BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa varsity softball team began 2023 with a young team, but one with “a lot of potential,” said head coach Amanda Fifield. Entering May, the team has turned that potential into success, with the Scotties earning wins in five of their last six games.
The team finished the 2022 campaign with a 12-10 record, falling to Shenendehowa in the Section 2 Class AA semifinals. The Scotties have no seniors on this year’s roster, and return a strong group of players from last season’s squad.
Fifield said the team having no seniors is “definitely a unique situation.”
“I think it’s the first time ever in my coaching career I haven’t had a senior as a varsity coach,” Fifield said. “With each day, it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, this team’s coming back for two years.’ So there’s so much to build from.”
The Scotties are 9-5 overall and 5-4 in the Suburban Council so far this season. Fifield highlighted pitching as one of the team’s strong suits this season, with the duo of junior Hadley Donnelly and sophomore Livia Wiltsie.
“Our pitchers are definitely, I would say, the strongest aspect of our team,” said junior catcher Calleigh Sisk. “They both work really hard. … They definitely help our team just keep the energy up, and they’re just great players.”
Fifield also said Sisk, junior shortstop Natalia Guthrie, and sophomore first baseman Madelyn Perrone have been important parts of the team this season.
“(Madelyn) doesn’t carry herself like a sophomore, she carries herself like a junior or senior, one of those upperclassmen,” Fifield said of Perrone. “Having that experience coming back, it doesn’t matter how young or how old you are, it’s all about the experience.”
The Scotties have also seen important contributions at the plate from juniors Carlie Koebbeman and Abigail Stagl, and freshman Carina DeCenzo, among others.
Fifield said one of the team’s goals is to reach base as much as possible, saying this will “allow the bigger pieces to happen.”
Donnelly said the Scotties will look to “come together as a team,” and take things one game at a time as they move through the rest of the season.
“Overall, just keep a positive team dynamic through the whole thing, and just take it one game at a time,” said Donnelly. “Hopefully, that will lead us to sectionals. … But right now, it’s just one game at a time and little successes.”
Rendering courtesy of Pillar Skateparks, provided by OnDeck Saratoga.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The skatepark at East Side Recreation Park will soon be renovated for the next generation of skaters to enjoy.
Benj Gleeksman, vice president of local nonprofit OnDeck Saratoga, said he and his wife Belinda Colón, who is the president of OnDeck, have recognized the need for a modern skatepark in the city for over a decade. Gleeksman said many towns around the country are beginning to recognize the need for updated skateparks.
The East Side Rec skatepark originally opened in 1989, according to OnDeck Saratoga. The park is constructed out of metal, and Gleeksman said the metal ramps have been in place for over 20 years and are “getting worn out.”
The new park will be constructed with concrete, which Gleeksman said is a preferred material for construction of skateparks.
“(Concrete is) longer lasting, it’s a lot quieter, and it’s a lot smoother and faster,” said Gleeksman. “The metal ramps kind of rest on a surface now, so when you ride up them, it’s almost like hitting a separate obstacle, because it makes a clanking sound. With concrete, it’s kind of like riding one big, smooth piece.”
The new park will feature an improved bowl, a new halfpipe, and a series of banks, ledges, and rails, Gleeksman said, noting the park will also be friendly for skaters at all levels.
“The new design is going to be sort of friendly for everybody, beginners, intermediate, and advanced skaters alike,” said Gleeksman. “Little kids will be able to go out there, and start from the beginning and learn from the ground up.”
Gleeksman and Colón assisted the city in the selection of companies to send requests for proposals, and also helped select the vendor to design the park. Gleeksman referred to the process as “a partnership between us, as OnDeck, and John Hirliman in the Recreation Department.”
“I think that they really were appreciative of the fact that we have institutional skateboarding knowledge,” said Gleeksman. “For them to sort of recognize that, I think we’re humbled by it. We’re really honored to have been able to play the role that we have in working with them.”
Construction of the park will be conducted by Artisan Skateparks, a company based in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Gleeksman said construction will begin in mid-May, and is expected to be completed by the end of the summer.
