SARATOGA SPRINGS — Team registration has opened for the 2023 Adult Saratoga Softball League. The league offers co-ed and men’s slow pitch softball.
For fees and more information please email saratogasoftballleague@gmail.com or go to www.LeagueLineup.com/SaratogaCoed.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Second Chance Sports is having a wood racquet-only day on July 1. The event started in 1990 in Saratoga Springs.
All who play will receive a special Saratoga gift and food all day, with prizes to the winner and runner-ups in all divisions.
A beginner division is included. Games will be doubles play, with no ad scoring, to help move along play. Funds will go toward disabled sports programs through Second Chance Sports and The Learning League.
There are a limited number of players. Sign up begins this week, and is first come, first serve. The event will be held July 1, with July 8 as a rain date. To sign up, call Bill at (518) 226-5888.
CANANDAIGUA — There’s a first time for everything, and Cole Evans’ first skiing victory couldn’t have come at a better time.
Evans, a junior at Ballston Spa, won the NYSPHSAA State Championship in the boys giant slalom event, posting a time of 2:14.10 across two runs at Bristol Mountain in Canandaigua. Evans said it was his first-ever race victory.
“I’ve had a number of podiums, but never a win,” said Evans. “I was pretty surprised, honestly.”
Ballston Spa head coach Mitch Huff said it is “gratifying” to see the team’s athletes have success. Evans was first coached by Huff after he began competing in ski races at Gore Mountain at a young age.
“That’s the whole purpose of why we do it, is to see these kids have success within the high school races,” said Huff. “That’s what it’s all about for us.”
Entering states off a strong regular season, Evans said he was hoping to finish in the top 10 in both the giant slalom and the slalom events.
“Obviously I’m very competitive, but I wasn’t going to be hard on myself at all,” said Evans. “Kind of just go out, have fun, see how I do.”
Evans started in 55th place out of 64 skiers, and his first run came in at 1:08.25, the top time for opening runs. Evans said his mindset for the runs was to “hold on and stay alive.”
“It was a pretty intense course, both with the weather conditions making the snow a little bit choppy, and just the length of the course being longer than any of the regular season courses that we were doing,” Evans said. “But there’s not a lot going on in your head while you’re going, you’re just kind of blacked out, going on ‘go’ mode.”
Huff, who was assisting other Section 2 skiers, said he did not actually get to see either of Evans’ runs, instead hearing of his early lead from another coach.
“As I get the athlete in his skis, (the coach) goes, ‘Hey Mitch, do you have Live-Timing?’, which is the app that you have for results,” said Huff. “I radioed, ‘No, I’m putting so-and-so in their boots,’ and he says, ‘Well, Cole just won the first run.’”
Evans’ second run was even quicker than his first, finishing with a time of 1:05.85. With a combined time of 2:14.10, Evans beat out Queensbury’s Hudson Montgomery (2:14.94) for the giant slalom state championship. Evans also finished 10th in the slalom.
Evans said “it feels good” to be recognized, noting that he is not only receiving congratulations from his school and classmates, but that it is also helping highlight the sport of skiing.
“I’ve had a lot of classmates congratulate me, my school has recognized me,” said Evans. “It feels good for the sport in general, which doesn’t get a lot of attention.”
Huff, along with other district parents, helped revive the Ballston Spa skiing program in recent years. The program had success in the past, with the girls alpine ski team (combined with Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) winning back-to-back state titles in 2011 and 2012.
“It’s been a pleasant surprise to see how many kids have shown interest in it,” said Huff, who noted he is in his eighth season as the team’s coach. “It’s very gratifying for me to see those kids progress, and have success.”
Evans said he found the balance and team aspect of the high school team to be a great fit.
“Throughout the whole season, the guys on the team are my closest friends, really, because we’re in the weight room every day,” said Evans. “We’re just spending a lot of time together, so you build the social relationship while you’re doing the sport. I think it’s really good.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Nine racehorses, six trainers, and one jockey account for the 16 finalists that will comprise the National Museum of Racing’s 2023 Hall of Fame ballot, as chosen by the Museum’s Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.
The finalists are racehorses Arrogate, Blind Luck, California Chrome, Game On Dude, Havre de Grace, Kona Gold, Lady Eli, Rags to Riches, and Songbird; trainers Christophe Clement, Kiaran McLaughlin, Graham Motion, Doug O’Neill, John Sadler, and John Shirreffs; and jockey Corey Nakatani.
Hall of Fame voters may select as many or as few candidates as they believe are worthy of induction to the Hall of Fame. All candidates that receive 50 percent plus one vote (majority approval) from the voting panel will be elected to the Hall of Fame. All of the finalists were required to receive support from two-thirds of the 15-member Nominating Committee to qualify for the ballot.
