SARATOGA SPRINGS — A groundbreaking initiative to get all kids on bikes in Saratoga Springs has sparked the creation of PE-based programming in city elementary schools.
By removing financial barriers and providing children with access to bicycles at an early age, this project aims to foster a lifelong passion for athletics and cultivate a generation of individuals who embrace the joy of physical activity and all the associated health benefits.
Saratoga Shredders, a 501c3 organization whose mission is to empower kids by getting them on mountain bikes, coordinated the funding for fleets of balance bikes for each of the six Saratoga Springs elementary schools. Balance bikes do not have pedals, which allows kids to learn balance, steering, and motor skills and practice independence. These bikes will be used in the PE programs for all kindergartners and first graders in the district.
Both Caroline Street Elementary and Greenfield Elementary have successfully run their PE programs this past Spring, and the other four elementary schools will start their Learn 2 Ride PE program in the Fall.
The equipment donation per school (valued at $6,000 for each school) includes 24 balance bikes, 24 pedal conversion kits, 24 helmets, and a learn-to-ride PE curriculum for each school. The bike package comes with a pedal conversion kit so that when the child is balancing well, they can progress to a pedal bike without having to ever be on training wheels.
Saratoga Shredders coordinated fundraising for this initiative with over 30 individual families and PTOs at Caroline Street, Geyser Road, Greenfield, Lake Ave, and Division Street Elementary schools, raising about $40,000 in 4 months. For Geyser Elementary, Saratoga Shredders donated the entire $6,000 to the school.
“By bringing these bikes and a thoughtful, fun curriculum into the elementary schools, we remove any pre-existing obstacles and create opportunities for kids to learn skills that they’ll carry throughout their lives,” said Anna Laloë, Saratoga Shredder’s Founder and Executive Director. “We’ve seen the impact that access to mountain bike programming has had on girls in Saratoga Springs, and know that we can affect the entire district and generations of kids with this initiative.”
The SSCSD Athletic Department and their team of PE teachers are supportive of a K-12 bike PE program, for which Saratoga Shredders will begin fundraising this year. If you or your business would like to become a donor of the program, visit: saratogashredders.com/bikes-in-schools.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Booster Club will be hosting its twelfth fall season of youth field hockey beginning on Aug. 28 and ending on Oct 1.
The program is open to youths in grades third through sixth. No experience needed.
The program features practices working on fundamental skills and at least four play days with other area school club programs. The youth program brochure can be downloaded from the Booster Club’s website at Saratogafieldhockey.teampages.com.
Registration is now open. The cost is $120 for the fall season, which includes a team vest for new players. For more information please contact Jo-Anne Hostig, Saratoga head field hockey coach, at Togafieldhockey@gmail.com.
REXFORD — The Saratoga Bridges’ 20th Annual J. Michael Fitzgibbons Memorial Golf Classic will be held on Monday, July 31 at the Edison Club in Rexford.
The day will include a scramble format, lunch, BBQ luncheon, complimentary beverages courtesy of Saratoga Eagle and DeCrescente Distributing Company, a quarter zip pullover sponsored by Performance Industrial, Awards Ceremony, goodie bags from DeCrescente Distributing Company, contests, and a Golf Ball Air Cannon Launcher made possible by the LaChance State Farm agency.
A portion of the proceeds benefits the J. Michael Fitzgibbons Memorial Scholarship Fund, which was established to honor their long-time Board Member who passed away unexpectedly in 2005. Annually, one of their staff members is awarded an educational scholarship in Michael’s memory, as this fund encourages their staff to seek academic opportunities whereby they can elevate and enrich their own service delivery skills.
To register, sponsor, donate or volunteer, visit saratogabridges.org or contact Pamela Polacsek at ppolacsek@satratogabridges.org or 518-587-0723 ext. 1255.
Saratoga Catholic varsity softball head coach Abby Arceneaux (right) pictured during her time as head coach at The College of St. Rose with former player Savanna Livero-Tyler (left) (Photo provided by Abby Arceneaux).
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Central Catholic softball program will be led by a familiar face to Capital Region softball fans.
Abby Arceneaux, former head coach at The College of St. Rose and standout player at Mechanicville High School and Union College, has been announced as the next head coach of the Saints’ varsity softball team.
