HALFMOON — Charlie Greiner and Carter Sica of the Saratoga Springs varsity boys golf team have each clinched their spots at the 2024 NYSPHSAA Boys Golf Championships in June, earning top-nine finishes at the Section 2 State Qualifiers last week.

Greiner placed eighth overall, while Sica placed ninth. The 2024 championships will be Sica’s third trip to states, and Greiner’s second. Head coach Jake Zanetti said that it was meaningful to see the pair advance to yet another state tournament, saying both golfers “showed some toughness” to earn their spot.

“Carter had a very difficult opening nine holes, shooting a 43. And then for him to grind out a 39 on the back to end up qualifying, ultimately, showed a lot of grind and grit and toughness out of him,” said Zanetti. “Charlie Greiner, in a similar situation, with only four or five holes left to play, he birdied 14, which is one of the toughest holes. … Then he had a great shot on 17, which is where he said it basically sealed the deal for him as far as qualifying.”

Now the duo will have plenty of time to prepare for the state championships, which begin June 2 at the Mark Twain Golf Course in Elmira. Zanetti noted that Greiner and Sica have months to work on their game, and added that both having prior state experience can prove beneficial.

“So they’ve now had the experience of going, and now they can put that away, and go out there and compete,” Zanetti said. “They’ve got … seven more months of training to get under their belt in anticipation of states in June. Them buying themselves that much more time to improve their games is huge. They could be that much better come June.”

Greiner and Sica’s finish at state qualifiers comes after the Blue Streaks placed second as a team at the Section 2 Championships, ending their bid for back-to-back sectional titles. But despite the finish at sectionals, it was still a remarkable year for the Blue Streaks’ squad, going 14-0 in the regular season and winning the Suburban Council Championships as a team.

Zanetti emphasized the depth of the team this year, noting that although the Blue Streaks were only allowed to bring six golfers to the section championships, all nine members of the varsity roster qualified for sectional play. Thomas Bundy, Charlie Blake, and Cole Whitman also advanced to the state qualifiers for the Blue Streaks this year after strong finishes at sectionals.

“We were very strong, one through nine,” Zanetti said. “Our nine guys could compete with anybody. We actually had to leave three kids off our sectional roster, even though they qualified.”

He noted that he hopes this rule will change at some point to allow all qualified golfers to attend the section championships. He also added the program had a “very strong” JV team this year, and also started an unofficial modified team to allow more kids an opportunity to play.

“We want to keep the numbers pumping for Saratoga golf,” said Zanetti.

Looking forward, the Blue Streaks’ coach said he is excited to travel with Greiner and Sica to states in June, saying, “It’s always a fun trip.”

“It’s a bonding experience for the boys, among the Section 2 team. It’s great for all the other coaches to get together,” Zanetti said. “We’ve got some really good coaches in Section 2 that get to shed their wisdom on boys from other teams, which is kind of a rare thing. It’s a fun all-around trip.”

LEXINGTON, KY — The Kentucky Horse Park held a memorial service Oct. 8 for one of its most famous residents, Funny Cide, who passed away on July 16 at the age of 23. 

The 2003 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner lived out his retirement at the Park’s Hall of Champions barn since 2008. This past Sunday, fans, caretakers, and Jack Knowlton, Sackatoga Stable Operating Manager and Funny Cide’s Owner, gathered at the Park to commemorate the “Gutsy Gelding.”

During the event, the Kentucky Horse Park announced that a commemorative statue of the legendary Thoroughbred will be added to the Memorial Walk of Champions at the Park. 

“Funny Cide was a true champion,” said Lee Carter, Kentucky Horse Park President, in a press release. “Adding this statue allows us to continue to share the story about the Gutsy Gelding with future generations.”

“We are on to the next chapter. We’re going to work to have a statue that will be fitting for him,” said Jack Knowlton in the release.

A celebration of Funny Cide’s life, the Funny Cide Send-Off, was held at Siros Restaurant in Saratoga Springs on Aug. 16. The event featured retired Race Caller Tom Durkin, Trainer Barclay Tagg, Assistant Trainer Robin Smullen, and Hall of Fame Jockey José Santos. The event raised $12,500, which marks the lead contribution towards the statue.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs City School District honored six former student-athletes for their contributions to athletics during the 2023 Blue Streak Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony on Oct. 20. 2023 inductees include Kerri Burgess (Clark), Doranne Mullan (Kelly), Jay Mulligan, Jay Navin, Joey Santamoor, Mickey Walczak, and the 2004 field hockey team. The inductees were selected by a committee including current and former coaches and athletic directors, administrators, and community members, according to a release from the district. Plaques in honor of the inductees will be placed in a trophy case in the lobby of the school’s blue gym.

