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Saratoga Catholic Boys Basketball Earns Senior Night Win Over Waterford-Halfmoon

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

Pictured with family members are the Saratoga Catholic varsity boys basketball seniors, from left: Kam Cox (14), Matt Murphy (33), Aidan Dunne (5), Justin Duscher (25). Photo by Super Source Media Studios.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Central Catholic varsity boys basketball team got back in the win column on Senior Night, honoring the Saints’ four seniors with a 41-35 victory over Waterford-Halfmoon on Tuesday.

“We’ve come a long way,” said head coach Shea Bromirski, who credited the seniors for their leadership. “It’s a classy group. We have really good kids here.”

Senior Justin Duscher, who led the Saints with 15 points, said it was meaningful to have the senior ceremony and noted the closeness of the Saratoga Catholic squad.

“I came here last year, and these guys welcomed me with open arms,” said Duscher. “This team’s a really tight-knit group of guys. It’s a special moment.”

Saratoga Catholic has four seniors: Kam Cox, Aidan Dunne, Justin Duscher, and Matt Murphy. 

Dunne said it was an exciting night, saying his teammates “mean the world” to him.

“They’re like the closest group of friends you could have,” Dunne said. “You’re with them every day.”

The Saints led 9-5 after a low-scoring first quarter, and the defensive affair carried into the second, with Saratoga Catholic taking a 17-12 lead into halftime. 

Dunne had nine points in the first half to pace the Saints, who limited the Fordians to just five made field goals in the half. Bromirski said that defense has been a main point of emphasis for the Saratoga Catholic team this season.

“That’s what we hang our hat on, is the defensive end of the floor,” said Bromirski. “That’s something we talk about every day in practice. … They bought in to playing that end of the floor.”

But Waterford-Halfmoon opened the second half on a 12-0 run, jumping to a 24-17 lead with 3:27 left in the third. Duscher, the Saints’ leading scorer, stepped up at the end of the quarter, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to cut Waterford’s lead to one entering the fourth. 

Bromirski said that Duscher making big shots is “what he’s done for us all year.”

“Every time that we’ve won a close game or done something, he’s been our guy who makes big shots for us,” Bromirski said. “He’s one of the best kids I’ve ever coached, one of the best people I’ve ever coached.”

The teams traded baskets early in the fourth, with the Saints taking the lead for good on a basket by Aidan Crowther with 3:24 remaining. Duscher then scored to give Saratoga Catholic a 36-33 lead, and a steal and fastbreak for Hunter Fales made it 38-33 with 2:08 left.

The Saints held strong defensively in the final minutes, sealing a 41-35 win with free throws from Duscher. Bromirski said the team came alive late after “doing the little things.”

“I talk to these guys religiously about (how) the ball goes in the hoop when you do the right things,” said Bromirski. “When you’re playing as hard as you can, and you’re getting every loose ball, somehow the ball starts to find the basket.”

Duscher’s 15 points led all scorers, while Dunne added nine in the win for the Saints. Ronan Rowe had six points, Fales and Crowther each had five points, and Ryan Gillis added one point for Saratoga Catholic.

Derrick Ponture and Anthony Scunziano each had 13 points for Waterford-Halfmoon. Matt Soden added five points, while Nate Griner had four points.

Saratoga Catholic (11-8) will play Waterford-Halfmoon again on Friday in a Wasaren League crossover game, with the Section 2 Class C Tournament to follow. 

“Our resume’s pretty good. I would think that we would be somewhere in the top half of the Class C bracket,” Bromirski said. “… Then we’ll see who we play on Tuesday, and we’ll go from there.”

“Just to lock in,” said Dunne of the team’s mindset. “I don’t think we’re playing our best basketball right now, but we were a couple weeks ago, and we can get back to that.”

Saratoga Gymnastics Hosts Annual Purple Passion Meet

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

Photo provided by Allessandra Skinner.

WILTON — Four Section 2 gymnastics teams competed to raise money and awareness for domestic violence on Friday, as the Saratoga Springs varsity gymnastics team hosted the 17th annual Purple Passion Meet.

The four competing teams were: Saratoga Springs, Bethlehem, Shaker, and Guilderland. Athletes from all four teams wore purple gear, helping raise awareness and funding for Wellspring of Saratoga. 