Arceneaux’s partner, Shea Bromirski, is head coach of the Saratoga Catholic varsity boys basketball team, and Arceneaux said she thought the school would be “a good fit.”
“I love how Coach (Alphonse) Lambert runs (things) as an athletic director,” said Arceneaux. “I saw that with Shea, and how he supported him and the student-athletes. … It was all about finding a good fit. I knew how much Shea enjoyed coaching there, and I really liked the girls I had spoken with.”
Arceneaux served as head coach at St. Rose from 2014 to 2022. Prior to starting her coaching career, Arceneaux was a standout as a player at Mechanicville High School and Union College.
Arceneaux was twice named NYS Class C Player of the Year, and helped lead Mechanicville to three state championships. She finished her collegiate career as Union’s all-time leader in numerous categories, and has been inducted into the Mechanicville, Union College Athletics, and New York State Softball Halls of Fame, according to her bio on the St. Rose Athletics website.
She served as an assistant coach at Union and at Cornell University, and served as pitching coach at Siena College for three seasons prior to becoming head coach at St. Rose.
Now, after a year away, Arceneaux has returned to coaching. But while she took a year off, she was still involved in the game, helping assist her father, Don Arceneaux, and Mechanicville varsity coach Jim Kenyon coach a travel team.
“It was really nice, taking a step back and watching a lot of games,” Arceneaux said. “You’re so used to being on the field, so taking a step back made me really appreciate (it), and kind of changed my mindset. It kind of filled my tank back up.”
The Saints have a young team, with the entire squad set to return in 2024 after they competed without any seniors on the roster this spring.
Arceneaux said she has already begun working with several players on the team, and as a former college coach, said she is also looking forward to assisting players with the recruiting process.
“One thing I’m really excited to bring to the table is guidance on the recruiting process, from beginning to end,” Arceneaux said. “In talking with their parents, I’m like, ‘Ask me as many questions as you want.’”
Arceneaux said she is excited to be “an asset” to the student-athletes in the recruitment process. Bromirski will also be working with Arceneaux as an assistant coach, she said.
“And not just for the softball girls, too. I understand that a lot of the softball players play multiple sports,” said Arceneaux. “Whatever they want to do at the next level, if any of them do, I’m going to be there to help them.”
Arceneaux said she has begun working to set up optional workouts for the program, and said the team’s goal is “to get better each day in practice.”
“If we’re going to get better each day in practice, we’re going to win more games,” said Arceneaux. “There’s a few seniors, I want to give them the best senior year that they can possibly have, while really building up the seventh and eighth-grade girls and all the returners for the varsity team.”
“As coaches, I’m confident that we’re going to give them the tools, the knowledge, and the skills, and help them get better, to do that,” Arceneaux added. “And they want it. The bunch that I’ve talked to, they want to win. They believe that we have a core that can really bring us there. Our goal is to win, but just be better. Every day, get better.”
McGregor Links Country Club. Photo by Dylan Mcglynn.
WILTON — The historic McGregor Links Country Club has seen several improvements and additions in recent years, adding a driving range, expanding its pro shop, and establishing or bringing back events.
Head Golf Professional Michael Decker, who joined McGregor in 2021 after three years as the assistant professional at Shaker Ridge Country Club in Albany, said the course offers “a little something for everybody.”
Since arriving at McGregor, Decker has taken ownership of the pro shop, established and grown a large PGA Junior League, and overseen the introduction and return of numerous events.
Decker said he had heard “nothing but great things” about McGregor prior to accepting the job.
“I think it went through a little stretch where it was a little rocky, so my goal when I took the job was to come in, do whatever I can with the new owner, Joe Kehn, and help turn the place around,” Decker said.
While McGregor is a country club, Decker emphasized that it is not fully private. McGregor is open to the public Mondays all day; 10 a.m. and later Tuesday through Friday; noon and later on Saturdays and Sundays, Decker said.
“It’s semi-private, so it’s open to the public,” said Decker. “We are limited at certain times. … But we absolutely are open to the public.”
Decker said one of his major efforts since taking the job has been to build McGregor’s Junior League program. Last year, the program featured 89 kids, Decker said, noting he was awarded the ‘Gamechanger Award’ from the PGA for having the largest junior league in PGA’s Northeastern New York section.
