SARATOGA SPRINGS — Registration is now open for the upcoming Saratoga Miss Softball season until March 5.
Saratoga Miss Softball is open to girls aged 4 to 16, and there are no residency requirements. Games are played at Veterans Memorial Park at 10 Adams Rd in Saratoga Springs. There are four levels offered: T-Ball (ages 4-5), Mini-Minor (ages 6-8), A Level (ages 9-12), and AA Level (ages 13-16).
To register or find more information, visit saratogamiss.com.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Saratoga Men’s Baseball League is looking for players ages 28 and over for the upcoming season. The season runs from May through August. For more information, call or text 518-470-7894 by March 1.
SCHENECTADY — Numerous athletes from the Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa varsity indoor track teams took home championship wins at the Section 2 Indoor Track Championship Meets at Union College on Jan. 28 and 29.
Eight athletes from Saratoga won Section 2 Division 1 titles across five events. Sheridan Wheeler won the Section 2 Division 1 Girls Championship in the 3,000-meter run, while Amelia McBain won the sectional title in the pole vault.
The Blue Streaks’ team of Anya Belisle, McKinley Wheeler, Heidi Berglund, and Emily Bush won the Section 2 Division 1 Girls Championship in the 4 x 800 relay. Genevieve Duchaussee won the Section 2 Division 1 Girls Championship in the shot put, and Mason Talarico won the Section 2 Division 1 Boys Championship in the 1,600-meter run.
Ballston Spa saw six athletes win Section 2 Division 2 Championships in a total of six events.
Scotties’ senior Isaiah Hannah captured the Section 2 Division 2 Boys Championship in both the 45-meter dash and the 50-meter hurdles, while Harriet Healey won sectional titles in both the 300-meter dash and the 600-meter run.
Healey was also a part of the Scotties’ sectional-winning 4 x 200 relay team, along with Petrina Zborovsky, Anna Zito, and Livia Wiltsie. Madalyn Wilson won the Section 2 Division 2 Girls Championship in the 1,500-meter race walk.
See below for a list of top finishers from both schools:
Saratoga Girls
The team of Anya Belisle, McKinley Wheeler, Heidi Berglund, and Emily Bush won the Section 2 Division 1 Championship in the 4 x 800 relay (10:06.35). Amelia McBain won the Section 2 Division 1 Championship in the pole vault (12’ 3”), also placing fifth in the 50-meter hurdles (8.37) and the triple jump (34’ 0.5”).
Sheridan Wheeler took home the Section 2 Division 1 title in the 3,000-meter run (10:12.33), with McKinley Wheeler in second (10:21.72) and Berglund fifth (10:59.59).
Genevieve Duchaussee won the Section 2 Division 1 title in the shot put (33’ 11”). McKinley Wheeler placed third in the 1,500-meter run (4:49.77), with Sheridan Wheeler in fourth (4:50.27).
Bush finished second in the 1,500-meter run (4:43.59) and third in the 1,000-meter run (3:04.70). Duchaussee placed third in the 300-meter dash (43.74) and seventh in the 600-meter run (1:45.92). Belisle finished fourth in the 1,000-meter run (3:05.55) and eighth in the 600-meter run (1:47.77), while Natalie Wilding took eighth in the 1,000-meter run (3:22.72).
Claire Braxton finished third in the pole vault (8’ 0”), while Leah Harden and Sloane Mulcahy tied for fourth in the high jump (4’ 8”). Lily Collins placed 10th in the 300-meter dash (47.85).
Saratoga Boys
Mason Talarico won the Section 2 Division 1 Championship in the 1,600-meter run (4:31.52). Owen Blaisdell took second place in the 1,000-meter run (2:46.26), while the team of Aidan Slavett, Nathaniel Providence, Alex Lansford, and Charles Dybala finished second in the 4 x 400 relay (3:54.80).
Ethan Straughter placed second in the long jump (19’ 8.75”) and sixth in the 45-meter dash (5.92), while Connor Varian finished third in the 300-meter dash (40.18). Thomas Isenovski took third place in the 3,200-meter run (10:13.42), with Hudson Shaw fifth (10:19.03) and Max Vogel in 10th (10:55.35).