He said the updated park can also help draw skaters in from other areas.
“And the great thing about having a skatepark like this is that it brings skaters in from other communities,” Gleeksman said. “And it also boosts tourism. If families are looking to vacation somewhere, and they have kids that skateboard, well one of the things they’re going to be looking at is, ‘Oh, I’m going to Saratoga Springs, is there a cool skatepark there?’”
QUEENSBURY — West Mountain is busy preparing for an incredible summer with an extensive array of outdoor activity offerings. Here is a list of 2023 summer activities at West Mountain:
Aerial Treetop Adventure
Aerial Tour + Chairlift access rates are $35 (7-12 years), $49 (13+ years) with an add-on picnic lunch. Take an exhilarating tour through the trees in West Mountain’s five-acre Aerial Treetop Adventure Park. The park offers six high ropes courses for all different ability levels – beginners to advanced. The park is situated at the peak of West Mountain and is nestled among the treetop canopy. After taking the chairlift to the park, adventurers will be met by the West Mountain climbing crew who will outfit guests with helmets and harnesses before participating in a safety clinic. Adventurers will then climb up to a treetop platform to begin their journey through rope spider webs, zip lines, log waves and more. Aerial treetop tickets include 2 hours in the park and the chairlift ride to the park and back to the lodge (approx. 3-hour tour).
Mountain Biking & Trail Riding Access
2023 Mountain Biking + Chairlift all day rates are $20 for ages 12 and under, and $30 for ages 13 and up. West Mountain’s Bike Park has over 25 cross-country and downhill trails. Riders are welcome to bring their own bikes or rent from West, which offers Scott mountain bike rentals and protective gear packages that can be pre-reserved online. Picnic lunches – packaged in an eco-friendly box and placed in a picnic basket, prepared daily by West’s in-house chef – can be added on to your bike tour. Enjoy a relaxing picnic lunch on the mountain before, during or after your ride.
Tickets and programs are available online at westmountain.com.
Songbird with Mike Smith after their victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga Race Course in 2016. Photo by Lauren King, courtesy of NYRA
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Eight new members have been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The class of 2023 is comprised of jockey Corey Nakatani and the racehorses Arrogate (KY), California Chrome (CA), and Songbird (KY) in the contemporary category; jockey Fernando Toro via the Historic Review Committee; and Pillars of the Turf selections John W. Hanes II, Leonard W. Jerome, and Stella F. Thayer.
Arrogate, California Chrome, and Songbird were all elected in their first year of eligibility.
The 2023 Hall of Fame class will be enshrined on Friday, Aug. 4, at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga Springs at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on the Museum website at www.racingmuseum.org. The event is open to the public and free to attend.
Corey Nakatani, 52, a native of Covina, CA, won 3,909 races with purse earnings of $234,554,534 in a career that spanned from 1988 through 2018. His 341 graded stakes victories included 10 Breeders’ Cup races. Nakatani ranks No. 14 all time in career earnings and finished in the top 20 in annual earnings 16 times, including 11 times in the top 10. A winner of 10 riding titles on the Southern California circuit, Nakatani ranks in top 10 in overall wins and stakes wins at both Santa Anita and Del Mar. He won 1,033 races at Santa Anita (No. 9 all time), including 131 stakes (No. 8), and 705 races at Del Mar (No. 6), including 104 stakes (No. 2).
Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song—Bubbler, by Distorted Humor) compiled a record of 7-1-1 from 11 starts while racing from 2016 through 2017. His earnings of $17,422,600 represent the highest total in history for a horse with at least one start in North America. Winner of the Eclipse Award for Champion 3-Year-Old Male in 2016, Arrogate was bred by Clearsky Farms and purchased for $560,000 by Juddmonte Farms at the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Arrogate finished third in his career debut in April 2016 at Los Alamitos before winning seven consecutive races, including the Travers Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup, and Dubai World Cup.