This year, McGregor’s junior program has 100 kids, Decker said. He said running the program is “extremely rewarding,” noting he feels part of his job as a PGA professional is to grow the game.
“I spend a lot of time doing that, and to watch a place that didn’t have any PGA Junior League three years ago to now having the biggest one in the entire section, and one of the biggest in the country, is actually amazing,” Decker said. “It’s something that I definitely pride myself on, and look to keep growing year after year.”
The Junior League is open to the public, allowing all kids under age 15 to participate regardless of prior experience. The program offers six practices and six matches at McGregor Links, according to the course’s website.
“We shut down the front nine of the course,” said Decker. “We’ll have 150-plus people out there any given PGA Junior League match, with the parents following the kids, riding in the fairways, having some drinks and food. It’s a sight to see.”
The club hosts a ‘Links Together’ program on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well, which Decker described as “a summer camp for kids.”
“They get to use the pool, they get to learn a little golf, they can do arts and crafts, they can learn pickleball,” Decker said. “That’s awesome. … We’re using basically all the facilities that we have here.”
In addition to a new driving range, McGregor features a pool, six pickleball courts, and a tennis court, all of which have been recently renovated, Decker said.
Decker has also taken over ownership of McGregor’s pro shop, he said, and was awarded 2021 Merchandiser of the Year by Northeastern New York PGA for his efforts.
The shop offers a wide variety of products, with Decker saying golfers can find “anything you can really think of,” including major brands of golf clubs, balls, footwear, clothing, as well as other equipment such as range-finders and ball markers.
McGregor Links also works with the on-site restaurant, Hills and Hollows, to host a variety of events, including Nine and Dine events and Cigar and Bourbon Nights, and private events such as bachelor parties.
Decker has additionally helped reintroduce events such as the McGregor Links Invitational, a two-day event featuring two-person teams. This year’s Invitational is scheduled for July 28-29, according to McGregor’s website.
“I brought that back probably for the first time in 10 years, and we’re starting to grow that again, which is great to show off the course, show off all the stuff that Joe Kehn and his staff have done out on the course,” said Decker.
Decker, a native of Pine Bush, said he initially accepted the job after recognizing McGregor as “an opportunity.”
“The potential of it that I saw, I mean, you’re in Saratoga, you’ve got one of the best golf courses around, and you’ve got a new owner (Joe Kehn) who loves the place more than anyone and is putting money into it,” said Decker. “I saw that as an opportunity. I liked the sounds of that, and wanted to grow with McGregor.”
Saratoga Race Course, 2022. Photo by Amira Chichakly, courtesy of NYRA.
Saratoga Race Course opens its 2023 season on Wednesday July 13.
The opening comes amid news of both renewal of the sport with state-sponsored financing for a rebuilding of Belmont Park and threats to the existence of the sport from a rash of fatalities at numerous high-profile North American thoroughbred racetracks. Draped over these seemingly contradictory developments is the new enhanced federal oversight of the sport under the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (“HIWU”). The HIWU was recently established in 2022 by Drug Free Sport International (“DFSI”) to administer the rules and enforcement mechanisms of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (“HISA”) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (“ADMC”) Program.
It’s a mouthful and if it sounds confusing – that’s because it is. Suffice it to say, the testing and enforcement of the prohibitions on the use of banned or controlled substances in race horses has recently become much stricter under federal oversight. Fans can expect to see many more reported violations and concomitant trainer suspensions. This oversight is an effort to protect the integrity of the sport and health and safety of its participants – both equine and human.
The National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (“HBPA”), despite lengthy mission and position statements, is waging a pitched legal battle against this Congressionally created oversight by challenging the authority of the new program in litigation in numerous places. While the details are too many to enumerate here it is fair to say the HBPA is fighting tooth and nail against the federal regulation as currently constituted. There are many who fear the combination of high-profile equine fatalities and the leading horseman’s group resisting further regulation is jeopardizing the sport’s social license to exist. Meanwhile, this enhanced testing has begun and with it a recent spate of trainer suspensions across the country. For bettors and fans whether this will impact who wins on the racetrack provides yet another uncertainty to the daily handicapping puzzle.
