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.
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.”
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:
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 — 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
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.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs varsity hockey team continued to roll on Friday, winning its fifth straight game with a 5-1 victory over Albany Academy at home.
The Blue Streaks scored in the opening minute and never looked back en route to the win, powered by a hat trick from senior forward Charlie Oke. Oke scored the game’s first goal just 38 seconds in, assisted by Payton Borak and Jake Badar, to give Saratoga a 1-0 lead.
Just over five minutes later, Oke finished another chance, also assisted by Badar and Borak, to make it 2-0. In the second period, Andrew Nelsen beat Cadet goaltender Jackson Bissell to extend the lead to 3-0. Oke quickly followed that up with his third goal, extending the Blue Streaks’ lead to 4-0.
With 4:51 left in the second period, Max Flik broke in and scored to get the Cadets on the board, cutting Saratoga’s lead to 4-1 after two. The Blue Streaks responded, however, with a third-period goal by Patrick Temple pushing the lead back to four. Saratoga held strong in the final minutes to seal a 5-1 victory.
Oke scored three goals in the win, recording his first high school hat trick. Borak had three assists, while Badar and Daniel Klochaney each had two assists. Temple and Nelsen scored goals, while Frank Klaus added an assist. Matt Barber made 10 saves on 11 shots in goal, earning the win for the Blue Streaks.
SCHENECTADY — Five local runners took home Suburban Council Indoor Track Championships in their respective events at the Suburban Council Championship Meet at Union College on Saturday.
Saratoga’s Emily Bush won the Suburban Council Girls’ Championship in the 1500-meter run, while McKinley Wheeler won the league title 3000-meter run. Genevieve Duchaussee took home the crown in the shot put, and Amelia McBain earned the league title in the pole vault.
Ballston Spa’s Isaiah Hannah won the Suburban Council Boys’ Championship in the 45-meter dash and the 50-meter hurdles.
As a team, the Saratoga girls’ squad placed second, with the boys’ team in 14th. The Ballston Spa girls’ team placed ninth, while the boys’ team finished 5th.
See below for top 10 finishers from local schools:
Saratoga girls (2nd place, 86 points)
Emily Bush won the 1500-meter run (4:49.59), and also placed second in the 3000-meter run (10:32.39). McKinley Wheeler won the 3000-meter (10:16.39). Genevieve Duchaussee won the shot put (32’ 5”), placed second in the 300-meter dash (43.59), and sixth in the 45-meter hurdles (7.98).
Anya Belisle placed second in both the 1000-meter run (3:08.34) and the 1500-meter run (4:51.32). Amelia McBain won the pole vault (11’ 6”), with Claire Braxton in third. McBain also placed eighth in the 45-meter hurdles (8.27) and 10th in the 45-meter dash (6.74).
Leah Harden took third in the high jump (4’ 8”) and was also a member of the 4 x 200 relay team that placed fifth (Lily Collins, Annabelle Schuck, Harden, and Tess Shields recorded a time of 2:04.74). Collins also placed seventh in the 300-meter dash (47.49), while Schuck took eighth in the 45-meter dash (6.71).
Saratoga boys (14th place, 4 points)
Michael Briscoe placed fourth in the pole vault (9’ 0”). In the 1600-meter run, Othmane Kerroum (4:59.21) took seventh, while Walker Chapman (5:00.42) placed eighth.
The team of Ian Hancock, Gianangelo Lanza, Alex Lansford, and Gurkaran Singh finished seventh in the 4 x 400 relay (4:13.23). The team of Briscoe, Matt Salway, Parker Wilcox, and Orion Lansing placed 10th in the 4 x 200 relay (1:52.45). Billy Thobae finished 10th in the shot put (38’ 5”).
Ballston Spa girls (9th place, 10 points)
Petrina Zborovsky placed fourth in the 45-meter dash (6.53), while Gabrielle Bozeth finished fourth in the 300-meter dash (45.62) and seventh in the 45-meter (6.57). Zborovsky and Bozeth, along with Anna Zito and Candace Warlikowski, placed seventh in the 4 x 200 relay (2:05.24).
Madalyn Wilson took sixth in the 3000-meter run (11:38.39). Wilson was also part of the 4 x 800 relay team, along with Kate Taylor, Lee McKinley, and Ashley Beck, placing sixth (11:31.76). Beck also placed ninth in the long jump (13’ 7.5”), while Olivia Winters took ninth in the weight throw (21’ 1.5”).
