Commentary
Youth serves as bonus for track champions
MATT KRUEGER Sports Reporter
Things I think I'm thinking about: Underclassman was a title not to be scoffed at during this past weekend's New York State Track and Field Championships. Seniors generally rule the day when it comes to the last meet of the season, but Kenmore East's Anthony Johnson and Lancaster's Melissa Kurzdorfer used their superhero powers to claim top honors.

Johnson, who could easily pass himself off as The Rock's younger brother, looks more like the Flash than the Scorpion King when he blazes a path down the track. Johnson's victory in the Division I 100 meters is astonishing, since the junior is just in his second year of running track. And with another year to go, back-to-back titles could easily become reality.

You could liken Kurzdorfer to She-Hulk based on the freshman's ability to hurl objects farther than just about anyone else - she won the Division I discus and Federation discus and shot put titles by margins as wide as the Juggernaut's waist. But she can quickly disarm someone with her humble, I'm-just-trying to-do-my-best smile. By the time Kurzdorfer is a senior, Division I college coaches will be running over each other to lure the Lancaster powerhouse with scholarships.

+ The tryouts at safety will be the most intriguing when the Buffalo Bills open training camp next month.

Not only will you have returning starters Donte Whitner and Ko Simpson returning for their sophomore seasons, but you have plenty of younger guys ready to step in and show what they can do. Many eyes will be on Orchard Park native Jon Corto, as he tries to complete the hometown-boy-made good story by earning a roster spot for the season. He'll be in a tight pack trying to win Simpson's starting role at free safety with second year man Jim Leonard and fellow rookie Trevor Hooper.

If Corto makes the team, he'll be the first player since Todd Schlopy (remember him?) kicked barefooted field goals as a replacement player for the Bills in the 1985 strike season, to play in his home town of Orchard Park.

+ The Buffalo Bisons lead the International League North Division, and nobody in Western New York cares.

Every summer, the Bisons challenge for the league title. And every year, most area sports fans couldn't name the starting second baseman, let alone who won International League Batter of the Week honors, if death were at stake. By the way, the answers are Luis Rivas and Andy Marte. Look it up.

+ Darcy Regier better have a degree in capology if he is going to work some magic with the Buffalo Sabres this offseason.

The general manager of one of the NHL's elite teams, will need to do some serious number crunching in order to sign free agents and stay under the salary cap. And his biggest concern is obviously how to keep Daniel Briere and Chris Drury in blue and gold. Here's an idea that may not be popular in the locker room. Ditch overpaid underachievers Ales Kotalik, Dimitri Kalinin

and Jaroslav Spacek and replace them with younger, cheaper, better guys. Don't you think Drew Stafford would be an upgrade from Kotalik? And Stafford ($984,000) will earn less than half of Kotalik's paycheck ($2.5 million) next year. What a bargain. e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com