California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit—Love the Chase, by Not For Love) was bred and owned by Perry Martin and Steve Coburn. Taylor Made Farm later joined in the ownership, purchasing Coburn’s share. Trained by Art Sherman, California Chrome raced from 2013 to 2017 with a record of 16-4-1 from 27 starts and earnings of $14,752,650. He was voted Horse of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and earned additional Eclipse Awards for Champion 3-Year-Old Male in 2014 and Champion Older Male in 2016.
Songbird (Medaglia d’Oro—Ivanavinalot, by West Acre) was bred by John Antonelli and purchased for $400,000 by Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Songbird raced from 2015 through 2017 with a record of 13-2-0 from 15 starts and earnings of $4,692,000. Winner of Eclipse Awards for Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in 2015 and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in 2016, Songbird won a total of 12 graded stakes, including nine Grade 1 events.
Fernando Toro, 82, a native of Santiago, Chile, won 3,555 races with purse earnings of $56,299,765 during his North American riding career of 1966 through 1990. Toro won his first race in his native country at the age of 15 in 1956 and topped the Chilean national jockeys’ standings twice. Before arriving in America, Toro won three editions of the prestigious Gran Premio, as well as the 1964 Clasico St. Leger, a race in the Chilean Triple Crown series. Based in Southern California, Toro won 80 graded stakes in North America. At the time of his retirement, he ranked in the top 10 in stakes wins at Del Mar (No. 6), Hollywood Park (No. 8), and Santa Anita (tied at No. 8).
John W. Hanes II (1892 —1987), a native of Winston-Salem, NC, graduated from Yale University and served in the Navy during World War I before becoming a bond salesman on Wall Street. He eventually became a senior partner in a brokerage firm and a governor on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Hanes to the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission. Two years later, he was named Under Secretary of the Treasury.
Hanes played a key role in the revitalization of New York racing in the 1950s. He was elected a steward of The Jockey Club in 1953 and tasked by the organization to chair a special committee to improve New York’s tracks and quality of racing. Along with committee members Christopher T. Chenery and Harry F. Guggenheim, Hanes secured $109 million to revitalize Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga. He also helped obtain legislation to establish the management corporation that eventually became the New York Racing Association. Hanes served as the organization’s president from 1954 through 1960 before transitioning to the role of NYRA chairman. He remained a NYRA trustee until 1973.
Leonard W. Jerome (1818 —1891) was born in Pompey. He originally enrolled in Princeton University (then known as the College of New Jersey) before leaving for Union College in Schenectady, where he graduated with a law degree. Jerome went on to practice law in New York for a time in both Albany and Rochester, then moved to New York City, where he became a stock speculator, financier, and patron of the arts. The flamboyant Jerome eventually built a significant fortune and became known as the “King of Wall Street.” Thoroughbred racing began to pique his interest in the mid-1860s. Jerome was a driving force in the creation of three major racetracks in the New York City area. He also helped establish the American Jockey Club (not affiliated with the modern Jockey Club) and served as the first vice president of Saratoga Race Course upon its opening in 1864. Jerome also partnered with William Travers, Saratoga’s first president, in what became a powerful financial firm on Wall Street.
Stella F. Thayer, 82, a native of Tampa, FL, purchased Tampa Bay Downs with her brother, Howell Ferguson, in 1986. She currently serves as the track’s president. Thayer was elected the ninth president of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2005. The first woman to hold the position in the institution’s history, Thayer served as Museum president until 2014. She has been a Museum trustee since 1994.
DOHA, QATAR — Five athletes from the Glenville-based Jason Morris Judo Center have qualified to compete for Team USA at the World Judo Championships in Doha, Qatar, May 7-14.
Ari Berliner, Kell Berliner, Alex Knauf, Hannah Martin and Nicole Stout all were named to the team. Ari Berliner will be the 66kg representative and be competing in his second straight Worlds. Kell Berliner (81kg) will also be going to his second worlds, having made the team for the first time in 2017.
This will be Knauf’s second time attending the Worlds, as he qualified last year. Stout (78kg) is making her third trip to Worlds, having made it in 2022 and 2017. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School graduate Hannah Martin (63kg) is making a JMJC record eighth appearance at the worlds, with her best results coming in 2013 when she finished ninth.