Ballston Spa boys (5th place, 44 points)
Isaiah Hannah won the 45-meter dash (5.77) and the 50-meter hurdles (7.41). Hannah was also a member of the 4 x 200 relay team, along with Zachary Simmons, Kala’l Makanani, and Michael Stamper, taking third place (1:45.96).
Makanani placed second in the 300-meter dash (40.09), and fifth in the long jump (17’ 9.5”). Joseph Fodera took third place in the 3200-meter run (10:29.60), with Evan Wattie eighth (11:10.22). Wattie, along with Andrew Peet, Michael Miller, and Matthew Meerdink, placed seventh in the 4 x 800 relay (9:49.17).
Brandon Russell took sixth in the weight throw (40’ 7.5”), while Joseph Sabatino took seventh in the high jump (4’ 9”). Silas Bashant was sixth in the 600-meter run (1:36.49), with Jacob Armer seventh (1:38.79). Armer, Wattie, Zachary Simmons, and Miller placed 10th in the 4 x 400 relay (4:23.27).
Simmons also placed 10th in the 300-meter dash (42.19). Michael Stamper finished 10th in the 45-meter dash (6.09).
BALLSTON SPA — To say the Ballston Spa varsity wrestling team had a good week would be quite the understatement.
The Scotties captured their first-ever Section 2 Dual Meet Championship on Tuesday, beating Saratoga Springs and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake for the Division 1 team crown and a spot at the Dual Meet State Championships. The following day, Ballston Spa honored its six seniors, and retiring coaches, during a 56-14 win over Bethlehem.
The Scotties’ six seniors are: Darrien Insogna, Connor Gregory, Cameron Hinchcliff, Tristan Hinchcliff, Anthony Prastio, and Brennan Livingston.
“Honestly, I think we couldn’t have had it at a better time, being that we just won the sectional championship,” said Insogna of the Senior Night festivities. “We all had our white championship shirts on, we all were getting hyped behind the mat. The JV started off strong, the varsity finished it, and I think we all just put it together tonight.”
Head varsity coach Harvey Staulters said the team’s seniors are “wonderful people” who have stepped up as leaders for the Scotties’ squad.
“And that’s what’s helped us so much this year, is their leadership,” Staulters said. “They made everybody in the program better. They’ve made us, as coaches, better.”
But the Senior Night victory was not only the final home match for the Ballston Spa seniors, but also for coaches Harvey and Gene Staulters.
The duo both wrestled at Ballston Spa under Vince Johnson, who coached the varsity team for 29 years and was inducted into the Section 2 Hall of Fame in 2011. Harvey Staulters coached the Scotties’ JV team under Johnson for 13 years, eventually taking over the varsity role after Johnson’s retirement. He has served as the Ballston Spa varsity coach for 22 seasons.
Staulters said entering the Ballston Spa gym for the final time was “a wonderful feeling.”
“Doing things in Ballston Spa, giving back to Ballston Spa, which gave me so much, gave my family so much,” said Staulters. “It’s just a wonderful feeling to be back here and finish off.”
The team’s seniors also had plenty of praise for their coaches, with Tristan Hinchcliff saying they are “the best coaches I could’ve ever wanted.”
“They’re everything and more. They’re great role models, they taught us respect,” said Tristan Hinchcliff. “They’ve been really the best, most respectful people I’ve ever met in my entire life. They’re amazing. I love them. I couldn’t ask for better coaches.”
“They’re more than just coaches,” added Cameron Hinchcliff.
Insogna said the Staulters’ have made “a tremendous impact” on him, saying Gene Staulters suggested pulling Insogna up to the varsity squad as an eighth-grader.
“They pulled me up, I was in the lineup back and forth,” Insogna said. “I had like a 50-50 record, but still, I was getting matches, getting mat time. They definitely made me the man I am today.”
Harvey Staulters emphasized that the program is “all about the kids,” saying he was surprised to see a large number of former wrestlers in attendance on Wednesday.
“See all the alums that were here? It surprised the heck out of me,” said Staulters. “We really are about the kids. We want to see them do well. We want to see them become great citizens and productive members of society. That’s really what we want, and wrestling is the vehicle with which we can get them there.”
And it only seems natural that Staulters’ final season as coach is with one of his strongest teams yet. Staulters said he’ll walk out of the Scotties’ gym with “very little regret.”
“Knowing that I’ll walk out of this building with very little regret, because we’ve done so many great things this year,” Staulters said. “But we’ve done them throughout the years. You take young men and women, and you just get them to become the best they can possibly be.”
The emotionally-charged night for the Scotties came just one night after the team won its first-ever Section 2 Division 1 Dual Meet Championship, at their home gym, no less.
