MECHANICVILLE — Three members of the Saratoga Central Catholic varsity softball team were crowned tournament champions at the Electric City Bombers Upstate City Classic 18u event earlier this month in Mechanicville.
Grace Schaefer, Paige Bujno, and Allison Fuller were members of the winning Saratoga Thunder team, which went 7-0 during the two-day tournament.
MECHANICVILLE — Three members of the Saratoga Central Catholic varsity softball team were crowned tournament champions at the Electric City Bombers Upstate City Classic 18u event earlier this month in Mechanicville.
Grace Schaefer, Paige Bujno, and Allison Fuller were members of the winning Saratoga Thunder team, which went 7-0 during the two-day tournament.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Skidmore College softball program has announced four new players who will join the Thoroughbreds this fall as part of the class of 2028.
The newcomers include Cayla Schubmehl, a left-handed pitcher from Catholic Central High School in Troy; Shayne Cleeve, a right-hander from Newark Academy in New Jersey; Isabel Moreno, an outfielder from Wachusett Regional High School in Massachusetts; and Delaney Swain, a middle infielder from the Pingry School in New Jersey.
The Skidmore softball team is looking to rebound from a tough season in which they finished 9-27 overall and 3-11 in their conference.
GLENS FALLS —The Adirondack Thunder announced last week that the team has extended its affiliation with the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and the AHL’s Utica Comets through the 2025-26 season.
“We are coming off our best season yet, both on and off the ice. With the help and support from New Jersey and Utica, we are looking forward to putting another winning team on the ice this season while also developing prospects,” said Adirondack Thunder President Jeff Mead in a statement.
This past season, the ECHL’s Thunder won their third regular-season North Division title, finished first in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final, where they lost to Florida in six games. The team also set an attendance record with 17 sellouts.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Racecourse will return to the national stage this summer thanks to FOX’s “Saratoga Saturday” TV coverage. Starting Saturday, July 20, FOX will broadcast some of this season’s biggest races, including the Travers Stakes and the Whitney Stakes.
Below is the schedule for this year’s “Saratoga Saturday” program on FOX.
GLENS FALLS — The Glens Falls Dragons, a collegiate baseball team with a number of players from Saratoga County, has had a rough start to the 2024 season. As of June 19, their record stood at 3-10-1. Despite this, a number of players have stood out for their individual performances.
Justin Gouveia, a sophomore outfielder, is hitting .313 with 4 doubles and a triple in 11 games. Cody Meier, also a sophomore, is batting .300 with 5 stolen bases.
On the mound, southpaw starter Alfonso Lombardi has a 2.57 ERA across 14 innings, tallying 11 strikeouts and only 2 walks. Senior Orlando Leon has also impressed, with a 3.17 ERA in 11.1 innings.
Where the Dragons really seem to shine is on defense, where they have two players who rank within the top six league leaders in fielding percentage. Caden Bernardo, from Glenmont, New York, and Zowen Collins, from Cobleskill, both have a 1.000 fielding percentage on the year. Bernardo also has 46 putouts in 45 innings of play.
Elsewhere across the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL), East Greenbush native Zach Eldred has been doing his best Shohei Ohtani impression, hitting .367 and maintaining a 1.84 ERA in 3 starts. Reliever Jesse Kuzmich, from Greenwich, has a perfect 0.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 12 innings. And Troy’s Jacob Lapham has a 1.63 ERA and 16 K’s in 11 innings.
Another PGCBL team, the Amsterdam Mohawks, who were league champions in both 2023 and 2022, also feature a number players from the Saratoga region, including Zach Eldred (East Greenbush), Parker Aikens (Niskayuna), Manny Santos (Amsterdam), James Redick (Clifton Park), Mason Veronezi (Burnt Hills), and Ben Huckans (Amsterdam).
The Mohawks and Dragons will face off on Friday, June 21 at the East Field in Glens Falls at 7 p.m., and again on Saturday, June 29 at the Rao Family Stadium in Amsterdam at 6:35 p.m.
The Catie Hoch Foundation’s Teeing Off On Cancer Golf Classic will take place at the McGregor Links Country Club. Photos via the foundation’s website.
WILTON — When nine-year-old Catie Hoch was alive, she wanted other kids battling cancer to find ways to have fun. Shortly before she passed away, she made a list of her favorite “fun” places that other kids could go to. It was this list that led to the creation of the Catie Hoch Foundation, which for decades has been raising money for kids with cancer, in part via events like the upcoming Teeing Off On Cancer Golf Classic.
