SCHENECTADY — The Saratoga Springs varsity wrestling team kept its strong season rolling on Saturday, claiming first place as a team at the Schenectady Invitational.
The Blue Streaks, with 212 total points, finished well ahead of second-place Shenendehowa (165 points).
Saratoga sent a wrestler to the championship round in 7 of 13 weight classes at the tournament. Four Blue Streak wrestlers took home individual championships in their weight classes: Chase Matter at 110 pounds, Taylor Beaury at 126 pounds, Gordon Murray at 152 pounds, and Gianni Delgado at 160 pounds.
Lorenzo Paleschi, Vito Spatafora, and Patrick McKinley all advanced to the championship round in their weight classes for Saratoga as well, earning second-place finishes.
See below for full results from point-earning Saratoga wrestlers:
Chase Matter (110 pounds)
1) First Round: Def. Owen Stiles (Saranac) by pin, 2:56
2) Quarterfinals: Def. Michael Rose (Corinth/Hadley-Luzerne) by pin, 0:48
3) Semifinals: Def. Jahiem Harris (Schenectady) by 5-3 decision
4) Championship: Def. Xavier Vargas (Schenectady) by pin, 3:39
Taylor Beaury (126 pounds)
1) First Round: Def. Michael Splunge (Mohonasen) by pin, 3:13
2) Quarterfinals: Def. Arcangelo Losee (Shenendehowa) by 9-0 major decision
3) Semifinals: Def. Ben Taylor (Burnt Hills) by pin, 0:41
4) Championship: Def. Frank Broadhurst (Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk) by 8-1 decision
Gordon Murray (152 pounds)
1) First Round: Def. Nasir Fazli (Albany) by pin, 1:19
2) Quarterfinals: Def. Drew Loucks (CBA) by pin, 2:49
3) Semifinals: Def. Howard Bearce (Burnt Hills) by pin, 4:40
4) Championship: Def. Kyber Henry (Cobleskill-Richmondville) by 11-5 decision
Gianni Delgado (160 pounds)
1) First Round: Def. Andrew Martin (Burnt Hills) by pin, 4:21
2) Quarterfinals: Def. Dylan Gallagher (Cobleskill-Richmondville) by pin, 3:46
3) Semifinals: Def. Logan Cyr (Colonie) by pin, 3:04
4) Championship: Def. Hamidullaha Faqeer (Albany) by pin, 2:54
Vito Spatafora (172 pounds)
1) First Round: Def. Joey Parisi (Niskayuna) by 7-1 decision
2) Quarterfinals: Def. Grady Dennin (Colonie) by 6-0 decision
3) Semifinals: Def. Dante Maiello (Shenendehowa) by 10-4 decision
4) Championship: Loss to Malachi Moore (Shaker) by 3-1 sudden victory decision
Lorenzo Paleschi (189 pounds)
1) Quarterfinals: Def. Derick Sy (Guilderland) by pin, 1:39
2) Semifinals: Def. Paul Harley (Shaker) by pin, 0:36
3) Championship: Loss to Michael Cavanaugh (Schalmont) by pin, 1:19
Patrick McKinley (215 pounds)
1) First Round: Def. Ben Hotaling (Schenectady) by pin, 1:19
2) Quarterfinals: Def. John Geary (Corinth/Hadley-Luzerne) by pin, 3:46
3) Semifinals: Def. Jayden Morales (Lansingburgh) by injury default, 2:19
4) Championship: Loss to Jaydon Aguirre-Hamlin (Colonie) by 3-1 decision
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs High School wrestling team will be hosting its Alumni/Senior Night prior to their dual meet on Wednesday, January 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the high school Blue gymnasium on the West Avenue campus.
The event will recognize alumni wrestlers from the past and honor the dedication, contributions, and leadership of the current senior team members. The event will feature the Blue Streaks taking on rival Shenendehowa High School in a regular season match. All former Blue Streak wrestlers are invited to attend.
TROY — The Ballston Spa varsity boys and girls indoor track teams each came away with hardware over the weekend, as both teams claimed first place at the Viking Invitational on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College on Sunday.
