Final Harrier of 2009 - Edition # 14 - New York State Meet

Visit http://www.jecrosscountry.com/ to see photos, race results, and former J-E teams.

November 14, 2009                                                                                               Edition - No. 14

The Eagle Harrier

Marrero Marvelous @ States!

J-E Concludes Spectacular Season

 Plattsburgh, New York - Saturday's New York State Public High School Cross Country Championships were

supposed to be where the Jordan-Elbridge Eagles won the school's second cross country state championship.  

This never happened because J-E's nemesis Holland Patent defeated the Eagles last Saturday at Sectionals.  

Now that Holland Patent has won the state title in a blitz of the rest of the state's best, the Eagles can feel 

secure in the knowledge that they were the state's second-best class C team.  "We lost to H.P. last Saturday 

by 15 points in a race larger than at States" said J-E Coach Roman, "Holland Patent won the state meet by 

51 points"!  "We can run with H.P., no one else comes close".

     J-E senior Mike Marrero concluded his stellar cross country career by taking 10th place in the championships.  

Marrero was running with the lead pack until almost the half way point of the race.  The race was won by Pawling 

Central's Brandon Freyer who out leaned Chenango Valley's Max Straneva at the finish line.  Mike's 16.23.8 

clocking was Section III's fifth-fastest Class C runner.  Just like Holland Patent, Section III easily won the 

sectional competition by a large margin over Section I.  Section III scored 182 points to Section I's 323. 

       Marrero was competing in his second straight cross country state championship, qualifying last year as well.  

Marrero was 13th in last year's state competition.

     "I wish I had worn spikes" said Marrero after his race, "I slipped big time on the last turn, and Aaron Walker 

got by me".  "I would have taken 8th had I had spikes, definitely".  Walker was 8th in 16.20.  

     A small and brave group of J-E fans ventured the 260 miles to the north country to support Marrero.  

Teammates Greg Bader and Jack Gugel, accompanied by Vinny Smith and Paul Gugel, left J-E at four a.m. to 

make the five hour drive to Plattsburgh.  Their arrival was one of the highlights of the day.  "Can you imagine what

 it says to Mike to have these friends drive five hours to watch a 20 minute race" added Coach Roman.  The J-E 

group, along with Coach Roman's son Ryan and retired J-E Social Studies teacher Jack Reed hung together for 

the entire day, taking in a hot lunch and the awards ceremony.  Reed, a long-time JE teacher and Skaneateles 

Cross Country coach, was at states with his top harrier Calvin Davis.  Davis finished 13th in 16.28.  

     Reflecting back on the  2009 cross country season, also known as the ‘Dream Season' - there were some 

spectacular highlights:

               -the dedication of the J-E Cross Country Tee Shirt to the not-forgotten friend Fran Demperio.

               -the 27 - 28 victory over Marcellus for the 2009 Liberty Division championship - the first league 

championship since 2004.  Marcellus would go on to win the Section III Class B championship.

               -the huge victory at the Section VII Invite in September where J-E overwhelmed a very strong field.  

J-E defeated two state caliber teams in that race, including Holland Patent and Broadalbin Perth.

                -J-E's third-straight Liverpool Invitational victory in October where J-E's top runners dominated the field.

               -finishing a school-record second place at the Seeded Boys Small School race at the McQuaid Jesuit 

Invitational.

               -tying for the Baldwinsville Invitational crown with Holland Patent.

               -Cody Stanton's five-straight race victories to begin the 2009 season.  Stanton won three invites 

in-a-row (Plattsburgh, Chittenango, and Baldwinsville) in his win streak.

               -just missing a team award in the toughest non-seeded race of the day at the Manhattan College 

Invitational in the Bronx.  J-E was one-point from being in the top five and became the second-faster J-E team 

to ever race in Manhattan.

               -being ranked number one in New York State for over half of the season - the last time this 

happened was eleven years earlier in 1998.

               -placing four members on the All Division Team (Mike Marrero and Steve Slonosky - First Team; 

Mitch Alpha and Greg Bader - 2nd Team; Cody Stanton was added to the All Division Team as an at large entry.

               -the daily and often vicious games of Battleaxe

               -the often-heard slogans of "It's Good to be King" and "If You Can Dream It"   

               -the tremendous team work and fraternity that will likely foster life-long friendships.

      "This has been one of the greatest cross country seasons ever" said Roman, "not just because we were 

fast and highly ranked, but because of the team we became".  "We were one in our focus and goals".  "This 

team sacrifice a great deal to be the very best and I'll forever be inspired by their work ethic".