See below for top finishers from each event of Friday’s meet:

 All-Around: Ayla Skinner (33.1)

 Vault: Erika Sudigala (8.7)

 Floor: Ellie Ott (9.15)

 Balance Beam: Alyssa Kearns (9.05)

 Uneven Bars: Ellie Ott (8.65)

Saratoga Wrestling Honors Seniors With Win Over Shen

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

Photo by Kim Delgado.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs varsity wrestling team honored its seniors on Thursday, rounding out the night with a strong 35-28 victory over Shenendehowa.

The Blue Streaks have 13 seniors: Isaac Coffin, Jack Dacey, Alex Julian, Damian Maura, Shawn Mergen, Andrew Monroe, Gordon Murray, Lorenzo Paleschi, Dylan Przedwiecki, Connor Saltzgaver, Victor Santabar, Cam Smith, and Vito Spadafora.

See below for results from the Blue Streaks’ victory over the Plainsmen:

Saratoga Springs 35, Shenendehowa 28

 102: Isaac Jaynes (Shen) def. Kyle Edwards by pin at 1:58

 110: Chase Matter (Saratoga) def. Joe Donatelli by pin at 1:52

 118: Greg Green (Shen) def. Luke Stoutenburg by 11-2 maj. decision

 126: Brandon Deuel (Shen) def. Danny Dacey by 5-1 decision

 132: Vincent Grembocki (Shen) def. Taylor Beaury by 3-1 decision

 138: David Emsminger (Shen) def. Trey Edwards by pin at 1:36

 145: Davin Leavey (Shen) def. Hayden Passaretti by pin at 1:12

 152: Gordon Murray (Saratoga) def. Anthony Harbour by 17-12 decision

 160: Gianni Delgado (Saratoga) def. Max Woolums by 17-4 maj. decision

 172: Vito Spadafora (Saratoga) def. Anthony Kennedy by 10-1 maj. decision

 189: Lorenzo Paleschi (Saratoga) def. Dante Maiello by pin at 5:07

 215: Patrick McKinley (Saratoga) def. Erik O’Toole by pin at 1:34

 285: Jack Dacey (Saratoga) def. Colin Thompson by pin at 6:54

Ballston Spa Wrestling Competes at Dual Meet State Championships

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

SYRACUSE — The Ballston Spa varsity wrestling team competed at the NYSPHSAA Dual Meet State Championships in Syracuse over the weekend, defeating East Islip in the opening round before falling to Hilton in the third round.

The Scotties clinched a spot in the Dual Meet Championships by capturing the Section 2 Dual Meet crown on Jan. 17, defeating Saratoga Springs and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake. 

Connor Gregory, Darrien Insogna, Ralph Keeney, and Cameron Hinchcliff combined to win all of their individual matches for Ballston Spa. The Scotties will next compete at the Section 2 Class B Tournament on Feb. 7 at Burnt Hills.

See below for results from the Dual Meet Championships:

1st Round: Ballston Spa 35, East Islip 32

(102) Quinton Warlikowski (B-Spa) def. Rocco DeStefano by pin at 4:00

(110) Ralph Keeney (B-Spa) def. Anthony Liedtke by pin at 3:04

(118) Tristan Hinchcliff (B-Spa) def. Dylan Aristodes by 11-3 maj. decision

(126) Cameron Hinchcliff (B-Spa) def. Matthew Walsh by 15-4 maj. decision

(132) Logan Alfalla (East Islip) def. Tyler Perkins by 15-0 decision

(138) Justin Shayew (East Islip) def. William O’Connor by pin at 0:58

(145) Christopher Trahey (East Islip) def. James Capasso by 18-3 decision

(152) Anthony Avitabile (East Islip) def. Brian Reffitt by pin at 1:24

(160) Connor Gregory (B-Spa) def. Stephen Coleman by pin at 5:02

(172) Jacob Perkins (B-Spa) def. Nicholas Groneman by 5-4 decision

(189) James Sturek (East Islip) def. Brennan Livingston by 11-3 maj. decision

(215) Darrien Insogna (B-Spa) def. DeAndre Perez by pin at 2:16

(289) Sebastian Regis (East Islip) win by forfeit

3rd Round: Hilton 36, Ballston Spa 34

(102) Jon Testa (Hilton) def. Quinton Warlikowski by pin at 3:08

(110) Gavin Whipple (B-Spa) def. Lukas Yeager by pin at 1:11

(118) Ralph Keeney (B-Spa) def. Aiden Keable by pin at 1:12

(126) Tyler Simons (Hilton) def. Tristan Hinchcliff by 8-1 decision

(132) Cameron Hinchcliff (B-Spa) def. James Hargather by pin at 3:31

(138) William O’Connor (B-Spa) def. Alex Chirdo by pin at 3:12

(145) Philip Testa (Hilton) def. James Capasso by 15-2 maj. decision

(152) Landon Lazarek (Hilton) def. Brian Reffitt by pin at 1:49

(160) Max Meagher (Hilton) def. Anthony Prastio by pin at 2:56

(172) Connor Gregory (B-Spa) def. Troy Davis by pin at 4:41

(189) Nate Kasper (Hilton) def. Brennan Livingston by 15-0 decision

(215) Elijah Diakomihalis (Hilton) def. Benjamin Livingston by pin at 0:25

(289) Darrien Insogna (B-Spa) def. Chris Fronczak by 13-4
maj. Decision

50 Year Mark for SSHS Wrestling’s First Sectional Title

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — This season marks an important milestone in the legacy of Saratoga Springs High School sports: it is the 50th anniversary of the Blue Streaks wrestling team winning the program’s first-ever Section II team title in 1973.

Coming into the season-ending crowning tournament from a two-and-a-half year run that included just one loss and two conference championships, the Blase Iuliano-coached grapplers entered the Class A division showdown in Burnt Hills as one of three favorites to take the crown.

After two days of single elimination action, Saratoga’s undefeated team captain – and future All American – Jay Mulligan was joined in the final round by fellow seniors Bob Millis and Keith Potter, along with underclassmen standouts Kevin Mulligan, Jay Winchester and Korey Dismus.  

Three champions emerged, with the elder Mulligan also taking the tourney MVP award.

Additional team points from earlier rounds were contributed by Tom Evans, Bob Perkins, Roy Lusk, Todd Henning and John Greenleaf.

The result was a narrow win over the competitive teams sent from Mount Pleasant, Shenendehowa, Scotia-Glenville and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.

This breakthrough title achievement set the standard and paved the way for the local wrestling program, as succeeding classes repeated the accomplishment on several occasions and put even more hardware into the Blue Streak trophy case in the decades since.

Off To Nationals – Local Teens Qualify for National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Featured, Sports.

Amber Cook (left), Paige Cook (middle), and Rachel Wilbur (right)
qualified for the 2023 National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships in
Grand Island, Nebraska. Photos provided by Kim Wilbur.

BALLSTON SPA — Three local teens are heading west in June, competing at the National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships in Grand Island, Nebraska. 

Amber Cook, Paige Cook, and Rachel Wilbur, members of the 4-H Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County, all qualified for the National Championships after competing at the New York State 4-H Shooting Sports Championships. Amber Cook will compete on New York’s Shotgun team, while Paige Cook and Wilbur will each compete on New York’s Archery team.

Paige Cook said it is “overwhelming, but exciting,” to clinch a spot at nationals.

“Yeah, it’s definitely overwhelming. But we’re all definitely blessed to have this opportunity and be able to experience this,” Wilbur added. “Very excited. We’re all working pretty hard at everything.”

The girls are also the first group from Saratoga County to even compete at the state championships, much less advance to nationals. Wilbur and Amber Cook competed at the state level in 2019, and all three girls competed in 2021 before qualifying for nationals at the 2022 State Championships.

“(In) 2019, we were the first ones to go out to the state competition, and now we’re the first ones from Saratoga County to go out to nationals,” said Amber Cook.

Kim Wilbur, mother of Rachel, said she is “so proud” of the girls, a sentiment that was echoed by the Cook’s parents. Renee Janack, mother of Amber and Paige Cook, pointed out that the girls are competing in fields that have been traditionally male-dominated.

