Jonathon Norcross
Ballston Spa High School Expands Offerings for 2024/25
BALLSTON SPA — Are you ready to rock? At the January 17 Board of Education meeting, Ballston Spa High School Principal Matthew Robinson discussed upcoming courses that will be offered for the 2024-2025 school year, including one called History of Rock. The course, along with several others that resulted from conversations with teachers and students, is designed to achieve the school’s goal of delivering “a meaningful diploma for all students.”
According to Robinson, the music department will be offering a rock history course in which “students will study rock music through performance and composition.” Enrollees will be required to play the guitar, bass, and drums. Robinson said that the “fun, engaging” course could appeal to students who are interested in music but don’t want to participate in band, chorus, or orchestra.
As part of the school’s efforts to combat the decline in physical education participation that began during the COVID-19 pandemic, the PE department will offer Lifetime Yoga and Strength in Motion classes. In Lifetime Yoga, “students will learn the history of yoga, stances, poses, and the many aspects of yoga as a practice.” Students will also be expected to create and demonstrate their own yoga routines. The Strength in Motion course is “essentially a weightlifting course for athletes,” according to Robinson, but any student can participate if interested.
The English Language Arts department will be offering the senior elective Today’s Issues: Fiction and Nonfiction. Students will read and analyze current events and “actively participate in civic discourse,” according to Robinson.
Additionally, the school will offer a CHS Intermediate Algebra course that will act as a college prep math course for students desirous of something more rigorous than Math Applications. Robinson also said that the 2024-2025 school year will be a pilot year for an Advanced Science designation.
Skidmore Dining Team Wins Gold Medal
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Skidmore College dining team has won its eighth gold medal at the American Culinary Federation Conference and Competition. Nine teams, including Princeton University, Cornell University, and the Rochester Institute of Technology, participated in the event. Chefs were required to prepare three-course menus and buffet platters using ingredients from a “market basket.” A panel of chefs judged the results.
The competition will be the last for executive chef Jim Rose, who is retiring this year after nearly two decades at Skidmore. “Chef Rose is one of the driving forces behind organizing this event and in helping us train for it, so we’re really glad to have this win in his honor,” said Director of Dining Services Mark Miller in a statement. “I’m proud of our Skidmore team and this achievement. But it’s not just about winning — I’m proud of the work that we do and meals we serve every day to our students,” Miller said.
Section 2 Champions: Saratoga Wrestlers Off to States
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs varsity wrestling team was crowned Section 2 champions last Thursday, defeating Averill Park in the semifinals, and then Burnt Hills in the finals. The Blue Streaks will now head to Syracuse this weekend to compete in the dual meet state championships.
Coach Jake Zanetti said the title win was “not the type of thing you just flash-in-the-pan win randomly one year. That was a total program effort for years in the making; youth to modified to JV to varsity.” Zanetti credited assistant coach and youth head coach Brendon Polcare with developing young talent. “We’ve got solid coaching at every single level and the kids are taking advantage of it,” Zanetti said.
In the matchups against Averill Park and Burnt Hills, Zanetti said the team’s “studs did their job; they went out there and they took care of business.” In the first match of the night, Hayden Passaretti struggled early but came back in the final seconds to score a victory. Taylor Beaury, who was sidelined with an injury earlier this season, has been undefeated since returning to action. The Blue Streaks defeated Averill Park 50-10, and then beat Burnt Hills 40-26.
“I don’t think we knew we were going to win as much as we did, especially in the semifinals,” Zanetti said. “We really brought it against Averill Park and then just kind of kept the momentum going through the Burnt Hills match in the finals.”
As the team prepares for its trip to Syracuse, a balance is being struck between having realistic expectations but also being ready to compete. “We’re not going to go in on a victory cruise, just happy to be there, just content to be there,” Zanetti said. “We want to go to compete, and we know we can hang with the best teams, but we’re not putting too much pressure on the boys.”
The dual meet state championships are on Saturday at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse.
Schuylerville’s Sherman Shatters School Scoring Record
HUDSON FALLS — Schuylerville star Luke Sherman shattered his school’s all-time boys basketball scoring record with 22 points against Hudson Falls on Tuesday. With a long three-pointer in the third quarter, Sherman reached 1,318 points, surpassing Eric Stover’s 1,317-point record set in 1978. The Schuylerville Black Horses went on to win the game, 46 to 43.
The all-time scoring record for both boys and girls basketball stands at 1,566, set by Carol Cheney in 1986.
Adirondack United Continue Undefeated Streak
GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack United girls hockey team continued its undefeated streak with a pair of shutout victories against Malone and Saranac Lake/Lake Placid this month. Then the squad added two more wins in Syracuse last weekend. The team is now 12-0 on the season.
Against Malone, Bayley Duffy reached the 100 career point mark after less than two full seasons of play. Duffy and Lillian Willis both finished with a hat trick and three assists, while Tekla Fine-Lease added two goals. Lucy Plifscofsky also earned her first varsity goal.