The results of the voting on the contemporary candidates will be announced on Tuesday, April 25. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday, Aug. 4, at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony is open to the public and free to attend.
To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, trainers must be licensed for 25 years, while jockeys must be licensed for 20 years. Thoroughbreds are required to be retired for five calendar years. All candidates must have been active within the past 25 years. Candidates not active within the past 25 years are eligible through the Historic Review process.
Chaired by Edward L. Bowen, the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee is comprised of Bowen, Caton Bredar, Steven Crist, Tom Durkin, Bob Ehalt, Tracy Gantz, Teresa Genaro, Jane Goldstein, Steve Haskin, Jay Hovdey, Alicia Hughes, Tom Law, Jay Privman, Michael Veitch, and Charlotte Weber.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Capital Region ballet dancers ages 12 to 18 will represent Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet this May at the Regional Dance America Northeast Festival.
In August 2022, Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet (SSYB) was accepted as a new Regional Dance America Northeast member company. It is the only ballet company in New York State to have been accepted into the organization.
This May, 20 SSYB dancers will be traveling to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to attend the RDA Northeast Festival. During the three-day-long festival, participants attend master classes, seminars, and college roundtables during the day, as well as perform each evening.
In preparation for their festival performance, on March 19, RDA’s adjudicator Carla Stallings Lippert will visit SSYB to evaluate and select the works to be shown at the Festival performances. She will watch SSYB dancers in class and perform choreographic works. She will then provide feedback and professional guidance to facilitate both artistic and technical growth.
Capital Region residents can support these young dancers at “Ballet at the Bar,” a fundraiser being held from 2 to 7 p.m., Saturday, March 11 at Artisanal Brew Works. $1 from each draft beer, wine or cocktail will be donated to SSYB. The brewery is located at 617 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs.
SCHUYLERVILLE — Schuylerville junior Luke Sherman reached a major milestone in boys basketball action, scoring his 1,000th career varsity point in the Black Horses’ Class B quarterfinal loss to Tamarac.
Sherman averaged 22 points per game, scoring 484 points in total for Schuylerville this season, who finished 13-9 overall and 7-7 in the Foothills Council.
The Black Horses opened sectional play with a 68-55 win over Mechanicville before falling 83-58 to Tamarac, the 3rd-ranked team in NYS Class B by the New York Sportswriters Association, in the quarterfinals. Schuylerville trailed by just five points at halftime, 39-34, before the Bengals pulled away in the second half. Sherman scored 22 points in that game to lead Schuylerville, while Griffin Brophy added 16 points.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Team registration has opened for the 2023 Adult Saratoga Softball League. The league offers co-ed and men’s slow pitch softball. For fees and more information, email saratogasoftballleague@gmail.com or go to LeagueLineup.com/SaratogaCoed.
GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack Jr. Thunder are making waves in their first season as members of the Eastern Hockey League Premier, and doing so with a roster made up almost entirely of local players.
The EHLP is a junior hockey league based in the Northeast. The Jr. Thunder have clinched first place in the league’s New England Division, with a record of 30-6-4-2 for a total of 66 points.
Several players said the team’s location was one of the things that drew them to the squad. Many of the team’s players spent previous seasons with other junior hockey teams.
“I live two minutes over the bridge, why wouldn’t I want to sleep in my bed every night and play at (Cool Insuring Arena), where I grew up watching games?” said forward Damon Warren. “It’s awesome.”
“It feels nice to be home,” added defenseman Jim Fitzgerald, a Queensbury native. “I know the area, I’m not going somewhere that I have no idea.”
Like the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder, the Jr. Thunder team practices and plays home games at Cool Insuring Arena. They are coached by Glenn Merkosky, who spent 11 seasons in professional hockey, including 66 NHL games.
Merkosky has an extensive history at the arena, spending parts of six seasons with the AHL’s Adirondack Red Wings from 1985 to 1991, including Calder Cup championships in 1986 and 1989, and serving as the team’s head coach from 1996 to 1999.
Merkosky said he hadn’t coached since his stint with Adirondack, but was asked by fellow members of the Jr. Thunder’s board of directors.
“It wasn’t really something, to tell you the truth, that I had even thought about,” said Merkosky. “After I did think about it, I said, ‘Yeah, that would be something I would probably enjoy doing.’”
While it has been more work than he had anticipated, Merkosky said the job came around for him “at a really good point” in his life.
“To be honest with you, once I took this job, I kind of found you do everything,” Merkosky said. “It’s been probably three times as much work as I thought it’d be. But I’ve enjoyed it, it’s been good for me at this point in my life.”
He said the team’s overwhelming volume of local players has been “a little bit of a talk” around the league this season, with a majority of EHLP teams recruiting players from across the United States, Canada, and beyond.