Joao Dos Anjos Neto finished third in the pole vault (12’ 0”) and fifth in the long jump (18’ 6.5”), while Michael Briscoe placed fourth in the pole vault (10’ 0”). Dybala was fourth in the 600-meter run (1:34.30), with Gianangelo Lanza in sixth (1:36.41).
Caleb Yuhasz took sixth in the 1,600-meter run (4:56.32), while Evan Rando placed seventh in both the high jump (5’ 2”) and triple jump (37’ 1”). Samuel Bernd placed fourth in the shot put (39’ 3.5”), while Luke Dacey finished 10th in the 1,000-meter run (2:59.28).
Ballston Spa Girls
Harriet Healey won the Section 2 Division 2 Championship in the 300-meter dash (43.40) and the 600-meter run (1:45.53), also winning as part of the Scotties’ 4 x 200 relay team with Petrina Zborovsky, Anna Zito, and Livia Wiltsie (1:57.03).
Madalyn Wilson won the Section 2 Division 2 crown in the 1,500-meter race walk (10:26.67), also taking third in the 3,000-meter run (11:32.65). Wiltsie took third in the 45-meter dash (6.43), with Zborovsky fourth (6.47).
Zborovsky also placed seventh in the long jump (13’ 3.5”), with Ashley Beck sixth (14’ 0.75”). Zito finished seventh in the 50-meter hurdles (9.37) and ninth in the 300-meter dash (47.65).
Sarah Himmelwright finished second in the 1,500-meter racewalk (10:39.22), with Amy Taylor in third (10:39.46).
Ballston Spa Boys
Isaiah Hannah won the Section 2 Division 2 Championship in the 45-meter dash (5.74) and the 50-meter hurdles (7.18). Hannah, along with Kala’l Makanani, Alijah Burgess, and Michael Stamper, placed second in the 4 x 200 relay (1:45.07).
Makanani also finished second in the 300-meter dash (39.93) and ninth in the long jump (17’ 0.5”). Stamper placed third in the 45-meter dash (5.93), while Silas Bashant took fifth place in the 600-meter dash (1:35.56) with Jacob Armer (1:36.25) in eighth.
Armer also finished 10th in the 1,000-meter run (2:57.38), while Joseph Sabatino took seventh place in the high jump (5’ 2”). Joseph Fodera finished eighth in the 1,600-meter run (5:00.69), with Matthew Meerdink in 10th (5:07.48).
Schuylerville’s Macey Koval (12) looks to drive to the hoop during the Black Horses’ 57-52 win over Amsterdam on Feb. 1. Photo by Super Source Media Studios.
SCHUYLERVILLE — The Schuylerville varsity girls basketball team held on for a big 57-52 victory at home over Amsterdam on Friday, powered by 24 points from senior Macey Koval.
The Black Horses jumped out to an 18-13 lead after one quarter, but the Rams hung around, cutting the deficit to 32-29 at halftime. Schuylerville used a strong defensive third to push the lead back to six, and held on through the fourth for a 57-52 victory.
Koval led all scorers with 24 points in the win. Amanda Pflieger had 13 points for Schuylerville, hitting a trio of three-pointers, while Lauren King added nine points. Anika Buff had eight points, with Sophie Bodnar adding three points for the Black Horses.
Annika Fedullo led Amsterdam with 16 points in the loss. Felise Fowler added 11 points, while Natalee Agresta and Rosalie Sculco each had 10 points. Liana Brown added three points, while Sharazade Cooper had two points for the Rams.
Schuylerville turned its momentum into another win on Monday, cruising past Gloversville 56-30 on the road. The Black Horses are 10-8 overall, and have won five straight games.
Amsterdam hosted Broadalbin-Perth on Monday, falling 53-45. The Rams are 9-8 overall, and will play South Glens Falls in the Foothills Showcase on Feb. 12.
Photo provided by Schuylerville Central School District.
SCHENECTADY — The Schuylerville girls’ indoor track team won the Foothills League Championship at Union College on Jan. 22. Every athlete scored either individually or in a relay, while the team won 8 of the 16 events contested. In addition, several athletes broke Schuylerville school records throughout the season in various events.
