COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY: WAVERLY'S TALADA WILL CONTINUE RUNNING AT DIVISION 1 BINGHAMTON (2 PHOTOS) (2019-11-20)
By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports ReportWAVERLY - Fresh off a 15th-place finish at the New York State cross country championships, Waverly senior Sheridan Talada signed a National Letter-of-Intent to compete at the highest level next fall with Division 1 Binghamton University.
Talada, who signed her letter Tuesday in a ceremony in the high school's learning commons, will run cross country and track for the Lady Bearcats.
Talada said Binghamton was an easy choice.
"I wanted to stay kind of close to home, and I really liked the team, and the atmosphere there.
It's a really nice campus, and has really good academics, too," she said. "It was just a nice fit.
"I considered SUNY Geneseo, too, but Binghamton is the place for me," Talada added.
Talada knows what she needs to do to prepare for the next level.
"I'll increase my mileage," she said. "I find the more miles I run, the better I feel.
"I'll do some speed workouts every week, and strength training is a big thing, too," noted Talada.
She is looking forward to testing her mettle against Division 1 talent.
"I think it will be good to challenge myself against the best. I'm happy about that, and I look forward to it."
Talada's cross country and track & field coach Scott Baird believes Talada will do just fine at the Division 1 level.
"Coming through this, you don't know what there intentions are going to be," said Baird. "I'm sure she wondered if she had enough to run at the next level, but over the last year - starting with winter track, it's been awesome the way she's come around.
"There's no doubt in my mind she can run at whatever level she chooses.
"I'm very proud of her," noted Baird "Not too many people have gone on to the next level in track. Most have just concentrated on academics, (Sheridan) has no worries there, she's strong with the academics.
"If she can manage that first year with the running and the academics, she's going to be fine the rest of her career," added Baird.
Talada, and her classmate Cora Smith, who signed to run at Division I James Madison on Tuesday, are Waverly's first runners to go D-1 since Erika Kisel competed at Binghamton University about a decade ago.
Talada will study Physics and Chemistry with the intention to teach.
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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly's Sheridan Talada. IN PHOTO 2: From left: Mary Rose McAloon (mother), Sheridan Talada, Mac Talada (brother), and Matt Talada (father). ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIREY.