“It’s a real feather in the cap for the youth hockey programs in this area, from Glens Falls down to Saratoga and in the Capital District area, that they’re producing some real good players,” said Merkosky.
This includes players such as Warren, a South Glens Falls native who said the decision to join the team was a “no-brainer.” Warren spent the previous two seasons playing for the NA3HL’s Bay State Bobcats in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
The team includes products of several local high school hockey teams: Saratoga Springs, Queensbury, Adirondack, and G/M/S/V/S. 17 of the 24 players listed on the team’s roster formerly played for one of the four high school squads.
Brockport native Zack Geitner, one of the few players hailing from outside the Capital Region, said Merkosky’s credentials were a large factor in his decision. Geitner spent the previous season with another EHLP team, the New England Wolves.
“I saw the credentials that Coach had, and I thought it was a good idea,” said Geitner. “Plus, it was closer to home to the Rochester, New York, area.”
The team gelled together quickly, with Merkosky saying the squad “built really good team chemistry early on.”
“Everyone’s just trying to make each other better,” said Kian Hodgins, a goaltender from Ottawa, Ontario. “If someone makes a mistake, we’re going to let them know about it, but it’s ultimately to make that person better.”
“It’s a very welcoming environment,” added Geitner. “You can definitely build off that and take advantage of it, and I think we’ve done that.”
And the opportunity to play at Cool Insuring Arena, a professional facility, has also been a major advantage for the players, they said.
“Even in practice, you look up and nobody’s in the stands, but you see all the seats, and it’s awesome,” said Warren. “You feel like you have to work. It’s just a different feeling than any other rink I’ve played in.”
And with the regular season coming to a close, the Jr. Thunder have capped off their inaugural season with a division title, but with the playoffs approaching, the team has larger goals.
“We do have a big goal, we do have a big picture,” said Geitner. “Sometimes it’s hard to get away from that, but we’re just focused on one game at a time, just winning.”
“Doesn’t matter our record, we’ve still got to go into the playoffs,” Warren said. “It’s 0-0 when the playoffs start.”
GLENS FALLS — Stifled by a strong Brothers defense, the Saratoga Springs varsity boys basketball team fell 56-43 to CBA in the Section 2 Class AA semifinals on Thursday.
The Blue Streaks got off to a slow start, with CBA jumping to an eleven-point lead late in the first quarter. Saratoga was held to just 19 points in the first half, and the Brothers used a strong inside game to keep the Blue Streaks at bay in the second half.
Saratoga head coach Matt Usher was complimentary of the CBA defense, while acknowledging the Blue Streaks “missed some shots that we were capable of making.”
“Definitely got some shots that we are happy with, but their length obviously bothered us,” said Usher. “It’s one of those nights where the shots that you need to make aren’t dropping.”
Five points each from CBA’s Jayden Osinski and Oreoluwapo Odutayo helped the Brothers to an early double-digit lead. After being held to just four points in the first five minutes, Saratoga began finding more of a rhythm offensively, with a late three-pointer by junior Ryan Farr cutting the deficit to 15-7 after one quarter.
The trio of Farr, Hutton Snyder, and Andrew Stallmer combined to score all 19 of the Blue Streaks’ first-half points, with Usher saying the trio “have been phenomenal leaders” for the squad.
Consecutive buckets by Snyder and Stallmer cut CBA’s lead to three with 1:33 left in the first half, but a three-point play by CBA junior Aiden Wine extended the Brothers’ lead to 25-19 at the break. Usher said the Blue Streaks emphasized utilizing their speed to generate looks in the paint in the second half.
CBA, however, extended the lead in the third quarter, opening the second half with a 10-2 run to extend the lead to 35-21. The duo of Osinski and Odutayo shined in the quarter, combining to score 12 of the Brothers’ 15 points. The Brothers held Saratoga to just two made field goals in the quarter, and a pair of free throws by Odutayo in the final seconds sent CBA to the fourth with a 40-25 lead.
“Their defense was locked in. They altered some shots inside,” said Usher of the Brothers’ defense. “They definitely bothered us with some of their physicality on the perimeter. Credit to CBA and their players. They’re a good team.”
The Blue Streaks cut the lead to 10 points on a pair of free throws by Farr with 6:51 remaining, but were unable to get any closer in the fourth quarter. Odutayo led CBA with seven points in the final frame, helping close out a 56-43 victory.
Stallmer led Saratoga with 14 points in the loss. Farr had nine points, while Snyder added eight points. Caleb Casey scored six points, with Antone Robbens and Noah Friedman each adding three points.
Odutayo led CBA with 21 points in the win. Osinski had 15 points, with Matt Sgambati adding nine points. Wine had six points, while Kaelan Leak added three points. Matt Picard and Leonard LaVigne each had one point for the Brothers.