The Black Horses girls’ team finished with a team score of 134 points, with second-place Scotia-Glenville finishing with 114 points.
“The team has put in a tremendous amount of work this season, often training in difficult weather conditions,” said Assistant Coach Justin Vianese. “They have approached every challenge with a positive attitude. Their efforts have enabled them to realize their goals, whether a personal record, school record, or team championship. It’s great to see the athletes believe in themselves and know their hard work has paid off.”
See below for results and records from the Schuylerville varsity track teams:
Kiera Rogan: Rogan holds the new school record for the 3000m, with a finishing time of 10:28:66. Rogan beat the previous record by 26 seconds during the Dec. 10 Tri County Indoor Track League Meet at Union College. Rogan also holds the new school record for the 1500m, with a finishing time of 4:50:83. Rogan beat the previous record by 15 seconds.
Nikki Stark: Nikki Stark set the new school record for the 50m hurdles with a time of 8.70. Stark broke the old record of 9.14 from 2016. Starks also holds the new school record for the 200m hurdles with a time of 30.24. Stark broke the previous record by more than 9 seconds at the Jan. 8 Ed Cepiel Invitational in Springfield, MA.
Ryan Stark: Ryan Stark holds the new school record for the indoor triple jump with a jump of 34’ 1”, eclipsing the old record of 34’ 1/2”. Stark beat the previous record at the Armory High School Holiday Classic in NYC on Dec. 29.
Meaghan Lynch: Meaghan Lynch set the new 45m school record with a time of 6.53 seconds. Lynch beat the previous record of 6.54 seconds at the Foothills League Championship at Union College on Jan. 22.
BURNT HILLS — Three Ballston Spa wrestlers earned first-place finishes in their respective weight classes, helping the Scotties capture the team championship at the 2023 Section 2 Division 1 Class 2 Tournament on Feb. 4.
Ballston Spa’s Ralph Keeney, Connor Gregory, and Darrien Insogna placed first in their respective weight classes, while Tristan Hinchcliff, Cameron Hinchcliff, William O’Connor, and Jacob Perkins finished as runner-ups in their weight classes.
Tyler Perkins placed third at 132 pounds, while Cole Donnelly placed third at 285 pounds. Quinton Warlikowski earned a fourth-place finish at 102 pounds, and James Capasso earned a fourth-place finish at 145 pounds. Gavin Whipple and Anthony Prastio each placed fifth in their weight classes.
All 13 wrestlers will head to the Section 2 Division 1 Championships this weekend at Cool Insuring Arena.
At 110 pounds, Keeney pinned all three of his opponents, defeating Amsterdam’s Breyana Montalvo in the quarterfinals, Queensbury’s A.J. Spero in the semifinals, and South Glens Falls’ Dylan Keech in the championship match.
Gregory, wrestling at 160 pounds, pinned Burnt Hills’ Andrew Martin in the quarterfinals and pinned Scotia-Glenville/Galway’s Alwalid Bourkia in the semifinals. Gregory earned a 3-0 decision over Queensbury’s Lucas Schell in the championship.
Insogna won at 215 pounds by pinning Burnt Hills’ Julian Goss in the semifinals, and pinning Averill Park’s Connor Byers in the championship match.
Tristan Hinchcliff advanced to the championship at 118 pounds by earning a 12-5 decision over Mohonasen’s Nico Rivera in the semifinals, falling to Burnt Hills’ Tyler Whiteley by a 5-2 decision. Cameron Hinchcliff pinned Ben Taylor (Burnt Hills) in the semifinals at 126 pounds, losing an 8-6 decision to Averill Park’s Jacob Hanlon in the championship.
O’Connor, wrestling at 138 pounds, won a 9-4 decision over Queensbury’s Timothy Paculavich in the semifinals, and was pinned by Burnt Hills’ Gabriel Goss in the championship. Jacob Perkins beat Thomas Pawlinga (Burnt Hills) by 5-3 decision in the semifinals at 172 pounds, losing a 3-2 tiebreaker decision to Averill Park’s Elias Goosmann in the championship.
The Scotties finished with the top overall team score at the tournament, with 248.5 points. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, the host school, was second with 243 points.
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.”
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:
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
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
