Cross Country: Lee takes third place in state meet
Katherine Lee fell short in her attempt to win a second straight state championship on Saturday, but the Shoreham-Wading River High School sophomore came close, finishing third in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association girls cross-country championships.
North Shore senior Diana Vizza and John Jay Cross River senior Gemma Nuttal both completed the 5,000-meter course at Monroe-Woodbury High School in Woodbury, N.Y., before Lee in the Class B race. Vizza won in 18 minutes 15.6 seconds. Nuttal clocked a time of 18:45.0, and Lee punched in at 18:54.7.
Shoreham took second in the team scoring with 74 points, behind John Jay Cross River’s 55.
The six other Wildcats who ran were junior Alexandra Hays (15th place in 19:23.6), junior Maria Smith (39th in 20:14.0), senior Kaitlyn Ohrtman (53rd in 20:32.2), freshman Francesca Lilly (54th in 20:32.8), junior Amanda Dwyer (74th in 21:09.3) and freshman Lexie Smith (76th in 21:15.7).
In Class C, Mattituck junior Melanie Pfennig had a good showing, coming in ninth in 19:36.9. East Aurora senior Sophia Tasselmyer was the champion in 18:42.3.
Bishop McGann-Mercy senior Meg Tuthill took 31st in 20:44.4. Her teammate, junior Kaitlyn Butterfield, was 51st in 21:29.7. Another McGann-Mercy runner, junior Tori Barlow, finished 59th in 21:50.4.
Mattituck, which ranked seventh in the team scoring with 163 points, had six other runners compete in addition to Pfennig. Payton Maddaloni, an eighth grader, came in 56th in 21:44.9. She was later followed to the finish line by teammates Sascha Rosin (72nd in 22:05.7), Audrey Hoeg (86th in 22:26.9), Meg Dinizio (103rd in 23:03.2), Mia Vasile-Cozzo (104th in 23:07.3) and Maddie Schmidt (105th in 23:09.1).
GODFREY FINISHES 29TH Shoreham-Wading River senior Mike Godfrey, competing in his third state meet, turned in a time of 17:10.7, bringing him 29th place in the boys Class B race. Carthage junior Noah Affolder was the winner in 15:57.2.
Southold junior Owen Klipstein ran in the state meet for the fourth year in a row. He finished 42nd in Class D in 18:12.9. The Class D champion was East Rochester senior Dawson Bathgate, who turned in a time of 16:29.0.
Photo: Shoreham-Wading River sophomore Katherine Lee failed to retain her state title, taking third place in the girls Class B race on Saturday. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk, file)