Usher said that, despite the loss, he is “so proud of these kids for their effort all season.”
“17 wins, a trip up here to Glens Falls. I think if you would’ve asked a lot of people in the league and the community, they might not have expected that before the season,” Usher said. “Our kids believed, they kept getting better.”
Usher said it is “always special” to earn a trip to Glens Falls, and said it was great to see for his current group of players.
“I just couldn’t be happier for this group of kids to get up here,” said Usher. “They’re a fun bunch of guys to be around. They enjoy each other, they work hard in practice. They’re a coach’s dream. They remind me why it is I like to coach.”
GLENS FALLS — The Ballston Spa varsity boys basketball team was unable to finish a 19-point comeback on Thursday, but the game was yet another example of the Scotties doing what they did all season: fight.
“As was the case all year,” said head coach Ben Eldridge. “Just so proud of them. Trusted each other, worked hard, and they just never were going to give up.”
Ballston Spa fell 59-58 to Green Tech in the Section 2 Class AA Semifinals at Cool Insuring Arena. But the game seemed like it might be over early, with the Eagles soaring to a 31-12 lead midway through the second quarter.
Green Tech dominated the opening frame and the first minutes of the second, led by an 11-point first quarter from sophomore Haisi Mayben. The Scotties, on the other hand, couldn’t get many shots to fall despite having some quality chances.
“We’re used to a couple more of those going in,” Eldridge said of his team’s start. “I was proud, we didn’t start forcing them. Sometimes, when they’re not going in, you start forcing up a couple you shouldn’t. But I think we did a good job of still hunting for the right shots, and we were getting them.”
Eldridge said he “knew at some point” the Scotties would settle in, and settle in they did. The Ballston Spa offense started to come to life in the latter half of the second quarter, with seniors Nick Verdile and Mike Miller combining for 15 points in the frame.
Green Tech took a 37-27 lead into halftime, but Eldridge said he “felt great” entering the break.
“We knew we were starting to play the way we can,” said Eldridge. “We’re used to playing 32 minutes all season long. So we felt really good, and it showed in the third quarter.”
Verdile, the Scotties’ leading scorer, heated up in the third, scoring nine points in the frame. A three by Nico Savini cut the Eagles’ lead to six, and free throws by Ben Phillips trimmed Green Tech’s lead to 45-41 after the third quarter.
Ballston Spa took the lead for the first time with 6:41 remaining after a three-pointer from Phillips. But Green Tech seemed to always have a response, with a quick bucket by Mayben giving the Eagles the lead right back.
With 3:29 remaining, a three-pointer by Mayben extended the lead to five and sparked a short run for Green Tech, who got consecutive buckets from sophomore U’Mier Graham to extend the lead to 59-50 with 2:25 to play.
And just like they did in the first half, the Scotties simply kept fighting.
“Just a couple possessions didn’t go our way after we took the lead,” Eldridge said. “Got down by nine again, and again, didn’t give up.”
Miller stopped the Eagles’ run with a pair of free throws, and a three-point play by Savini made it a four-point game with 1:31 left. Ballston Spa pressed on the ensuing inbounds, and Savini stole the ball before finding Verdile for a quick three, making it 59-58 with 1:16 left.
The Scotties had several chances to take the lead in the final minutes, and ultimately had one last opportunity in the final seconds. Coming out of a timeout, a three-pointer from Verdile missed, and Graham pounced on the rebound for Green Tech, sealing the Eagles’ spot in the Class AA Championship.
Eldridge said despite the ending, he was “so proud” of his players. The Scotties finished 19-2 on the season.
“The ball bounces the wrong way sometimes,” said Eldridge. “Just goes to show what kinds of players and kids they are. They’re fantastic young men.”
Verdile had 27 points for Ballston Spa, leading all scorers. Miller had 15 points, while Savini added eight. Phillips had five points, and Mike Pritchard added three points. Mayben led Green Tech with 16 points, while Henry Perkins had 11 and Olivan Owens added 10 points.
Verdile said his teammates are “like family,” saying it meant a lot to have the season the Scotties had.
“Obviously, this loss hurts,” said Verdile. “But in a few days, we’ll understand, like, we won the league and we did a lot of stuff that no other basketball team from Ballston Spa has done. It means a lot, and I’m going to miss playing with all these guys. They’re brothers to me now. I’ve just had such a good time playing with them, and I’m just thankful that they made the season so good for me.”
Eldridge was complimentary of the team’s seniors, saying they have put “everything” into the program.
“Our message was, ‘If an end like this negates all of that work since they were in fourth grade, then they’re losing out on some of the stuff that they can gain from and learn,” said Eldridge. “It’s bigger than that. It’s not the way you want to end, but the journey, the process along the way, that’s the stuff they’ll remember for the rest of their life.”