The JMJC has now placed an athlete in 14 straight worlds, starting in 2005, with five representatives this year being the most since having five athletes in 2011. The JMJC has placed a remarkable 54 athletes on the world team since its inception in 2000. Ari Berliner, Alex Knauf & Hannah Martin also represent the New York Athletic Club. Knauf trains at the Cohen Brothers Judo Club when he is home in Chicago, Illinois.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — It was certainly a year to remember for Saratoga Springs sophomore bowler Macallan Gagne.
Gagne finished the year as the team’s top bowler, threw a perfect game, and made an appearance at the New York State Championships for the Blue Streaks.
Gagne began the season as Saratoga’s #2 bowler, but quickly earned the team’s top spot. He said it “felt great” to become the team’s #1 option.
“I was going up against the top bowlers, and I had a chance to beat them or even come close with some of the greater bowlers,” said Gagne. “That was pretty cool.”
Gagne’s regular season was highlighted by a perfect game, bowled during an 18-14 win over Averill Park on Dec. 1. Gagne’s 300 came in the second game of the night, just after he had lost a perfect game in the ninth frame of his first game.
“That was fun. The first game, I shot like a 266,” Gagne said. “Ninth frame, I messed up, and I was upset. I just reset, see if I could try again. … Their coach was actually kind of saying, ‘It’ll come soon, just try to get it next game.’ I just stuck with it, figured out a line and threw the same shot.”
He said the final frame was “very nerve-wracking,” but Gagne finished the perfect game and celebrated with his coaches and teammates.
“Both of my coaches were behind me and stuff like that, and it was pretty fun,” said Gagne. “To see my friends and stuff like that behind me, it was also really fun.”
As a team, Saratoga finished as Section 2 runner-ups this season, one year after winning the sectional title. Although the Blue Streaks did not advance to states as a team this year, Gagne qualified individually as a composite bowler.
While he said it “would’ve been nice” for the team to earn another section championship, Gagne said it still felt great to return to states individually.
“I enjoyed it. It was tough, but I stuck through it,” said Gagne of states. “Our team did pretty well, and I enjoyed the overall experience.”
Gagne, who also plays JV baseball for Saratoga, said he will be competing in bowling tournaments across the country in preparation for next season. He said his early goals for next season are to shoot another perfect game, and qualify for states once again.
“Just doing that, and then when the season starts to come, I’ll probably get in (Strike Zone) once or twice a week, just to practice, sharpen up skills and stuff like that, and work on anything I need to,” Gagne said.
ALBANY — Coach Rich Johns recently took his Act With Respect Always message to Sage College. Invited to speak to his good friend Bob Stulmaker’s class, titled “Current Trends and Topics in Sports Leadership”.
This also gave Rich a chance to visit with Bob, who was his athletic director while at Saratoga Springs. Pictured is Coach with some of the student-athletes following his presentation. All students received an AWRA tie-dye shirt.
Contact Coach Johns at www.actwithrespectalways.com
Photos provided by Saratoga Springs Varsity Softball Booster Club. Not pictured: #21 Ava Goodman – Freshman, Utility
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs varsity softball team put it all together at the right time last season, capturing the Section 2 Class AA Championship. This season, the Blue Streaks are off to a strong start in their quest for a second straight sectional crown.
Head coach Geoff Loiacono said that while the team has gotten off to a great start, the remainder of the Blue Streaks’ league schedule will be “a grind.”
“It’s a grind from day one right through the rest of the season. Suburban Council is competitive, it’s always competitive, it’s always there for the taking,” said Loiacono. “It’s who gets hot, and it’s who gets the right hit at the right time.”
Saratoga returned much of last year’s championship squad, with 10 of the team’s 12 players returning from 2022. The Blue Streaks are 11-1 to start this season, with their only loss coming on April 18 against Troy.
“I feel like we feed off of each other, especially in our batting lineup,” said senior infielder Karley Austin. “If we start off good, everyone’s good for that entire game. … Our energy’s a lot better this year than it was last year.”