Boys Results:
On the boys side, Isaiah Hannah took first place in both the 55-meter dash (6.89) and the 55-meter hurdles (8.46). Kala’l Makanani won the 300-meter dash (40.12), while Joseph Fodera took second place in the 1600-meter run (4:59.97), with Matthew Meerdink in fifth (5:06.34).
Evan Wattie placed third in the 1000-meter run (3:01.01), while Jacob Armer finished fourth in the 500-meter run (1:36.83). Michael Stamper placed sixth in the 55-meter dash (7.07), and seventh in the 300-meter dash (41.17). Joseph Sabatino took seventh in the high jump (5’ 2.0”).
Michael Miller was eighth in the 500-meter run (1:38.64), while Andrew Peet finished 12th in the 1000-meter run (3:24.70). The Scotties’ 4×200 relay squad placed second (1:44.68).
Girls Results:
Harriet Healey finished first in both the 300-meter dash (44.18) and the 600-meter run (1:45.82) for the Scotties. Gabrielle Bozeth took second in the 300-meter dash (45.64), behind only Healey.
Livia Wiltsie won the 55-meter dash (7.66), with Petrina Zborovsky in second (7.68). Madalyn Wilson won the 1500-meter run (5:37.25), while Lee McKinley took fourth (5:55.24). Alexis Eisler placed third in the 1000-meter run (3:29.01), with Kate Taylor (3:33.61) in fifth.
The team of Zborovsky, Wiltsie, Anna Zito, and Healey placed first in the 4×200 relay (1:54.17). The Scotties’ distance medley relay team finished second (14:46.52). Ashley Beck placed fourth in both the 600-meter run (1:59.69) and the long jump (13’ 5.0”).
Zito took fifth place in the 55-meter hurdles (10.73), while Olivia Winters finished ninth in the shot put (26’ 3.75”). Lauren Schock placed 24th in the shot put (18’ 11.0”).
DELMAR — The Saratoga Springs varsity boys hockey team picked up a pair of big road victories last week, shutting out both Bethlehem and CBA to win their fourth consecutive game.
Stats/summary of both contests:
Jan. 11: Saratoga 2, Bethlehem 0
The game was scoreless through the first two periods, with both Saratoga’s Xander Clarke and Bethlehem’s Rory Cairns standing tall in their respective goals. In the third period, however, the Blue Streaks broke through.
Saratoga took a 1-0 lead with 7:44 remaining, after senior Payton Borak beat Cairns with a shot assisted by Hunter Bradley and Jake Badar. It is Borak’s fifth consecutive game scoring a goal for the Blue Streaks.
The visitors kept momentum on their side and scored again to extend the lead just over two minutes later. Senior forward Charlie Oke finished off a feed from Badar to give Saratoga a 2-0 lead with 5:32 left to play.
Clarke stood tall in net, and the dynamic Eagles’ offense was unable to break through, with the Blue Streaks holding on for a 2-0 victory.
Borak and Oke scored for Saratoga, with Badar assisting on both goals. Bradley also picked up an assist, while Clarke stopped 29 shots en route to his first high school shutout in goal.
Cairns made 34 saves on 36 shots for Bethlehem in the loss. Wednesday’s game was the first time the Eagles have been shutout since a 3-0 loss to Shenendehowa on Jan. 19, 2022.
Jan. 13: Saratoga 5, CBA 0
The Blue Streaks jumped out to a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period, and never looked back. A goal by junior forward Patrick Temple gave Saratoga a 1-0 lead roughly halfway through the period, and just under four minutes later, Borak finished a feed by Jake Badar to give the Blue Streaks a two-goal advantage.
Borak added his second goal early in the second period and completed the natural hat trick by scoring his third with 13:20 left in the period, giving Saratoga a commanding 4-0 lead after two.
Freshman forward Maddox Pemrick added another goal for the Blue Streaks in the third period, and goaltender Xander Clarke stood tall in net to finish the 5-0 victory for Saratoga.
Borak scored three goals for Saratoga in the win, while Badar recorded three assists. Pemrick and Temple each scored a goal, with Jayson Carpenter, Frank Klaus, and Hunter Bradley adding assists. Clarke made 12 saves for the shutout in goal.
