WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. October 16, 2003: Despite the League Championships starting early, the White Plains High Varsity Cross Country team got off their bus and jogged immediately to the starting line, no time to warmup, and off they went, as the League Championships started about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Despite not having a warmup, Senior Mike Smayda won the race with an 18:13:97 and his Sophomore running mate, Jeff Bergman finished third, at 18:47:02 on the 3.1 mile course giving White Plains a Third Place finish in the League Championships behind Scarsdale and Yorktown.
ONE AND THREE: Mike Smayda first place finisher (left) in the League 1B Sectional Championships Wednesday, with Third Place Finisher Jeff Bergman, right. Joanna Drucker of the Girls Varsity X-Country team congrats the boys. Smayda and Bergman were chosen for the "All-League Boys Cross Country Team" for their Performance this season. Kaylin Gilmartin-Donohue, Tamiko Younge, and Juliana Bailey of the Girls Cross Country Team were also named to the "All League Girls Cross Country Team."Photo by WPCNR Sports.
The Girls Varsity also finished third their strongest showing in several years with Eighth Grader Kaylin Gilmartin-Donohue finishing first at 21:33:56, Senior TamikoYounge finishing sixth 22:56.82, and Juliana Bailey 13th, at 23:39:09, in the field of 49 runners. Ursuline won it. Yorktown was second, and White Plains third.
K.K. ALL THE WAY: Kaylin Gilmartin-Donohue wins her sixth Cross Country Race, crossing the finish line at 21:33:56, despite taking a wrong turn on the course and falling 5 seconds behind at one point. Ms. Gilmartin-Donohue was named to the All League Cross Country Team. Photo by WPCNR Sports.
Smayda said the lack of a warmup did cause him to cramp up severely at the top of one of the hills on the Westchester Community College course. Other White Plains boys commented that the course was quite muddy in the woods, and that the wind resistance of the 30 to 40 knot breezes made balance and pace difficult. Because of the early start to the meet that was on the schedule for a 4:30 PM start, WPCNR could not photograph the boys race which was finishing when WPCNR arrived at 4:10 P.M.
TAMIKO YOUNGE NAILS 7TH in the Championship in a field of 49 Runners. Photo by WPCNR Sports.
This was the third meet that was run on the Westchester Community College course, and each meet has had organizational problems. At the first meet there, it started twenty minutes late. At the second meet, it started on time, but girls races were started too close to the boys races, and the finishers overlapped. And, at Wednesday’s meet, the action began early ahead of the scheduled time.
Another problem with the Westchester Community College Course is the scheduling of athletic events on the field where the races are started and finished. In Wednesday’s meet, this policy resulted in placing the finish line behind the bleachers, which had the effect of treating the cross country runners as not as important as the so-called major sport taking place on the field. There was plenty of room to finish the race alongside the athletic field.
The 2003 Varsity Girls Cross Country Team at the Start: L to R, Tamiko Younge, Juliana Bailey, Kaylin Gilmartin-Donohue, Akina Younge, Kirstin Smayda, Rachel Salazar and Joanna Drucker. The team turned in one of the strongest showings of a Girls Cross Country team in years, winning four meets with a team of only 7 girls. Juliana Bailey, Kaylin Gilmartin-Donohue and Tamiko Younge were named to the "Girls All League Cross Country Team." Photo by WPCNR Sports
THEY'RE OFF! A TYPICAL FAST START AT WEDNESDAY'S CHAMPIONSHIPS. Photo by WPCNR Sports
