Town of Amherst Championships
North, boys, Sweet Home girls cross country win

Williamsville North's Chris Deptula finished second in the boys' race at the Town of Amherst Championships in a time of 17:11. The North boys won overall with 28 points. Photos by Patrick McPartland

The Williamsville North boys and Sweet Home girls cross country teams posted five of the top nine finishers to win this year's Town of Amherst Championships held at Sweet Home last Friday.

Sweet Home's Jacob Hagen led the entire boys race to win in 16:53. North took the overall boys championship for the fourth consecutive year with a dominating 28 points. Sweet Home was second with 49 points. Williamsville East (76), Williamsville South (99) and Amherst (100) rounded the overall scoring.

In the girls' race, Megan Niblock of Sweet Home led her team to victory by winning the race in 19:55. There was a group of girls who missed a turn in the course and their diaqualifications resulted in Amherst and South finishing incomplete teams. The final score was Sweet Home 16, North 56, East 65, and Amherst and South incomplete.

In the boys race, Hagen, North's Chris Deptula (17:11), Sweet Home's Ryan Poley (17:18), North's Dave Johnson (17:25), North's Jon Adler (16:58), and East's Dan White (17:33) and Andy McDonald (17:46) earned All-Amherst First Team honors.

Sweet Home's Katie Niblock takes the early lead at the start of the girls race of the Town of Amherst Championships at Sweet Home High School. Niblock won the race in 19:55. Sweet Home won overall.

North's Geoff Hurley (18:06) and Mike Thielman (18:11), Sweet Home's Mike Bakowski (18:19), South's Paul Mangold (18:26) and Dave Quinlan (18:30), East's Scott Ryan (18:41) and Amherst's Andy Wong (18:45) earned Second Team honors.

Other strong performances from North came from Miah Hildreth (17th, 18:55), Joe Seitz (30th, 21:29), Pat Steadman (31st, 21:32) and Robert Golightly (32nd, 21:50). Alex Podvezko (18th, 19:01), John Stark (27th, 20:39), Steve Bell (34th, 22:08), and William Freeman (37th, 24:29) also ran for South.

In the girls race, Niblock, Amherst's Brenna Symoniak (20:07) and Arielle Januszkiwicz (20:18), Sweet Home's Katie Niblock (20:47), Laura Daniels (23:07), and Laura Delsignore (24:19) and South's Colleen Hurtubise (24:28) earned All-Amherst First Team honors.

North's Kaila Raybuck (24:46), Sweet Home's Kristen Victor (25:06) and Kelly Monfea (25:07), North's Natalie Worley (25:26), Sweet Home's Colleen Kozlowski (25:57), East's Kristen Leonard (25:38) and Sweet Home's Katie Gambles (25:39) made the Second Team.

Other North runners were Jessica Leising (17th, 26:58), Bailey Lamson (21st, 27:29), Stephanie Krantz (22nd, 28:05), and Sarah Fierle (29th, 30:48). Gretchen Szal (16th, 26:16), Laura Johnston (26th, 29:14), and Jenny Mooney (27th, 29:15) also ran for South.