On the racetrack rather than the courtroom, the 2023 Saratoga meet begins without an obvious racing star among this year’s three-year-old division. Lacking star power, in some ways, makes the meet’s traditional marquee event – the Travers Stakes on August 26th more important than usual. A matchup between Kentucky Derby winner Mage and Belmont winner Arcangelo in the Travers is a possibility should each maintain their form through the summer and one can expect new stars to emerge from the 40 race cards to come.
The racing at the spa is always instrumental in determining divisional championships with established runners and newly emerging stars shining on the bright stage of Saratoga. The Whitney Stakes on August 5 highlights the best older horses, as does the Jockey Club Gold Cup later in the meet on September 2 and two-year-olds are unveiled throughout the meet. As usual there will a generous amount of turf racing in all divisions.
This writer has always believed the Saratoga race meet to be as much about people as it is about horses and there are certain trainers that shine most brightly at this time of year and deserve extra attention at the betting windows. Among the trainers to whom bettors and fans should give extra consideration are H. James Bond; David Donk; John Terranova; Danny Gargan; and Carlos Martin. Trainer Keri Brion is expected to dominate the traditional steeplechase events run on certain weekdays. Of the larger barns expect Bill Mott trainees to have a big meet – including an unraced two-year-old half-brother to Cody’s Wish named Hunt Ball.
One change that fans will see this year is one admission for the full run of the grounds. Ending more than a century of delineation between the grandstand and clubhouse facilities, all attendees this year will be able to freely move through the building availing themselves of all concessions and restrooms. The iridescent hand stamps historically needed for movement from the grandstand to the clubhouse will be destined for antiquity.
As mentioned earlier in this article, New York State has approved credit support for funding of a $455 million renewal of Belmont Park. The duration of the project will affect the Saratoga meets in 2024 and 2025 with the possibility of the Belmont Stakes being run at an abbreviated three-day meet in June 2025.
This year’s Saratoga meet runs from Wednesday July 13 through Labor Day September 4. Racing will be conducted five days per week with Mondays and Tuesdays being dark (except Labor Day). Admission is $10 on the day of admission discounted to $7 if purchased in advance.
Already with success at Saratoga, the former assistant to Doug O’Neill brings a select group of horses about two months before the meet begins.
Photo provided
Some trainers look forward to the middle or the end of April, depending on the weather, to bring their horses to the Oklahoma Training Track as way of preparing for the Saratoga Race Course meet while racing them at Belmont Park.
In the mix of horses from Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher, Christophe Clement, Bill Mott, Kenny McPeek, Jorge Abreu, and Jeremiah Englehart who are breezing or galloping over the Oklahoma Training Track, there is another trainer who is looking to follow this trend that has proven to be successful: Jack Sisterson.
About a week after the Kentucky Derby, Sisterson brought his stable and team from Keeneland to Barn 84 near the Oklahoma Track to get his horses acclimated to the area.
“It’s nice to be back here. It’s a nice barn,” said Sisterson, who was once a hotwalker for Pletcher at Churchill Downs. “If you ship in a week before a race, you have to give them adequate time to adjust and settle. Over the two months before the meet starts, the horses have settled quickly and continue to forward in the right direction and compete for me.”
Over the last five years, Sisterson has solidified himself at Saratoga and on the New York Racing Association circuit. This includes two upsets in Grade 1 races at Saratoga for Calumet Farm: Lexitonian in the 2022 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap and Vexatious in the 2020 Personal Ensign Stakes. He also won the Man o’ War Stakes with Channel Cat in 2022 and Cigar Mile Handicap with True Timber in 2020.
This year, Sisterson has seen the Winner’s Circle over 20 percent of the time from nearly 50 runners, including Malleymoo who won the Penn Oaks last month at Penn National. On that same day, British-bred Behind Enemy Lines came up three-quarters of a length short to multiple graded stakes winner Major Dude in the Penn Mile.
Sisterson knows that it’s not an easy task to compete against the top-level horses and trainers at Saratoga and the New York circuit, but he’s grateful for the opportunities.
“It’s humbling to complete at a level like Saratoga and the New York circuit,” he said. “It’s so difficult to have a horse to compete at this level. I have to thank the owners for supporting me to send those type of horses to compete here.”
He also attributes his success to his staff – and the horses are aware of it, too.