The 10-0 victory against Saranac Lake/Lake Placid featured a hat trick from Aubrey Lozier, 4 assists by Gianna Marcantonio, and Emma Lemery’s first varsity goal. Goaltenders Katelin Archer and Aurora Graham-Hayes combined to stop 10 shots for yet another shutout.
Last weekend, the United won two more games in Syracuse, a 6-0 victory against the Skaneateles Lakers on Friday, and an 8-1 win against Oswego on Saturday. Aubrey Lozier and Bayley Duffy both recorded hat tricks against Skaneateles. Against Oswego, goaltender Katelin Archer stopped 10 shots.
Adirondack Thunder Win 11 Straight
GLENS FALLS —The Adirondack Thunder have won 11 straight games, starting with a 5-4 victory against the Newfoundland Growlers on December 30 and culminating with a 5-2 win against the Trois-Rivières Lions on January 20. The team will have an opportunity to continue its streak this weekend with three home games at the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls.
The Adirondack Thunder are in the midst of one of their most successful seasons in years. The team is atop the ECHL North Division for the first time since November 2019. Their winning percentage currently stands at 0.750.
Saratoga Cross-Country Champions Celebrated by Education Board
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs High School girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams were formally recognized and celebrated by the Board of Education at a meeting on January 11.
Dr. Michael Patton, Superintendent of Schools, said that “the teamwork and comradery and really the year-round effort that our student-athletes put into our running program is just an incredible accomplishment.” Patton said that the board meeting was “truly a special night to have both our boys and girls here together to be celebrated for this wonderful accomplishment.”
The state champion girls’ team was introduced by their coach, Linda Kranick. “This team went on to win the Federation meet, which is yet another state championship and that’s the best of the best in New York State and [the team] finished number six in the United States this year at Nike Cross-Country National Championship,” Kranick said. “I personally want to thank all the parents, both boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams, because you’re out there in the roughest weather supporting your sons and daughters and we really appreciate it.”
Boys’ coach Shane Zanetti introduced his team and praised them for setting “a culture and tradition that’s going to continue for the next few years.”
At the NYSPHSAA Class A championship in November, the girls’ team captured the team title for the fifth straight year, and senior Emily Bush won the Section 2 individual title. A week later, the girls’ team won the Federation Cross Country Championships.
The boys’ team won the Class A championship in a tiebreaker, marking their first team title since 2012. They finished third at the Nike Cross Country Regional Qualifier, just one spot away from a trip to the national championship.
Yankees Sign Local Infielder
East Greenbush/ New York City — The New York Yankees have signed infielder Kevin Smith, a native of East Greenbush, to a minor league deal. Smith played in 49 games with the Oakland Athletics last year, finishing with a career-best OPS of .546. He also played with the Athletics in 2022 and saw 36 plate appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021.
Smith graduated from Columbia High School in East Greenbush, about ten minutes outside of Albany. After playing at the University of Maryland, College Park, he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 MLB draft by Toronto.
Saratoga Hall of Famer Interviews for NFL Head Coaching Job
Saratoga Springs/ Atlanta — Anthony Weaver, a former Saratoga Springs High School football player and member of the Blue Streaks Hall of Fame, interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons’ head coaching position on Sunday. While at Saratoga, Weaver won the National Football Foundation scholar-athlete award. He’s also a member of the Capital Region Hall of Fame.
Weaver is currently the assistant head coach and defensive line coach for the Baltimore Ravens. He has 12 years of coaching experience, including stints with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, and Houston Texans. Prior to coaching, he played as a defensive end for the Ravens and Texans. He was a second-round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.
According to ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, the Washington Commanders have also requested to interview Weaver for their head coaching job.
Racing Hall of Fame Updates Review Process
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is overhauling its review process. Starting this year, the Historic Review Committee will only consider candidates for induction if they were active during a specific era. In prior years, the committee considered all candidates throughout racing history, as long as they had been out of competition for more than 25 years.
In 2024, only pre-1900 horses, jockeys, and trainers will be candidates for induction. In 2025, the period of 1900 through 1959 will be reviewed. In 2026, the 1960-2000 era will be up for consideration. Then in 2027, the process will cycle back to pre-1900. Each year, the Historic Review Committee is able to select a maximum of three inductees. All inductees need 75% approval from the committee.
“Based on feedback from members of the various Hall of Fame committees and the committee chairs, I believe these changes will make for a more effective evaluation process for historic candidates being considered for the Hall of Fame,” said Brien Bouyea, the Museum’s Hall of Fame Communications Director, in a statement. “These specialized review committees will no longer have to compare candidates from vastly different eras. Evaluating the achievements of a horse or human from before 1900 alongside one from perhaps a century later is an apples vs. oranges exercise that we wanted to improve upon.”
This year’s pre-1900 Historic Review Committee will include Michael Veitch, Edward L. Bowen, Ken Grayson, Jennifer Kelly, Dorothy Ours, Josh Pons, Mary Simon, and Gary West. The 2024 Hall of Fame class will be announced in late April.
For more on The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame visit racingmuseum.org.