Photos by Super Source Media.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Head of the Fish Regatta returns this Halloween weekend, drawing in thousands of rowers to compete on Fish Creek. But the largest rowing event in Saratoga Springs initially had humble beginnings upon its establishment in 1986.

The regatta was originally founded as a way for Tom Frost and his fellow members of the Saratoga Springs Rowing Club to raise money to purchase a boat and other equipment for the club. 37 years later, the event has grown more than anyone imagined.

Kate Mastrangelo, daughter of Tom Frost, said it is “pretty amazing” to see how the regatta has grown over the years.

“They didn’t expect it to end up being a big thing, you know? They just needed to make enough money to buy a boat,” said Mastrangelo. “They just didn’t have the equipment, and that was the whole beginning of the race. Just so that they could actually go places and row. And boy, did that take off.”

Held on Oct. 28 and 29, the Head of the Fish will welcome Frost back to this year’s event to honor him for his part in establishing and running the regatta. Now operated primarily by the Saratoga Rowing Association, this year’s event is expected to attract between five to eight thousand participants, said regatta director Kristi Wagner.

“It is really a very meaningful experience to have so many people love this area, and have such a good time, and enjoy coming back year after year,” said Wagner. “It gives us a lot of pride, obviously in the rowing aspect of it, but more in the community. … There’s something for everyone. It makes me happy that we can show off Saratoga in such a positive light.”

Through the years, one major draw to the Head of the Fish has become its trophies, which began as literal heads of fish. Today, they are made with plaster molds of fish heads, but the trophies originated from Frost himself, who would bake and mold real fish heads onto plaques each year. Frost would also draw and design shirts and posters for the regatta each year.

“He would talk to fishermen all over the eastern seaboard, and find out what kinds of fish they could get him, and how could they get it to him,” said Mastrangelo. “He had people delivering coolers full of fish heads. … He just would get so excited about what he could find.”

The Head of the Fish offers nearly 100 events for a variety of age groups, ranging from middle school to adults, ensuring numerous rowers the opportunity to take home a fish head trophy of their own.

“We have a lot of different options, so there’s really something for everyone,” said Wagner. “There’s an opportunity for everyone to race if they wanted.”

The regatta offers single races, doubles, triples, quads, eights, single-gender, mixed-gender, and more, Wagner said. Saturday will consist of primarily college and adult events, while Sunday will consist of middle and high school-age events.

The races take place on Fish Creek, lasting 3,200 meters. Wagner said visiting teams will typically launch from the Saratoga Lake State Boat Launch or the Lee’s Park boat launch, traveling up Fish Creek as a warmup before racing back down.

37 years after the inaugural Head of the Fish, Mastrangelo said it will be “a really cool honor,” for her father to attend the regatta and be recognized for his work in creating it, and said he will appreciate the honor. She was also sure to credit his fellow members of the Saratoga Springs Rowing Club for their efforts in creating the regatta as well.

“I think it’s pretty awesome to have him honored for what he did,” Mastrangelo said. “There were a lot of other people involved too, though, and I do hope at some point that’s recognized.”

Chris Chase, founder of the Saratoga Rowing Association who ran the regatta for almost 20 years, emphasized the Head of the Fish has become a strong community event, crediting local police departments and Lee’s Park and Campground among others for their support through the years. The regatta is also supported by a sizable number of volunteers each year.

“I can’t say enough about the job the Saratoga Sheriff’s Department did for us,” said Chase. “They would send out units for the water, and they would send out units for the road. … Lee’s Park, he’s got 200 acres over there. This never happens without his 200 acres.”

Wagner also emphasized the regatta’s goal of working with local vendors and companies.

“I want to keep things as local as possible, and give business as best we can to other local companies,” Wagner said. “I think we’ve been developing and continuing some cool relationships.”

Over the years, the regatta has helped grow the presence and participation of rowing in Saratoga Springs, with Chase saying Saratoga “became quite the rowing town.”

“People who came here loved Saratoga,” Chase said. “It became like a mini-rowing town. It was on your calendar somehow. … We were lucky to have such an embracing community.”

With the regatta taking place on Halloween weekend, Wagner added that some rowers will dress up, saying, “It’s just definitely a fun event.”