“It’s a great day,” said Gina Peca, Catie’s mom and a co-founder of the foundation. “It’s just so much fun, and you can see the golfers’ commitment to our cause.”
Nearly 200 people attended last year’s event, which typically raises between $85,000 and $100,000 annually. The funds are sent to families with children being treated for cancer, in the form of cash or gift cards for basic necessities such as gas, groceries, and shopping.
“Our golfers know that they’re truly making a difference,” Peca said. “This money isn’t going to go into the atmosphere. It’s directly helping the kids and their families.”
In keeping with Catie’s desire to have fun, the tournament includes prizes for closest to the pin, longest drive, and best foursome. There’s also a putting contest and a golf ball launcher.
The action all takes place at the McGregor Links Country Club in Wilton, which shuts down the entire course for the event. A morning flight begins at 7:30 a.m. and an afternoon flight starts at 1 p.m.
Launched more than two decades ago, the Catie Hoch Foundation has attracted nationwide attention, thanks in part to a 2003 “Time” magazine cover story about the Harry Potter book series, and its author J.K. Rowling.
“A friend of mine somehow got in touch with [Rowling] and she and Catie emailed back and forth,” Peca said. When Rowling heard that Catie had about two weeks left to live, she called and read to her from “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” which at the time hadn’t yet been published. A year later, Peca said, Rowling donated $100,000 to the foundation.
“It was just amazing,” Peca said. “This [foundation] is a way to keep Catie’s memory alive and to really make a difference for these poor families. Having been there, we know what they’re facing.”
The Teeing Off On Cancer Golf Classic will take place at the McGregor Links Country Club in Wilton on Saturday, September 7. For more information or to register, visit www.teeingoffoncancer.org. Those not interested in playing golf can also contribute by being a sponsor, sending a gift, or donating funds.
The Ballston Spa girls relay team of Gabrielle Bozeth, Harriet Healey, Tatiana McCray, and Petrina Zborovszky pose in front of Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania. Photo via Assistant Coach Matt Germann’s @CoachGermann X account.
BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa High School girls track and field team put together an impressive showing at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor 2024 meet at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field in Philadelphia last weekend.
The relay team of Gabrielle Bozeth, Harriet Healey, Tatiana McCray, and Petrina Zborovszky finished 14th in the 1600 sprint medley, 18th in the 4×200, and 23rd in the 4×100. According toAssistant Coach Matt Germann, the results included two new school records. “These four continue to amaze me,” Germann wrote after the event.
Ballston Spa runners also made appearances in elite boys events at the Adidas Track Nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina last weekend.
Devin Hemraj placed 20th in the 110m hurdles prelims. Kala’i Makanani was 50th in the 400m dash finals, and 106th in the 200m dash prelims. Michael Stamper also finished 128th in the 100m dash prelims.
Headshot of Jackson Hornung via the Vancouver Canadians website.
VANCOUVER — Jackson Hornung, the first Skidmore College alum to be drafted by a professional sports team, socked a two-run homer in the first inning of a Vancouver Canadians game on Sunday. The game went into extra innings, although the Canadians (the High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays) fell short in the contest, 5-4.
The ex-Thoroughbred has continued to bolster his numbers throughout his first season in High-A. His .630 OPS in May improved to .668 by mid-June, and his fielding percentage at the catcher position this season was .996. He’s also played nine games at first base.
Flutters of Hope Pickleball Classic logo via the organization’s website.
WILTON — Flutters of Hope, a nonprofit that helps people from the Capital Region battle eating disorders, is holding a charity pickleball tournament at the McGregor Links Golf Club on Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16. More than 100 players are expected to participate.
For more information or to support the event, visit www.fluttersofhopeinc.org/pickleball-classic.
Kyle Tran throws an opponent during the Tahiti Open on June 2. Photo provided by Jason Morris.
TAHITI— Burnt Hills High School graduate Kyle Tran from the Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) in Glenville went 3-1 to earn a 60 kg bronze medal at the Tahiti Open on June 2.
Tran became the youngest JMJC athlete to win a World Cup medal on the International Judo Federation World Tour. He now debuts on the world rankings at #222, becoming the youngest JMJC athlete to enter the world rankings. The JMJC currently has 11 athletes on the world ranking list.