“This place was rocking (that) night. It was so loud,” Staulters said. “I’ve never heard it this loud before. When we finally finished them off, Burnt Hills, and we knew we couldn’t lose, this place was just on fire. There was no one sitting. It was amazing.”
Cameron Hinchcliff said “everything planned out great” during the Scotties’ Dual Meet victories.
“The match couldn’t have gone any better,” said Cameron Hinchcliff of the Dual Meet. “We got pins where we weren’t supposed to, we got big wins from that match.”
“And everyone played their part,” added Tristan Hinchcliff, noting that a major decision victory by junior Jacob Perkins gave the Scotties an extra point in what was an eventual one-point victory.
“Every little piece of that mattered,” Tristan Hinchcliff continued. “Gavin’s pin, Cameron’s pin, Ralphie’s pin. All the pieces connect, and that’s really what the coaches do. They put all the little pieces together to form a great team.”
And Ballston Spa followed up the monumental win with another victory the following night, defeating Bethlehem 56-14. Staulters said he worked on getting the team refocused after the events of the previous night.
“Trying to get them re-focused after last night, because last night was a mindblower,” said Staulters. “I couldn’t even speak last night. To get them refocused, take care of this business.”
And with the night honoring both the team’s seniors and coaches, it was a night of reflection for the Scotties squad.
“I moved here in ninth grade, and it felt like where I was always supposed to have been,” Cameron Hinchcliff said. “It just feels like my home. I want to do everything I can for this program.”
“This team, and I say it all the time to everyone that asks me, it’s the dream team,” said Insogna. “Last year, we had no seniors, so we had the same kids coming up. We were all around each other. … We just had that bond, we all wanted to win and we all wanted to get better, and we do it every day in the practice room.”
Tristan Hinchcliff added that “it’s awesome” to be involved with the community that surrounds the Scotties’ wrestling program.
“It’s just so amazing to be involved in this community, and involved with the coaches and all my teammates, and just work with them every single day,” Tristan Hinchcliff added. “I love it. It’s awesome, it’s amazing.”
But while Wednesday was a celebration of seniors, coaches, and champions, there is still more work to be done for the Ballston Spa team. The team competed at the Commodore Wrestling Tournament in Vergennes, Vermont, and took first place over the weekend, with Connor Gregory winning Most Outstanding Wrestler.
The Scotties traveled for another match against Burnt Hills on Thursday, and will take the squad to Syracuse on Saturday for the NYSPHSAA Dual Meet State Championships.
Then, the team will compete in the Section 2 Class B Tournament at Burnt Hills on Feb. 4. Staulters said the team will look to continue improving, and said he is excited to take the team to Syracuse.
“I want to take those guys out to Syracuse, and let’s give it a run, see what happens, right?,” said Staulters. “We’ve got to keep improving, and we’ve got to keep adjusting and getting better, so that everybody contributes something to our success.”
“I think we all are getting the hang of it now, and we’re all going to start working on little technique stuff,” Insogna said. “We only go an hour in practice now, just get things done.”
“I’m just purely excited,” said Tristan Hinchcliff. “I’m ready for it, our team’s ready, our coaches are excited. I’m just happy to be taking that next step as a team.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs High School junior Theresa Prehn is currently a competing member of the USA Luge Junior Candidate Team. Having first been named to the Olympic Development team in seventh grade, she has been diligently training over the years to move up the ranks.
Due to her efforts and persistence, Theresa was invited last summer to train with the Junior National Team. She lived at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid through all of July and August, while working at the Big Slide Brewery to help offset local training costs.
Theresa’s winter season began in November, with relaxed COVID travel restrictions making overseas travel finally possible. In order to make the international travel team, lugers needed to finish in the top 5 places at an Olympic venue race.
On day two of competition, Theresa produced a personal best time on her final run, which resulted in a 3rd place finish for the day. A true underdog, she earned her spot and left for Europe two days later, just before Thanksgiving.
The team spent two weeks in Sigulda, Latvia, trying to learn their first foreign luge track. The technical track put them through their paces, and ultimately only two men were able to compete on race day. The five women individuals and three doubles teams did not make the cut.
The Youth ‘A’ level teams as a whole fared much better in Bludenz, Austria during the following two weeks. After participating in two training sessions a day, all of the American individuals qualified to slide against the 10 other nations in the European Continental Cup race.
Prehn was the USA womens’ best finisher, in 14th place. The team travels next to Whistler, British Columbia and then Park City, Utah before the February break in training.
In addition to sliding down the mountains, Prehn also runs with the Saratoga Springs’ immensely successful girls track and cross-country teams.