The Blue Streaks feature a pitching combo of sophomores Jacqueline Cutting and Charlotte Drabek, who Loiacono said have been “holding down the fort” on the mound.
“You’ve got to have girls who throw strikes, play defense, throw girls off here and there,” said Loiacono. “They’re both doing a really nice job, and we’re going to continue to use them how we can.”
Seniors Karley Austin, Mackenzie Waghorn, Zaynah Aparece, Maddy Vaughn, and junior Sarah Decker have been key players offensively for Saratoga, but Loiacono also stressed that the Blue Streaks have many different players “that step up at different times.”
“Some nights it’s our hitting, some nights it’s our defense, some nights it’s pitching. It just really depends on the game, and on the situation, on what sticks out best for us,” Loiacono said. “When we put it all together is when we’re great.”
Saratoga has seven games remaining in the regular season, with several tough league opponents still on the schedule, which Waghorn said will be “a good test for sectionals.”
“I kind of prefer it, because then we get that kind of atmosphere at the end of the season, and it feeds right into sectionals, which I think will definitely help us,” said Waghorn.
“I think our biggest thing is we just have to stick together as a team,” Austin added. “We can’t separate, we can’t think of just us. We definitely have to stick together.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga varsity baseball team is off to a quality start to the 2023 season, as the Blue Streaks begin the hunt for their second straight Section II title.
Saratoga beat Shaker in the Section II Class AA Championship series last season and were off to an 8-1 start entering Wednesday’s games. Head coach Andy Cuthbertson said the team’s mindset is to “reload, not rebuild.”
“Our expectations are very high every single year. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that we were going for it every single year,” Cuthbertson said. “Obviously, coming off as the Section II champs last year, we’re going to have a bullseye on our back.”
The Blue Streaks returned much of last season’s team, with Cuthbertson saying while the team lost some key returners, they also have a strong group of “core guys” returning.
Cuthbertson named juniors Michael Mack and Christian Mello as two of the team’s top pitchers, also saying Trevor Duthaler and Adam Weiss will factor in on the mound. The Blue Streaks’ head coach also made note of freshman shortstop Raul Rodriguez, who took over the position during Saratoga’s sectional run last season as an eighth-grader.
“We threw him right into the fire,” said Cuthbertson of Rodriguez’s role last season. “He saw a ton of quality at-bats. He’s already getting looks from colleges. He’s on the 40-man roster for the 15U USA baseball team. Bright future ahead for that kid.”
Junior catcher Camden Rhude, and senior outfielders Matt Salway, Owen Redick, and Drew Adams have also been key players for the Blue Streaks early in the season.
Cuthbertson said early on, the team was focused on developing culture and chemistry, saying he wants the squad to “eat strategy for breakfast.”
“Really trying to develop Team 84. That’s a concept that we have, (the) 84th team in the history of our school,” said Cuthbertson. “We try to latch onto that, making sure our program is rich in culture. Kids really feel part of something.”
Playing in a deep Suburban Council, Cuthbertson said the Blue Streaks will look to take things pitch by pitch as they move further into the season.
“Our league is very strong, well-coached, a lot of good kids,” Cuthbertson said. “Really, it’s playing pitch by pitch, inning by inning, and being in a good spot. Hopefully you’re playing your best baseball at the end of the season.”
Mickey Walczak (#42) during a game at West Virginia (Photo by West Virginia University Athletics Communications).
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Former Saratoga Springs High School star Mickey Walczak became one of the best athletes to emerge from the Capital Region, starring in both football and basketball before going on to play football at West Virginia University.
Walczak, one of the Blue Streaks’ most decorated athletes, passed away on March 28. Walczak was born and raised in Saratoga and captained both the Blue Streaks’ football and basketball teams to Foothills Council championships during his time in school.
He eventually played football for West Virginia from 1979 to 1982, where he was named Offensive MVP of the Mountaineers’ 26-6 upset win over Florida in the 1981 Peach Bowl.
