CBA NJ boys, Niskayuna NY girls win Varsity I titles

By DyeStat

Christian Brothers Academy, the No. 1 team in the Northeast region, scored 73 points to win the Varsity I race Saturday at the Bowdoin Park Classic in New York. 

Temperatures rose to the mid-80s, making conditions a bit more difficult for the second section of varsity races. Saint John's of Massachusetts scored 53 points to win the Varsity II race. 

PHOTO GALLERIES - BOYS | GIRLS | RESULTS 

CBA's combined overall time was 1:23:56. Saint John's ran 1:25:29 in the warmer weather.

Devin Hart of Pt. Pleasant Boro NJ ran 15:58.5 for the fastest time of the day in the Varsity I race. He was seven seconds up on Brian Hill, of CBA, who was second. 

"I wanted to take the legs out of everyone early," Hart said. 

Hill said he and his CBA teammates expected to run even better.

"Today, I think we're all pretty disappointed," Hill said. The Colts had runners place 12th (Tim McInerney, 16:47.1) and 16th (Ryan Miele, 16:52.4). "It's obvious we have a lot of work to do to get to (NXN) nationals and to win at nationals. We're definitely going to come out a little hungry next week."

William Hare of Princeton ran 16:25.3 to win the Varsity II race. 

"Our goal is to stay together," said Saint John's senior Joshua Rahn, who finished second to Hare. "We want to listen to our bodies, make sure we're healthy, and stay healthy. It's possible (that we'll be a contender at NXN Northeast 2017)."

Saint John's went 2-4-6 on the way to its victory.

For Princeton, which followed a "surreal" win at the New Jersey Meet of Champions in 2016 with a disappointing seventh-place finish at NXN Northeast last year, it's a shot at redemption.

"For us it's not about winning the dual meets or the invitationals," Hare said. "We want to be ready when the weather is cold and the leaves turn red."

Sarah Trainor of FDR NY pulled away over the last 800 meters to win the Varsity I girls race in 18:51.6. Abigail Spiers of Niskayuna was second in 18:56.5. Both of them were more than 45 seconds clear of the third-place finisher.

"(Spiers) was really good," Trainor said. "I was able to keep her off. By the last hill I started pulling away."

Niskayuna edged Pearl River 56-63 to win the team competition. 

In the Varsity II race, James Madison VA won it with 67 points, led by Elizabeth Wu's fifth-place effort. Aziza Chigatayeva of Brooklyn Tech ran 19:00.8 for the overall win. 

- Brian Towey contributed to this report