post, Spa Verandas, Big Red Spring and Festival Tent.
Saratoga Season Passes are currently on-sale and include complimentary admission for the July 4th Racing Festival. Season Passes are available for $95, the same price as last year, and include general admission for the July 4th Festival, in addition to the 40-day summer meet.
All tickets and hospitality for the July 4th Racing Festival and 40-day Saratoga summer meet will be available according to the following timeline:
March 5: Full-space private hospitality including luxury suites and the Rail at the 1863 Club; Spa Verandas, Surfside Party Deck, Big Red Spring and Festival Tent
March 19: Full-season reserved seating plans for the Clubhouse, Grandstand and Michelob Ultra Stretch
March 26: Partial-space group reservations for the Rail at the 1863 Club, Mionetto Easy Goer and individual tables within the Festival Tent
April 9: Weekly and flex reserved seating plans for the Clubhouse, Grandstand, Michelob Ultra Stretch, Miller Time Fourstardave Sports Bar and Pick Six Vodka Picnic Paddock; single-day reservations for the Founders Room and Clubhouse Box Seats
April 23: Dining reservations for the Turf Terrace, Porch and Club Terrace
April 30: Single-day reserved seats for the Clubhouse, Grandstand and Michelob Ultra Stretch
May 7: Single-day reservations for the Miller Time Fourstardave Sports Bar, Pick Six Vodka Picnic Paddock and Surfside Tailgate at the Turn
May 14: Single-day general admission tickets
July 4th Racing Festival Stakes Schedule
NYRA also recently announced the stakes schedule for the July 4th Racing Festival.
The festival begins on Thursday, July 3 with two stakes on tap in the Listed $150,000 Wild Applause for sophomore fillies traveling one mile on the turf, and the Grade 3, $175,000 Victory Ride for sophomore fillies sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs.
Friday, July 4 will feature a stacked card of five stakes races, headlined by the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational for sophomores going 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The program is supported by the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban at 10 furlongs for older horses; the Grade 3, $200,000 Manila for sophomores going one mile on the turf; the Listed $150,000 Harvey Pack for older horses sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf; and the Listed $150,000 Schuylerville for juvenile fillies sprinting six furlongs.
Grade 1 action continues into Saturday, July 5 as sophomore filly turf routers take center stage in the Grade 1, $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational traveling 1 1/8 miles. Two other Grade 3 events are featured on the program in the $175,000 Kelso for older horses going one mile on the turf and the $175,000 Sanford for juveniles sprinting six furlongs.
The weekend closes out on Sunday, July 6 to conclude the 2025 Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet.
Daily admission for the July 4th Racing Festival will be available for $7 when purchased in advance or $10 day-of.
For the complete stakes schedule for the July 4th Racing Festival, visit www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/stakes-schedule/.