Former Saratoga varsity boys’ basketball coach Damian Fantauzzi said Mickey was “one of the best athletes to ever come out of the area.”
“I mean, I can’t begin to tell you how athletic he was,” said Fantauzzi, who coached Walczak in basketball. “He’s the kind of kid, when he’s running, it looks like he’s walking, because he’s so smooth. And he’ll beat you.”
Walczak played three years of varsity basketball at Saratoga, and was captain of the team in 1977-78, his senior year, when the Blue Streaks finished the regular season undefeated and won the Foothills Council championship. Saratoga remained unbeaten until a 61-60 loss to Niskayuna in the Section 2 Class A Championship game, finishing with a 20-1 record.
“I think in a way, he knew how talented he was,” said former Saratoga varsity basketball assistant coach Rich Johns. “And he knew the others really watched him, because he was so gifted.”
“He led by example, really,” added Fantauzzi. “His game did all the talking for him, whatever game it was.”
Louisa Foye, a longtime friend of the Walczak family, spoke of memories watching Mickey play CYO basketball for St. Clement’s under longtime Saratoga Central Catholic coach Bob King.
“He was just already physically so far advanced from all these other little guys that were 10 to 12 years old,” said Foye.
And while Walczak’s football ability took him to West Virginia, he didn’t even begin playing the sport until his junior year of high school.
He ran for over 1,000 yards in both his junior and senior seasons, and was captain his senior year, helping lead the Blue Streaks to an undefeated regular season and a Foothills championship.
“He had so much power,” said Tim Doherty, former Saratoga football quarterback, noting Walczak was also a strong punter. “A couple times, like, ‘How can a human kick a ball that far?’”
“He was so strong, and it was natural,” Fantauzzi added. “He wasn’t like a weightlifter and all that stuff; he was just natural.”
Foye said that then-Saratoga football head coach Blase Iuliano “could put (Mickey) anywhere” on the field.
“Punt returner, punter, running back, wide receiver/wing like he was at West Virginia, and on defense,” said Foye. “He could do it all, and I think that’s what set him apart.”
Foye said after college, she returned to Saratoga Springs for a year, which also coincided with Walczak’s senior year at SSHS. When Walczak went off to college, Foye said she also would travel with Mickey’s mother, her own mother, and others to watch Mickey’s games at West Virginia.
“I was lucky that year, I was able to go to all of his basketball and football games,” Foye said. “I was grateful to be home, because they had really good teams.”
Walczak compiled 871 yards and nine touchdowns of total offense at West Virginia, including eight catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in the 1981 Peach Bowl victory. His 41 receptions ranked second on the team during the 1981 season.
Walczak was inducted into the Capital District Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Doherty also recounted memories of growing up and playing sports together, including their first matchup in Little League baseball. Doherty was pitching and said his first pitch hit Walczak in the leg.
“I think the baseball was more damaged than Mickey. It was like hitting a telephone pole,” said Doherty. “We just laughed, you know?”
Doherty remembered time spent as kids playing basketball at the Walczak’s house, fishing in Yaddo, and more.
“We all hung out together. It was a really tight group,” Doherty said. “Mickey and I were in the same class, fifth and sixth grade at Caroline Street School. Then we went to junior high, we were the first class in the junior high at West Avenue. You grow up with guys, you spend a lot of time together. A lot of laughs.”
Doherty also said that Mickey’s son, Dillon, has also picked up the passion for fishing from his father.
Foye recounted seeing Walczak ride his bike throughout the city, often on his way to play a pickup game with friends.
“When he was a young boy right through teenage years, when other kids might be driving, he would ride his bike all over town,” added Foye. “And he never used his hands. He would be carrying a basketball, equipment, whatever, going from his house to East Side Rec or wherever. He would ride that bike all over town with no hands.”
Doherty said, “it was a tight-knit group of guys,” recounting memories of pickup games played throughout the city.
“You get on the kitchen telephone, and dial it up, ‘Where’s the baseball game today after school?’, or on a weekend, Saturday morning,” said Doherty. “Sandlot football, sandlot baseball. Just a lot of memories and good times.”
