VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: WAVERLY'S WRIGHT WINS 'RUNNER OF YEAR' FOR THIRD TIME; TIOGA'S HURD TOP NEWCOMER IN 2019 (2 PHOTOS) (2019-11-26)
Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY "” A three-time state qualifier,
Waverly junior Collin Wright is the 2019
Valley Sports Report "Boys "
Runner of the Year," becoming the second athlete to win the award three times.
Wright enjoyed a strong regular season - finishing in the top-10 in every regular-season event he participate in. He also led the Wolverines to a division title.
Wright won the Tom Koons Valley meet, finished second at McDaniel-Baxter Invite (Chenango Valley), third at Owego Invite, fourth in seeded division race at Marathon Invite, fifth at prestigious McQuaid Invitational (Rochester), seventh at Bob Greene Invite (Newark Valley), and ninth at Forbes Invitational (Oneonta).
He finished second at the IAC Divisional meet, and third at IAC Championships, before a third-place finish in the Class C at Section IV State Qualifier to earn his third consecutive trip to States.
Wright posted his best finish yet at States, crossing the line in 39th place.
Tioga freshman Thomas Hurd is the 2019 Boys "
Newcomer of the Year."
Hurd improved by leaps-and-bounds as the season progressed. He finished 26th at Matzke Invite (M-E), 34th at Whitney Point Invitational, 97th at the Bob Greene Invite, 115th at the Owego Invite.
He was 24th at the IAC Divisional meet, 29th at the IAC Championships, and finished 12th in the Class D meet at Section IV State Qualifier.
This year's Super 7 is made up exclusively of runners from Waverly and Athens, and includes just one senior.
The 2019 "
Super 7" All-Valley Boys Cross Country team is:
Collin Wright, junior, Waverly: See above.
T.J. Toscano, senior, Athens: Toscano led the Wildcats in every race he competed in.
Toscano finished second at Tom Koons Valley meet, 10th at the Forbes Invitational, 12th at the Elmira College Invite, 15th at the McDaniel-Baxter, 23rd at the Bob Greene Invite, 25th at the Owego Invite, and 26th at the McQuaid Invitational,
He finished 32nd in Class AA race at District 4 Championships.
Nate Ackley, sophomore, Waverly: Ackley was consistently the second runner on the Wolverines this season.
Ackley finished third at Tom Koons Valley meet, 11th in the seeded division race at the Marathon Invite, 12th at the McDaniel-Baxter Invite, 18th at the Bob Greene Invite, 22nd at the Forbes Invitational, 23rd at the Owego Invite, 30th at the McQuaid Invitational.
He finished eighth at IAC Divisional meet, eighth at the IAC Championships, and ninth in Class C race at Section IV State Qualifier - narrowly missing out on States.
Kyle Anthony, sophomore, Athens: Anthony was consistently the second runner on the Wildcats this season.
Anthony finished fourth at the Tom Koons Valley meet, 19th at the Elmira College Invite, 20th at the McDaniel-Baxter Invite, 24th at the Forbes Invitational, 28th at the Bob Greene Invite, 41st at the Owego Invite, and 46th at the McQuaid Invitational.
He was 41st in Class AA race at District 4 Championships
Matt Gorsline, sophomore, Athens: Gorsline finished sixth at Tom Koons Valley meet, 22nd at the Elmira College Invite, 22nd at the McDaniel-Baxter Invite, 36th at the Forbes Invitational, 46th at the Owego Invite, 59th at the McQuaid Invitational, and 79th at the Bob Greene Invite.
He was 42nd at in Class AA race at District 4 Championships.
Jayden Rose, junior, Waverly: Rose was fifth at Tom Koons Valley meet, 23rd at the McDaniel-Baxter Invite, 27th at the Forbes Invitational, 37th in the seeded division race at Marathon Invite, 57th at the Bob Greene Invite, 61st at the McQuaid Invitational (Rochester), and 64th at the Owego Invite.
He was 20th at IAC Championships, and 25th in Class C race at Section IV State Qualifier.
Branden Bubniak, senior, Waverly: Bubniak was ninth at Tom Koons Valley meet, 25th at the Forbes Invitational, 27th at the McDaniel-Baxter, 30th in the seeded division race at Marathon Invite, 43rd at the Owego Invite, 50th at the Bob Greene Invite, and 70th at McQuaid Invitational.
He was 10th at IAC Divisional meet, 27th at IAC Championships, and 31st in Class C race at Section IV State Qualifier.
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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly's Collin Wright. IN PHOTO 2: Tioga's Thomas Hurd. - VSR STOCK PHOTOS.
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PAST WINNERS OF "RUNNER OF THE YEAR"2019 - Waverly's Collin Wright
2018 - Waverly's Collin Wright
2017 - Waverly's Collin Wright
2016 - Athens' Camden Allen
2015 - Athens' Gabe Herbst
2014 - Sayre's Nick Sweet
2013 - Sayre's Nick Sweet
2012 - Sayre's Nick Sweet
2011 - Tioga's Brenden Walker
2010 - Tioga's Brenden Walker
2009 - Athens' Matt Millard