“I have a great staff,” he said. “They are a small group of guys who are part of a team environment. We say ‘good morning’ and chat with each other. The horses sense that. They seem to gravitate to the front of the stalls and bright-eyed. They are happy and we have seen good results.”
Prior to becoming a private trainer for Calumet Farm in 2018 and recently taking other clients, Sisterson gained valuable experience by working with horses throughout the East Coast as an assistant for California-based trainer Doug O’Neill.
Sisterson had a unique starting experience with O’Neill when I’ll Have Another won his career debut in July 2011 at Hollywood Park. Then the following year, the horse continued an impressive streak of victories in the Santa Anita Derby, the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness before it was abruptly due to a tendon injury in the left front leg that forced him out of the Belmont a day before the race.
Four years later, Sisterson was part of Nyquist’s undefeated streak that included the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the Florida Derby, and the Kentucky Derby. From there, Sisterson helped set up O’Neill’s small stable of horses at Saratoga, which included stakes winners Irap, Mopotism, Pavel, and Cause We Are Loyal.
Toward the end of the Saratoga meet that year, Sisterson just moved to Keeneland to prepare for the meet, which meant he didn’t saddle Ralis to win the 2015 Hopeful Stakes. However, he did get a chance to see another 2-year-old win a Grade 1 stakes that fall: Gomo taking the Darley Alcibiades.
“A lot of times, I was traveling back and forth between the East Coast and West Coast,” Sisterson said. “I enjoyed traveling. I didn’t have any commitments. It was really enjoyable traveling with good horses.”
“I also learned how to treat the horses and people well,” he added. “You are only good as the horses and the staff. You have to treat your staff with a lot of respect. In return, they will give that back to you.”
Going into the Saratoga meet, Sisterson is hoping that at least one of his select group of 21 horses will give something back to him as well. Despite prior success at Saratoga, he still knows the meet can be a daunting task.
So far, besides Mallymoo and Behind Enemy Lines, he has other horses at Saratoga who have already won a race this year: Baby Billy, Detroit City, and Cartographer. While Behind Enemy Lines is considering the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes on Aug. 4, Sisterson indicated that he will leave his options open for Mallymoo. As for the remaining horses, including his two-year-olds, Sisterson knows he has to strategize.
“I guess you have to be selective with the horses to bring to Saratoga. It’s not easy,” he said. “It’s all about putting them in the right spots and places. They have greatly settled here. We’ll have to see how they train and where they fit in the condition book.”
The Saratoga meet starts July 13 for the four-day weekend and closes on Sept. 4 as part of the Labor Day Weekend. Along with by the 154th edition of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers for 3-year-olds on Aug. 26, older horses will be competing in the 95th the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Aug. 5.
SARATOGA SPRINGS – The New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced the lineup of new and returning attractions and events for the 2023 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course.
Highlighted by the 154th edition of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on August 26 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 5, the 2023 summer meet will open on Thursday, July 13 and continue through Monday, September 4.
Following the four-day opening weekend, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day.
Admission gates will open for live racing at 11 a.m. for all but Travers Day when gates will open at 7 a.m. With exceptions for Whitney and Travers Days and throughout Closing Weekend, first post time is 1:10 p.m.
The 2023 summer meet will feature the following events lineup:
Opening Weekend Thursday, July 13 – Sunday, July 16
Opening Weekend will feature the traditional opening day graded stakes, the Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies, on Thursday, July 13 and the first Grade 1 of the season, the Diana, on Saturday, July 15. The four-day annual celebration will be highlighted by live musical entertainment and a performance by the Islip Horsemen’s Association Drill Team on Saturday.
Week 1 Stake Races
Tune-in to Talking Horses for in-depth analysis from handicapper Andy Serling and other guests.
New York-made food and beverages will be available for sample and purchase at the Taste NY Pavilion, located inside Gate A at the Top of the Stretch, where fans can enjoy New York craft beer, cider, wine, spirits, cheese, chocolate and gelato. This year marks a decade since the launch of the Taste NY program. In honor of the anniversary, NYRA will be expanding its offerings to include two dozen featured products, from Long Island to the Adirondacks and the Capital Region to Western New York, as a showcase of the state’s robust food and beverage industry.
