North needs fifth runner to step up
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Dave Johnson, far left, Chris Deptula, and Jon Adler will captain Williamsville North's varsity boys cross country team this fall. All three ran on the Spartans' Section VI championship team last year. Photo by John Rusac

If Williamsville North's varsity boys cross country team is to have as much success as last year's squad, they need some help from its fifth runner. The question is - who will it be?

Spartans coach Greg Stang hopes senior Miah Hildreth, sophomores Joe Seitz or Michael Thielman or freshman Ryan Perry can step up and fill the crucial spot.

"They have to improve their times throughout the season," said Stang. "If they can bring their times down 15 seconds per mile, 45 seconds total, they could step into the fifth or sixth man spot for us."

Stang has seen what can happen when a team does not have solid fifth runner. At last year's Section VI Championships, North ended Lockport's four-year stranglehold on the Class AA title because the Lions' No. 5 runner came in 35th.

"That's why we won," said Stang. "Our fifth person finished fifteenth. In cross country, your team is only as good as your fifth man.... I've got a great group of four guys who are running super up front but I don't want to fall into the problem that Lockport had last year where their fifth man was 25 places behind."

"The number five man is huge," said senior Jon Adler, who along with fellow seniors Dave Johnson and Chris Deptula and junior Geoff Hurley, comprise the Spartans' top four runners. "The top four men could finish one, two, three, four but if that fifth man doesn't finish high enough, we're not going to win. We need the fifth man to step up. Whoever it is on our team is capable of doing it and our belief is that they will do it."

Adler, Johnson and Deptula are tri-captains and varsity tested. Adler and Johnson have been on varsity since freshman year while Deptula enters his third year. Adler, Johnson, and Deptula were in North's starting lineup which competed as a team at last year's New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championships. Hurley was an alternate.

Stang said Hurley's times have dropped considerably because of offseason work, specifically from the Aim High Running Camp at Camp Aldersgate in Brantingham, N.Y. this summer. Adler and North girls co-captain Kaila Raybuck also attended the camp, where college coaches and former Olympians taught runners about race strategy, proper workouts and nutrition.

"I knew I had three very strong runners coming into this season and Geoff came out of camp and has shown me that he can run right with Chris and Jon," said Stang. "That was a huge step up for Geoff. He didn't make the top seven last year, he was our eighth runner, and just was determined to do well this fall. Now he's running the three man very solid."

Stang said he would run Adler, Deptula, Johnson, and Hurley together in an effort to better the team's score.

"The more you can bunch these kids in, if they can run at a faster pace and you have the talent, the better your team is going to be score wise, especially in the bigger meets," said Stang.

Also on the roster are senior third-year runner Nate Carbrey, junior third-year runners Max Eisenbaum and Evan Holme, sophomore second-year runner Aaron Stramaglia, and freshmen Tom Calandra, Nathan Chertack, Robert Golightly and Andy Laduca.

Stang said his team, which went undefeated in Section VI last year and ranked No.1 in Western New York Large Schools from October on, will be hunted.

"I told them they basically have bullseyes on the back of their uniforms," said Stang. "Good teams like Clarence and Lancaster will be going after us to beat us. I've told them they have to get prepared mentally to run a tough race. I know my top four can do it because they've been through this type of pressure."

"We're pretty even with talent," he added. "It's going to come down to heart and who wants to win it the most on that day." North, ranked No. 2 among

WNY Large Schools, will be tested early in league play when they travel to Akron Falls Park on Sept. 26 to face No. 1 ranked Clarence.

"That will be a very good test to see where we are," said Stang.

North 2006 Schedule 9-26 at Clarence (Akron Falls Park) 4:45 p.m. 9-30 at McQuaid Invitational TBA 10-3 at Frontier............ 4:45 p.m. 10-6 Town of Amherst Championships (Sweet Home) 4:30 p.m. 10-10 Lancaster, Sweet Home (Bassett Park).............. 4:45 p.m. 10-17 Orchard Park, W.S. West (Bassett Park).............. 4:30 p.m. 10-28 ECICs (East Aurora High School) .................................. TBA 11-3 Section VI Championships (Elma Meadows) ................. TBA

Amherst Central

With the top five runners graduated, it's a rebuilding year for the Tigers.

"We have a lot of young runners and we'll see how they develop by the end of the season," said Amherst coach Bob O'Donnell. "That's what going to be the motivating factor. Then we'll see if there are any surprise runners."

Seniors Andy Wong and Billy Wieczorek are the team captains. Senior Nick Reynolds and juniors Jeremy Jones Andy Taube and Sam Huoh also return. Senior Kevin Kelly returns to the team after running his sophomore year.

Senior Robin Morace, sophomores Elliott Bible and Alejandro Carbonara, and freshmen Devon Clark, Steve Dalton, Patrick Donovan and Tim Drozda are new to the team.

Amherst 2006 Schedule 9-23 at East Aurora Invitational (East Aurora High School) TBA 9-26 South (Grover Cleveland Golf Course)................. 4:30 p.m. 9-30 at McQuaid Invitational TBA 10-3 at Hamburg w/Lake Shore (Chestnut Ridge Park) 4:30 p.m. 10-6 Town of Amherst Championships (Sweet Home) 4:30 p.m. 10-10 at W.S. East w/Iroquois (W.S. East High School)......... 4:30 p.m. 10-14 at Alden Invitational (Alden High School) ........................ TBA 10-17 at Starpoint w/East (Starpoint High School)...... 4:30 p.m. 10-21 at Clarence Invitational (Akron Falls Park) .............. TBA 10-28 ECICs (East Aurora High School) .................................. TBA 11-3 Section VI Championships (Elma Meadows) ................. TBA

Williamsville East

Senior captain and fourth year runner Dan White will lead the way for the Flames, followed closely by junior Andy McDonald, who coach Kurt Holme said has made great strides in only his second year of cross country.

White is a returning ECIC Second Team all-star.

Holme said a strong pack of runners who hope to have an impact in each meet are juniors Matt Pawlicki and Zinan Cheng, and sophmores Max Fogel and Scott Ryan. Junior Charlie Russo has improved greatly and is making a strong bid to break into the top seven this year, Holme added.

While White, one of East's most accomplished musicians, is a captain, Holme said for the first time in team history, a rotating meet co-captain will be utilized to take advantage of the outstanding leadership skills on the team.

"All of the Flames runners are scholar athletes who share an outstanding work ethic this year," he said.

Holme said a goal is to climb above .500 in wins and move up the standings at sectionals in November. East finished 2-4 last year.

East 2006 Schedule 9-26 at W.S. East w/Lake Shore ......................................... 4:30 p.m. 10-3 at Iroquois w/South 4:30 p.m. 10-6 at Town of Amherst Championships (Sweet Home) 4:30 p.m. 10-10 Hamburg............. 4:30 p.m. 10-17 at Starpoint w/Amherst 4:30 p.m. 10-28 ECICs (East Aurora High School) .................................. TBA 11-3 Section VI Championships (Elma Meadows) ................. TBA

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com