“And in the fall, rowing races are competitive, but really, our main racing season is in the spring,” said Wagner. “… Obviously, it’s competitive, and we do have a lot of really competitive teams that come and race, and everyone’s trying to win and trying to go as fast as they can, but there’s also this air of, ‘This is a really fun sport, and this is why we all do it.’ It’s a really cool combination of everything.”

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa varsity boys and girls soccer teams celebrated their seniors with a pair of wins on Saturday, as both teams earned victories over Schenectady at home.

The Scotties’ boys team honored 16 seniors: Alex Bailey, Jaime Barrionuveo Vivancos, Peter Burdick, Sam Carioto-Savoie, Casey Clarke, Devon Duggan, Will Frankford, Josiah Harmon, Max LaVoie, Carter Lundin, Nicholas Mascardi, Justin Miller, Jacob Nagengast, Dylan Nickson, Brennan Snyder, and Connor Tuohy.

The B-Spa boys team cruised to a 9-1 win over the Patriots, with eight different players scoring goals. Nagengast scored twice, while LaVoie, Clarke, Burdick, Frankford, Nickson, Bailey, and Cole DiNuzzo all added goals. Harmon had three assists in the win.

The Ballston Spa girls’ team honored 11 seniors: Keira Barnes, Abby Carpenter, Meya Caruso, Alex Conneally, Harriet Healey, Eleanor Kentz, Makayla Krusinski, Lindsay LaPlante, Mia Rath, Emma Ye, and Isabella Sacci.

The Scotties’ girls team also took care of business, earning a 6-1 victory. Rath scored twice, while Healey and Krusinski each added a goal and an assist. Conneally and Ye also scored goals for Ballston Spa, while Kenzie Dolan had two assists. Carpenter and Ayla Hathaway each added assists in the victory.

BELGRADE, Serbia —Olympian rowers Kristi Wagner and Sophia Vitas won the Bronze Medal at the World Championships and qualify a women’s double boat for the 2024 Summer Paris Olympics. 

Kristi Wagner is a local podcaster and Olympic rower who raced in the Tokyo Olympics and is striving to go back in 2024 to represent the USA in rowing. She is documenting her journey in a new podcast called ‘The Other 3 Years,’ where she covers everything from training, nutrition, tribulations, and achieving her goals. 

Kristi’s most recent podcast episodes cover the World Champs and what goes on in the life of a professional athlete. The episodes also offer tips and motivation for anyone to achieve big goals.

HALFMOON — The Black Horses hit the links last week and came away with hardware, as the Schuylerville varsity boys golf team captured the Section 2 Class C/D Team Championship at the Fairways of Halfmoon.

The team posted a combined score of 244, led by Ryken Riper’s 78. Adam DeGregory shot an 81 for Schuylerville, while Kadin Converse shot an 85 to help the Black Horses win their second sectional title in the past three seasons.

“These kids are really competitive, and they absolutely love the game of golf,” said head coach Matthew Steinfort. “They’ve had really low rounds before, so it’s just a matter of trying to recreate that mindset, that attitude, and that mood, and go execute on that day. A credit to them, they went out there and they performed well.”

Steinfort credited the team for their commitment, saying the Black Horses’ golfers have been “constantly” on the course throughout the season. He said his message ahead of sectionals was “to take advantage of the opportunity, and to be the best version of themselves.”

“It’s about just trying to stay focused, and stay diligent about how you approach your game,” Steinfort said.

The Black Horses also captured the team title in 2021. Riper’s 78 was good for a third-overall finish individually, while DeGregory placed fifth and Converse tenth. The trio all earned spots at the state qualifier match, where the top nine golfers advanced to the state tournament. 

Steinfort praised the trio’s consistency throughout the fall, and said his mindset entering state qualifiers was simply to let the golfers “do their thing.”

“These guys are good,” Steinfort said prior to state qualifiers. “It’s just a matter of me to be smart enough to stay out of their way, to let them go out there and do what they’re capable of doing. My part is to simply try to help instill confidence, and try to shape a loose and relaxed but focused frame of mind.”

DeGregory and Converse each advanced to the final round of state qualifiers, finishing in the top 20. DeGregory finished 10th in the final round, just missing the cut for a trip to the state championships, though he was named the first alternate. Converse finished 19th overall.

“They’re a competitive group. They play so much, and they put so much time into it, and they have the ability,” Steinfort said of the Black Horses’ team. He also pointed out that Riper, DeGregory, and Converse are all only juniors. 

“So they do have one more year, and I’m just happy for those guys that they were able to get a second one in this three-year stretch,” continued Steinfort. “Hopefully they’ll have a good season next year as well, and put the work in.”