SARATOGA Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tours
Every Wednesday – Friday beginning July 14
Expanded for its second year, NYRA is continuing the Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tour. Tours this year will be offered Wednesday through Friday throughout the meet. Wednesday tours will travel to Song Hill Thoroughbreds, while Thursday and Friday tours will visit Old Tavern Farm.
Guests will enjoy a buffet breakfast at Saratoga Race Course before taking a CDTA trolley to the designated farm, where they will participate in a 60- to 90-minute guided walking tour of a working thoroughbred breeding farm. Admission to the races in the afternoon is included in the package. Tickets, which are $85 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under, must be reserved in advance at NYRA.com.
SUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE RAIL OF THE 1863 CLUB
Every Sunday beginning July 16
Fans are invited to enjoy a brunch buffet while experiencing The Rail at the 1863 Club, the first-floor banquet space at the 1863 Club. Tickets start at $100 and include admission, a table seat for the day, brunch buffet, soft drinks, two mimosa or Bloody Mary drink tickets per person, Post Parade program book, tax and gratuity. Reservations are available by calling the NYRA Box Office at 844-NYRA-TIX or online at Ticketmaster.com.
SARATOGA LOW ROLLER CONTEST
Every Thursday And Sunday beginning July 16
Horseplayers can enjoy the Saratoga Low Roller Contest held exclusively on-track every Thursday and Sunday at Saratoga Race Course. Fans can pre-register on contest days outside the Miller Time Fourstardave Sports Bar. There is a $40 buy-in, of which $30 will go to the player’s bankroll and $10 to the prize pool. The winner will receive a Saratoga Low Roller championship T-shirt in addition to the cash prize.
Berkshire Bank Family ZONE
Fans will enjoy 40 days of the Berkshire Bank Family Zone, an interactive play area for children located near Gate A, which will be supplemented by Berkshire Bank Family Sundays.
Berkshire Bank Family Sundays – Every Sunday:
Berkshire Bank Family Sundays will feature a wide variety of free family-friendly activities, games, attractions and educational activities each Sunday inside the Berkshire Bank Family Zone, located near Gate A at the Top of the Stretch. New this year, each week will feature a different theme, including Beach Day, Sci-Fi Day, Carnival Day and Superhero Day.
Breakfast at Saratoga
Breakfast at Saratoga welcomes guests to enjoy a morning buffet at The Porch with a view of the thoroughbreds training on the main track. Breakfast is available every live racing day from 7 to 9:30 a.m., excluding Travers Day and Labor Day.
Fans can also go behind the scenes with a free, guided backstretch tram tour, driven by CDTA. Tram tours run from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and depart from the clubhouse entrance approximately every 15 minutes. Tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are 45 minutes in length. Tours are available every live racing day with the exception of Travers Day and Labor Day.
Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage
The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live musical performances each afternoon of the season from popular local and regional bands, including The Garland Nelson Trio, The Hawthornes, ILL Funk, The Lustre Kings and Donna Tritico Band, among many others. This year’s summer music stage is presented by Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor in Saratoga Springs.
HANDICAPPING SEMINAR AND MEET-AND-GREET
Every Sunday beginning July 23
Enjoy your Sunday at the races in the Spa’s newest hospitality venue, the climate-controlled Paddock Suite, learning betting strategies and tips from expert handicappers. Guests will also be treated to a meet-and-greet with Saratoga Race Course’s new track announcer Frank Mirahmadi, along with a rotating cast of on-track talent, personalities and VIPs. Tickets can be purchased through Fevo.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — FC4 Events hosted the annual Firecracker4 Road Race in downtown Saratoga Springs on July 4.
The Firecracker4 Road Race is in its 17th year, held each Independence Day in downtown Saratoga. It is the longest and largest Independence Day race in the Northeast, according to a press release.
The four-mile course started on Broadway in front of the Saratoga Springs City Center, taking runners through the city.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Local student-athlete Eowyn Lapp is gaining valuable experience ahead of her college soccer career, playing with the New York Shockers of the Women’s Premier Soccer League.
She is committed to play at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts, a member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference. But for Lapp, it was quite the journey to get there.
Lapp said her dream was to play at a Division 1 school, but back-to-back injuries caused her to miss a significant amount of time during the recruitment process. While it was a long road back, Lapp eventually found a new home, a new major, and a new mindset along the way.
