Members of the Honeoye Falls-Lima Boys Varsity Nordic Ski team won the Section V title last Monday (February 14) and are all smiles for this photo as they pose with the trophy. See page 6 for the story, Photo by HF-L Athletic Director Brian Donohue
It was an exciting two days in the Section V Nordic Ski Championships last week as the Honeoye Falls-Lima Boys Varsity Nordic Ski team had a one-point lead after the individual distance event and the Lady Cougars were sitting in fourth place on the girls side.
HF-L’s boys seized the Section V title with a one-minute victory in the relay. The boys were ahead 16 points to 17 for second-place Pittsford Mendon after the Individual Distance Skate Race on February 12 at Harriett Hollister Spencer State Park. Braden Bellizzi took fourth in the 10-kilometer distance race with a time of 27 minutes, 13.2 seconds. Joseph Northrup was fifth (28:45.7). Drew Larsen rounded out the Cougars in the top 10 with a time of 29:57.1 for seventh. Seamus Gillis clocked 31:02.1 for 11th, Casey Wall 31:04.5 for 12th, Sean Dailor 31:11.3 for 13th and Calvin Burke 31:24.4 for 14th place. Amer Armbruster was 17th (31:58.1) and Henry Burke 18th (32:01.1).
The Lady Cougars were fourth after the Individual Distance Race with 32 points, behind Brighton, Pittsford Mendon and Pittsford Sutherland. Ann Brennan posted a time of 22:19.9 for sixth. Anna Everhart finished in 22:41.5 for eighth. Allison Hulsey came in 19th (24:29.5). Olivia Hullihen was 20th with a time of 24 minutes, 29.6 seconds. Ella Henzel-Cronin placed 25th (25:16.4). Shannon Howe turned in a time of 25:22.4 for 27th over the 6.5 kilometer course. Emma Stefanou was 28th (25:33.7), Kate Brennan 31st (25:40.4) and Oli Kraynik 37th (26:33.3).
“We did not ski our best, either on the boys side or the girls side,” coach Mark Armbruster said. “The course was changed at the last minute and all the prep work that we had put in with the waxing did not fit with the course change and the snow conditions.”
The Cougar boys captured first place in the 10-kilometer classic relay race on February 14 at Bristol Mountain’s Nordic Center, finishing with 23 points to second-place Mendon’s 31 points. The trio of Bellizzi, Larsen and Northrup won the race with a time of 32 minutes, 43.3 seconds. Bellizzi’s split was 10:12.5, Larsen’s 11:13.7 and Northrup’s 11:17.1 for the race. The group of Amer Armbruster, Henry Burke and Calvin Burke was fifth at 35:51.2 with Henry Burke having a split of 11:39, Calvin Burke an 11:44.1 and Armbruster a 12:28.1 split. The trio of Wall, Dailor and Gillis combined for sixth at 35:55. Wall clocked 11:41.2, Gillis 11:53.8 and Dailor 12:20 for their splits.
“We took a big risk with the boys relay lineup,” coach Armbruster said. “We moved Drew, a freshman, into the relay with Braden and Joseph. The boys weren’t sure about the decision, but it turned out that it was the right one. The boys all skied great.”
HF-L’s girls grabbed second place with 46 points, technically tying Mendon but winning second place because HF-L’s fourth place finisher in the distance race was faster than Mendon’s fourth place skier. The trio of Ann Brennan, Hulsey and Henzel Cronin posted a time of 41:12.6 for second. Brennan had a split of 13:11.4, Hulsey a 13:46.6 and Henzel-Cronin a 14:14.6 for the relay. Hullihen, Howe and Everhart covered the 7.5 kilometer course in 45:31.6 for eighth. Hullihen had a split of 15:08, Howe a 15:38.6 and Everhart a 14:45. The group of Kate Brennan, Kraynik and Stefanou crossed the finish line in 45:34.3 for ninth. Brennan’s split was 15:36.7, Kraynik 14:20.1 and Stefanou had a 15:37.5 split.
“The girls were disappointed about their finishes on Saturday, but they really brought it in the relay race,” coach Armbruster said. “They skied smart and fast and did a fantastic job in the relay.”
Five boys, Bellizzi, Northrup, Larsen, Gillis and Wall qualified for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championships as did two girls, Ann Brennan and Anna Everhart. The state meet is February 28 and March 1 at Gore Mountain.
