Pawling Cross Country is a state power in New York
By John M. Benson
September 10, 2007
Next Home Meet: Tuesday, September 18 at Lakeside Park
The Pawling boys’ cross country team posted a phenomenal second place finish at the State Championships at Warwick Valley in 2006. The team earned the right to go to States with their Section I Championship, after claiming the League Championship for 2006.
Colby Delbene led the Tigers with his own individual second place finish at the State Championships, losing only after a dramatic stretch run battle with Tom Reuben of Wilson High School. Delbene is back for the 2007 campaign, stronger and faster and well conditioned for his challenge for the Individual State Championship.
Coach Jack Power has such a solid program, that he has runners Tom Brogan, Jon Nash and Kyle Dulitz to fill in behind DelBene and get his team ready to repeat as Section One Champions and take the trip back to the State Championships as a team.
The Lady Tigers have improved steadily over the years, and with the addition of Caitlin Jelinek and Winona Mold to run with a solid group of veterans, Pawling is poised to challenge for an improvement on the already respectable 2006 second place finish at the League Championships and fourth place finish at the Section Championships. Returning Lady Tigers include Kim Jones, Teresa Herrera, Jamie Hom and Erin Bonthron.
With all the accomplishments of recent years, coach Power challenged his runners when he told the Herald last week, “I think up front we will be stronger with both the girls and the boys. The whole team has a great attitude. These are just kids who want to run and compete, and it is fun, it is fun working with a bunch of kids where everybody on the team is on the same page, everybody wants to work and wants to do well.”
With a 2006 Section I Championship and a second place at the States, and second place for Delbene, and a second place League finish and fourth place Section I for the girls, how are the Tigers going to be improved in 2007?
Power explained, “Colby Delbene and Tom Brogan are going to be excellent, Jon Nash is going to take over where Rafael Stabe was, so I think 1-2-3 we are going to be better. Colby is better, Tom Brogan is probably about where Reid McGrath was last year, and Jon is going to be where Rafael was last year.
“The issue is the fourth and fifth, the fourth and fifth runners are going to have to develop. We have six or seven guys fighting for that, including the two juniors Brett Martini and Chris Bonnano. We have Tim Yu and Alex Marazzella who are looking looking good. Out of that bunch, two will develop. Last night, Martini and Yew looked very good in the workout, so we will see.
“For the girls this year, Caitlin Jelinek is probably going to be number one, and Winona Mold looks very good, so we have a very good 1-2 with those two girls who are new to the program this year. At 3-4-5, we have Jamie Hom, Erin Bonthron and Kim Jones, who are all very strong and very experienced. We also have Teresa Herrera, who is working very hard and will be a solid back-up, as well as Kristen Scutieri who ran with us two years ago and is back with us.
“So with our girls, you have a new and very strong 1-2 with a very strong and experienced 3-4-5, and eventually Amanda Miller is going to be very strong as well. Amanda didn’t understand the off-season conditioning that is needed, but she knows that and she will be there, because she is a very good runner.
“I don’t know if we are going to be strong enough to beat Bronxville in the girls’ competition, but we will be able to run with anybody, able to challenge anyone this year.
“We have a really good group of modified athletes for boys, five or six boys who look very good, good athletes. So, they are going to be tough, and that is nice. We had only one modified cross country runner last year, and this year we have five or six outstanding runners. They are going to be very strong.”
The Roster:
Seniors Tom Brogan, Colby Delbene, Kim Jones, Jon Nash
Juniors Chris Bonnano, Erin Bonthron, Kyle Dulitz, Jamie Hom, Brett Martini, Alex Marazzella, Brian Durkin
Sophomores Pat Callan, Chris Carey, Teresa Herrera, Caitlin Jelinek, David Mayette, Amanda Miller, Winona Mold, Keith Monahan, Ben Nagasing, Travis Scavone, Tim Yu, Ian Lyons
Freshman Bobby Swick
Eighth Graders Natalie Bonthron, Brady McGee
Seventh Graders Matthew Jorgensen, Liam McGrath, Taylor Souter, Kevin Nash, Colin Souter
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