Lapp, who was homeschooled, has played for the Saratoga-Wilton Soccer Club since age nine, and also played for Hudson Valley Rocks, a team for homeschooled students.
In the fall of her junior year, Lapp was participating in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association’s Olympic Development Program and was preparing to visit camps at colleges around the country.
However, a bad bounce caused things to change quickly. During a game that December, Lapp suffered an eye injury that caused her to miss six weeks of play.
“I shot a ball while a girl was trying to clear it, and my shot hit her foot, and went straight into my eye,” said Lapp. “It caused internal bleeding. It was really bad.”
Then, less than a month after recovering from the eye injury, Lapp tore her ACL while skiing at her job at West Mountain.
“I just went across ice, slipped. … My knee just twisted a little bit, and I felt a pull,” Lapp said. “I was like, ‘That’s my ACL.’ I knew it.”
As a result of the injury, Lapp missed a majority of the Saratoga-Wilton season and all of her senior year with Hudson Valley. After undergoing surgery, Lapp began a lengthy and difficult rehab process, including physical therapy “every day,” she said.
“I was very committed to doing it, because I wanted to get back in six months,” Lapp said.
Lapp said her physical therapist was “amazing,” and said she spent significant time asking questions about the process.
“I had a lot of questions, and I figured the more I know, the better I could help myself recover,” said Lapp. “That was my original intent of learning more, but then I just kind of got curious.”
Originally considering something like English or history as a college major, Lapp’s experiences with physical therapy eventually inspired her to find what will be her future major: exercise science.
“I just wanted to learn more, because it was cool to me,” Lapp said. “This was in the realm that I wanted to be for jobs, and I really enjoyed learning about it.”
Lapp was still hoping to join a Division 1 program, but a chance connection ended up leading her to her future home and team.
Chris and Cay Hanley, friends of the Lapp family, both attended Gordon College, a Division III school in Massachusetts. Lapp said that Cay Hanley reached out to Chuck Breton, the Gordon women’s soccer coach, to see if he would contact Lapp to offer encouragement.
But Breton ended up viewing Lapp’s highlight videos, she said, and later reached out to her as a recruit. They shared an initial phone call, which included Lapp’s parents and ended up lasting two hours.
“We had a really good call, and he was just really easy to talk to, really fun to talk to,” Lapp said. “It was just really enjoyable.”
Shortly after, Breton offered Lapp a spot on the Fighting Scots’ roster, she said. Breton also invited her to attend Gordon’s ID camp despite her injury, allowing her to meet the team and experience the Gordon campus for the first time.
Lapp said she ultimately felt that Gordon became “the obvious choice.”
“It just really felt like God knew what I needed, and I didn’t know what I needed,” Lapp said. “It was really cool, finally opening my heart up, and realizing that what God has for me is so much better than what I have for me.”
Now recovered from the ACL injury, Lapp has been preparing to begin her college career. In addition to playing with Saratoga-Wilton, Lapp joined the Shockers, a team made up primarily of other collegiate players. The Shockers are members of the WPSL and play home games at Afrim’s Sports Park in Colonie.
In preparation for the Shockers’ season, and in addition to practicing with her SWSC team, Lapp also participated in practices with the Saratoga-Wilton boys U18 team, which she said was “so amazing.”
“I’m so thankful for that,” said Lapp. “I had a great time, and it was really what I needed. … That was really great. I practiced with them quite a bit in addition to my team.”
Lapp cracked the starting lineup in her first game with the Shockers, she said, helping the team earn a 2-0 victory over the Kingston Capitals.
“It was just a great first game,” said Lapp. “We have a couple more games. I’m just excited to see where it takes me.”
She offered thanks to her coaches through the years, including Saratoga-Wilton coaches Kemp Bundy and A.J. Siebeneck, and Shockers’ head coach Kurtis Smith, among others.
Lapp said that ultimately, “a whole lot of good came out of” her experience, which she mainly attributed to being able to maintain a positive mentality.
“I had viewed my mentality as my nemesis, like, ‘My mentality is what messes me up,’” Lapp said. “I didn’t realize that if I learned how to control my mentality, that can be one of my biggest assets. That was one of the biggest things that came out of this injury, just knowing my mentality can be one of my strengths, it doesn’t have to be my nemesis.”