“Proud just keeps coming to my mind,” said Kim Wilbur. “It’s exciting to see what the future holds.”

“It seems like such a cliche, I just keep saying how proud we are,” said Janack. “Not only are they the first going from Saratoga County, they’re young women. … It’s very male-dominated, so it’s thrilling to watch them grow as a team.”

Wilbur and Paige Cook both qualified for nationals at the New York State Championships in September. However, neither were certain they would make the cut.

“I didn’t think I was going to make it,” said Paige Cook.

“Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to make it either,” added Wilbur. “I really just went in there with an open mind, like, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’”

Of course, both qualified for nationals, with Wilbur finishing second and Cook third overall.

Amber Cook, however, initially qualified for nationals in May 2022, but didn’t discover this until after her teammates had clinched their spots.

“I didn’t find out until after they did, in September. I was very surprised,” said Amber Cook. “I really did not think I was going to qualify, so it was just very exciting and I’m very proud of myself for being able to.”

Amber Cook will be joined on New York’s Shotgun team by qualifiers from Dutchess and Chemung counties, while Paige Cook and Wilbur will compete alongside a qualifier from Wyoming County on the New York Archery team.

Competitors will be scored individually, with their scores added up to generate overall county and state scores. 

“We all go out there and shoot individually,” said Wilbur. “So we’re scored individually, and then all together as a team at the end.”

The group is currently in the process of fundraising for the trip, with Wilbur saying it will cost about $3,000 per girl for the travel alone. The National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships will be held from June 25 to 30 in Grand Island, Nebraska.

“(We’ve been) getting together and just making sure everything is very precise, so we can go out to different stores and even just individual people and do group fundraising,” Wilbur said. “We’ve been in the process of that for a few months now. It is a lot of work to do fundraising, especially this big.”

“It’s a long process,” added Paige Cook. “We’re mostly preparing to start in the next couple weeks, because getting the names and the emails and all that has taken quite a long time.”

The girls’ parents are also chipping in any way they can. Jeff Breedon, father of Amber and Paige, is an instructor at Saratoga County 4-H along with Janack and Kim Wilbur.

“Every one of us brings a different strength to the team,” said Breedon. “That’s how we’ve succeeded, I think, so well. If something needs to happen, one of us knows how to do it.”

And the time spent in 4-H has also helped the trio become closer, which Janack emphasized as one of the strengths of the program. 

“That’s the beauty of 4-H, it’s a county-wide thing,” Janack said. “You have youth coming from all over who would have never met each other, would never have known how awesome their friendships are going to be. This is truly going to be a lifelong friendship between these three.”

Wilbur agreed, saying that while the girls knew each other before joining 4-H, the club has “really sparked that friendship in all of us.”

“I don’t even consider them my teammates, they’re just my family now,” said Wilbur. “That’s what 4-H has brought to us. It’s definitely a blessing.”

Saratoga Gymnastics Earns Senior Night Victory

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

Photo by Super Source Media Studios.

WILTON — The Saratoga Springs varsity gymnastics team celebrated its seniors and picked up a win on Tuesday, defeating Guilderland 174.1-153.95. 

The Blue Streaks honored two seniors prior to the win: Erika Sudigala and Olivia Allen.

Saratoga’s Ellie Ott had the highest overall score (36.20), placing first in the bars and vault while finishing second in floor events. Guilderland’s Addison Seebode (34.60) and Miranda Putorti (34.35) finished second and third overall, respectively.

Allen finished fifth all-around (33.65) while Sudigala placed eighth (32.65). 

Below is a list of the top five finishers for each event, as well as all-around:

Bars

1) Ellie Ott (Saratoga) 9.00

2) Angie Damiano (Saratoga) 8.90

3) Gia DiMaggio (Saratoga) 8.40

4) Charlie Gleeksman (Saratoga) 8.20

5) Miranda Putorti (Guilderland) 8.00

5) Lily McKinley (Saratoga) 8.00

Beam

1) Addison Seebode (Guilderland) 9.25

2) Olivia Allen (Saratoga) 9.20

3) Miranda Putorti (Guilderland) 9.10

4) Gia DiMaggio (Saratoga) 8.90

5) Ellie Ott (Saratoga) 8.65

5) Ruby Sprengnether (Saratoga) 8.65

Floor

1) Miranda Putorti (Guilderland) 9.25

2) Ellie Ott (Saratoga) 9.20

3) Addison Seebode (Guilderland) 9.15

4) Angie Damiano (Saratoga) 9.00

5) Erika Sudigala (Saratoga) 8.90

Vault

1) Ellie Ott (Saratoga) 9.35

2) Charlie Gleeksman (Saratoga) 9.10

3) Addison Seebode (Guilderland) 8.30

4) Maddy Austin (Saratoga) 8.25

5) Lily McKinley (Saratoga) 8.20

All-Around

1) Ellie Ott (Saratoga) 36.20

2) Addison Seebode (Guilderland) 34.60

3) Miranda Putorti (Guilderland) 34.35

4) Gia DiMaggio (Saratoga) 33.70

5) Olivia Allen (Saratoga) 33.65

Ballston Spa Boys Basketball Suffers First Loss Of Season

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

BALLSTON SPA —The Ballston Spa varsity boys basketball team suffered its first loss of the season on Friday, falling 62-54 to Bethlehem at home.

Neither team was able to gain separation in the opening quarter, with the squads battling to a 13-13 tie after one. Bethlehem used strong perimeter shooting to pull ahead in the second, and never relinquished the lead.

The Eagles led 33-26 at halftime, and pulled out to a 10-point advantage at the end of the third quarter. The Scotties went on a run early in the fourth, pulling within three points, but Bethlehem was able to hold off the home team, using strong free-throw shooting to lock up a 62-54 victory.

Nick Verdile had 17 points to lead Ballston Spa in the loss. Blaine Zoller had 10 points, while Ben Phillips and Nico Savini each scored eight points. Mike Miller had six points, and James Haughton added five points.

Cameron LaClair led all scorers with 23 points for Bethlehem. Christian Franchini had 12 points, with Logan Yohe adding nine points and Jay Felio adding seven. Kieran Barnes had six points, and Caden Bernardo had five points for the Eagles.

Ballston Spa (12-1 overall, 7-1 Suburban Council) travels to face Columbia at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Wilton YMCA Indoor Golf League

Written by Saratoga TODAY on . Posted in Sports.

WILTON — Immerse yourself in some of the world’s greatest golf courses. The YMCA’s Adult team 9-hole Golf League will have you playing a schedule that tour players can only dream of. 

Over the course of seven weeks, the league will take you to the origins of the game at St. Andrews, battle the burn in Carnoustie, and have you competing for the league title as you make a back nine charge at the scenic Pebble Beach. This league is for ages 15 and up.

The league runs from Feb. 6 to March 20.

League Format:

• 2-person scramble.

• There will be no age group or gender restrictions.

• Teams can mix and match gender and age variations.

• Teams have the opportunity to play a maximum of two league rounds per week. 

• League rounds can be made up the following week, but keep in mind that you can only play two rounds per week. 

• Teams must make the simulator reservation themselves with no additional charge. We suggest that you reserve the simulator for two hours to complete your nine holes.

Scoring:

• Teams will receive a scorecard with weekly guidelines when checking in at the front desk and will be responsible for taking a picture of their scorecard with a signature attesting to their score and sending it to an assigned email.

• Scores will be cumulative, and a winner will be crowned after seven league weeks.

Rules:

• Women and seniors (60+) will have an assigned color tee box to play on their scorecard to ensure that you are not at a disadvantage.

• There will be an assigned gimme range, and the simulator will limit scores to double bogey or better. 

To join, please reach out to Tim LaSarso with your team at Tim.Lasarso@srymca.org

Rich Johns Speaks at NYS AHPERD Annual Conference

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Pictured above, from left, are: Cathy Haight, President of the COA, Coach Rich Johns, and Tiffany Beam, Athletic Director at Trumansburg Central School District. Photo provided by Rich Johns.

VERONA — Coach Rich Johns was recently the Keynote Speaker for the NYS AHPERD Annual Conference at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. The conference brings teachers, coaches and administrators from all over New York State for three days. Coach shared his five Key Components to be a better person and true leader.