Saratoga (5-6-1 overall, 3-3-1 CDHSHL) hosts Albany Academy at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
GLENS FALLS —The Adirondack United girls varsity hockey team continued its strong season on Thursday, cruising past Saranac Lake Placid for a 10-0 win at home.
Aubrey Lozier scored twice for United, which also received goals from eight other skaters. Bayley Duffy, Lillian Willis, Caroline Lieberth, Gianna Marcantonio, Tekla Fine-Lease, Emily MacAuley, Maddie MacAuley, and Emerson Lochner-Fehl all scored goals in the victory.
Jenna Amodio, Rowan Lochner-Fehl, Maeve McCarty, and Ella Bray also cracked the scoresheet, adding assists. Laura Dickerson, Regan Gecewicz, and Katelin Archer combined for the shutout in goal.
The United squad improves to 8-1 overall on the season with the victory. The team will head west next weekend, traveling to face a pair of Section III opponents. Clinton, who handed United their first loss of the season on Jan. 2, will host the team on Jan. 20. United will then play at Oswego on Jan. 21.
LOCH SHELDRAKE — The Ballston Spa varsity wrestling team came away with strong results from one of the state’s toughest wrestling tournaments over the weekend, taking sixth place as a team at the Eastern States Classic at SUNY Sullivan.
Senior wrestler Connor Gregory placed third in the 160-pound weight class, while fellow senior Darrien Insogna took fourth place at 215 pounds. Junior Ralph Keeney finished seventh in the 110-pound weight class. Cameron Hinchcliff, wrestling at 126 pounds, went 2-2 on the day in four matches, while Tristan Hinchcliff, wrestling at 118, won one of three matches.
See below for full results from each of the Scotties’ wrestlers:
Ralph Keeney
Round of 32: Def. Drew Aparo (Victor) by fall, 2-0 at 0:52
Round of 16: Def. Mason Mangialino (Comsewogue) by 7-1 decision
Quarterfinals: Loss to Evin Gursoy (Midwood) by 6-2 decision
Consolation: Def. Logan Alexander (Archbishop Stepinac) by fall, 3-0 at 2:42
Consolation: Loss to Luke Satriano (Valley Central) by 5-3 decision
BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa varsity wrestling team pulled out a pair of huge victories on Tuesday, defeating Saratoga Springs and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake to win the Section 2 Division 1 Dual Meet Championship and clinch a spot at the state championships.
It is the first-ever Dual Meet championship for the Scotties, who beat Saratoga 33-29 in the opening round before coming away with another narrow victory in the championship, defeating Burnt Hills 34-33.
Ballston Spa will compete as a team at the NYSPHSAA Dual Meet State Championships, held Jan. 28 at SRC Arena in Syracuse.
See below for results from both matches:
Ballston Spa 33, Saratoga 29
(102) Quinton Warlikowski (B-Spa) def. Kyle Edwards (Saratoga) by pin at 4:15
(110) Ralph Keeney (B-Spa) def. Chase Matter (Saratoga) by pin at 2:26
(118) Tristan Hinchcliff (B-Spa) def. Luke Stoutenburg (Saratoga) by 10-4 decision
(126) Taylor Beaury (Saratoga) def. Mason Insogna (B-Spa) by pin at 1:12
Saratoga Springs senior Natasha Chudy is pictured after scoring her 1,000th career varsity point during a game against Section III’s Bishop Kearney last season (Photo provided by Robin Chudy).
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Currently in her fifth year of varsity basketball, Saratoga Springs senior Natasha Chudy is no stranger to receiving recognition for her work on the court. This winter, however, Chudy received recognition on a national scale, as she was nominated for the McDonald’s All-American Game.
“I’m definitely really honored to have this nomination,” said Chudy. “It’s super important. I think it’s really cool to be in that category, and people looking at me and what I’ve worked for.”
Blue Streaks head coach Robin Chudy, who is also Natasha’s mother, said it has been “wonderful” to watch her daughter progress through the years.
“As an eighth-grader coming on our varsity team, it’s kind of neat to see where she is now,” said Robin Chudy. “And I think it’s a testament to her hard work, and all the practices and things that she’s put into her game, which is great. It’s really nice to see such a really big accomplishment come her way. Even to be nominated is just really remarkable.”
The Blue Streaks’ dynamic senior first joined the varsity team as an eighth-grader, and quickly joined the team’s starting lineup. In the five years since, she has reached 1,000 career points, become the team’s all-time leading rebounder, and been named to a pair of All-State teams.
And now, she’s received national recognition. This season, Chudy is averaging 18.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. She led Saratoga in all three categories as a junior, averaging 22.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in the 2021-22 season.
While her numbers certainly jump out, Robin Chudy said she is most impressed by Natasha’s role as a “team player.”
“She knows when to make the pass, she’s not selfish at all. If you watch her when she’s sitting on the bench, it’s really neat to see her cheer for her teammates,” said Robin Chudy. “She’s jumping around and going crazy for the girls when they’re scoring and doing some really good things. That part of her game is hard to come by, it really is. That kid who is not selfish, and has a really high basketball IQ as well.”
The team’s chemistry and closeness was emphasized by the pair, with Natasha saying that having strong chemistry with her teammates is one of her priorities.
“I’ve realized over the years that really does make a difference,” said Natasha Chudy. “I feel like I have such a good relationship with every girl on the team, and try to make sure that everyone feels like a part of the team. That’s really how you have a successful team at the end, if you work well together in every way.”
Chudy also said she has enjoyed playing for her mom, who she called “the biggest influence in my life.”
“She is my mom, and she knows me the best, so she pushes me because she knows where I can be,” said Natasha Chudy. “Sometimes it gets hard, but honestly, she’s been the biggest influence in my life in many different ways, especially basketball. I think her pushing me all these years has really, really paid off, and I love that she’s my coach.”
As a coach, while Robin Chudy admitted it can be “hard to turn it off” at times, she also said Natasha is a “great listener” who receives plenty of feedback from her family.
“She takes a lot of the things that we say at our house,” Robin Chudy said. “Our entire family is a basketball family. She grew up with three older siblings who played a ton of basketball, and we all say all the things that we think she needs to improve on, and try to give her the accolades when she does a good job.”
Chudy is committed to play college basketball at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, a Division 1 school and a member of the Patriot League. Chudy said she wanted to choose a school that had a strong balance of academics and athletics.
“When I made the decision, I chose a school that was a great balance of athletics and academics. But, especially, the coaches are amazing,” said Natasha Chudy. “They were very welcoming. They’re just so amazing. They would help me through this time, and they just wanted the best for me, and what was best for me was being with them.”
Robin Chudy was also complimentary of the Lafayette coaching staff, and said she is “so proud” of Natasha.
“Proud of her for all of her accomplishments and everything she’s done. This is what she’s worked for, which is great,” Robin Chudy said. “She picked a great school, with, like she said, a great balance of academics and athletics. For me, as a parent, I wanted her to find a home. It seems like the coaching staff is so welcoming, and I think that’s going to be a great place for her.”
But for now, the focus is on the current season. The Blue Streaks are 8-5 entering a non-league contest against the Albany Academy for Girls on Tuesday. The team has been dealing with injuries, Robin Chudy said, but have high hopes for sectionals.
“A couple are out with injuries. We’re rotating kids around and trying to get everybody healthy again,” Robin Chudy said. “I feel like if we can all get on the court at the same time, healthy and ready to go, we’re going to be a tough one to beat. We really are.”
Natasha Chudy said she feels the team’s chemistry has improved, saying that Saratoga basketball “prioritizes being a team.”
“I feel like we definitely have gotten so used to working with each other at this point, and I think that’s showing now more than ever,” said Natasha Chudy. “I feel like we’re doing a great job team chemistry-wise, on and off the court, and I think that’s definitely showing now.”
Ultimately, Robin Chudy said the opportunity to coach Natasha has been “amazing.”
“It’s been an honor to coach my kid all these years. And difficult. You’ve got a lot of people watching, making sure that you make the right calls with your kid, because it’s obviously sensitive,” said Robin Chudy. “You have a lot of coaching staff around you to make sure you’re grounded and you know you’re making the right decisions.
“But I don’t think I’d ever trade these years. It’s been amazing.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — This year, the Saratoga Regional YMCA will be continuing their partnership with the Saratoga Springs School District, hosting their Modified Swim Team. The team will be swimming from 3 to 4:15 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting Jan. 23 and ending in mid-March.
This will limit the availability of pool space during these days and times. As such, the YMCA announced they are adjusting their pool schedule to best serve all members and our community.
Family swim will run from 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and run from 4:15 to 8:45 p.m. on Fridays. No changes will be made to the reservation system at this time. Changes will be reflected in GroupExPRO.
Ballston Spa girls varsity bowler Kennedy Barker pictured with head coach Ted Snyder (Dylan McGlynn photo).
BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa junior Kennedy Barker has grown up around bowling. And on what she described as “a perfect day for it,” Barker was perfect for the first time.
Barker bowled her first-ever perfect game on Jan. 4, rolling a 300 during the Scotties’ loss to Columbia at the Saratoga Strike Zone.
“I’ve been bowling since, like, literally forever,” said Barker. “My mom used to own Tippy Bowl, so it’s just crazy, finally having that achievement. It’s nuts.”
Barker’s mother, Mo Barker, was the former owner of the Tippy Bowl, a bowling alley in Ballston Spa that has since closed. Barker said bowling has helped build her relationship with her mom through the years.
“(My mom has) just always pushed me for the best and stuff like that,” Barker said. “Having that bond with her, it’s always grown our relationship.”
Ballston Spa varsity girls bowling head coach Ted Snyder said it was great to see Barker finish the perfect game, saying, “She’s a leader on our team.”
“Obviously, she has a huge bowling background. Grew up in the lanes, and everything else,” said Snyder. “She’s big-time into it, and does the junior tour and other things. … It just adds excitement, clearly, to the fact that she gets a perfect 300 the other night. It’s very, very cool.”
Barker said she began to realize she could bowl a perfect game around the fifth or sixth frame.
“I was kind of like, ‘There’s only a little bit more, I’ve just got to get through this home stretch and then we’re there’,” said Barker. “But I didn’t think it was actually going to happen until I was around the eighth or ninth (frames), and then I started sweating and like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ It was crazy.”
Snyder said after the eighth strike, he sent a text to varsity boys bowling head coach Rob Immel.
“I said, ‘It’s getting real serious here’,” Snyder said. “It just kept going from there. If you’re the coach of someone who’s got a no-hitter going, you just don’t talk to them. You just stay clear, you cheer them on, but you don’t get in. You don’t want to give them extra advice, just let them go. … After 11, she was getting to her final one, she gave a smile, like, ‘Here we go.’ It was great to see her finish it.”
Barker said her mindset for the final shot was to simply, “keep it on the lane.”
“Honest to God, my vision was blurry,” Barker said. “I went up there, and I was just like, ‘Let’s just repeat the same shot as last time.’ After I threw it, I literally couldn’t see out of my eyes.”
The shot, of course, was a strike, completing Barker’s perfect game. She said the celebration afterward was, “literally like a dog pile.”
“Everyone was here, all my good friends, so it was just great to spend that time with them too,” said Barker. “Perfect match to do it, honestly.”
Snyder, who is in his first year as head coach of the girls bowling squad, said it was the first time he has seen a perfect game in bowling.
“To witness that, to see that, is awesome,” Snyder said. “With the ups and downs, like in any sport, that you deal with, it’s awesome to always reflect and remember back to when you were perfect, when you had that great game. … It’s a great thing, I’m glad that she had it, and it was awesome that she had it here.”
Barker also took a moment to shout out her first-year head coach for his efforts this season.
“He’s done so much,” said Barker of Snyder. “Even just this year alone, he’s done so much.”
Snyder said Barker’s perfect game can help inspire the team, and help build confidence heading into the remainder of the season.
“Going forward, it helps inspire the whole team, and look to see if we can win a few more matches this year, which we have the opportunity to,” said Snyder.
Barker said there was some luck involved in the 300, but said it was “awesome” to be able to finish it.
“A lot of it was just, the pins fell as they may, kind of thing,” Barker said. “I got extremely lucky in the second frame. … It’s half-luck, half-skill, but honestly, it was a perfect day for it.”
