VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: ATHENS' BRONSON NAMED GIRLS 'RUNNER OF YEAR' FOR THIRD TIME; ATHENS' BURGESS TOP NEWCOMER ON ALL-VALLEY CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM (2023-11-29)

Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY — Athens junior Sara Bronson qualified for the PIAA Cross Country Championships for the third time, and is the 2023 Valley Sports Report Girls "Runner of the Year" for the third consecutive year, while her teammate, sophomore Abby Burgess, is the "Newcomer of the Year."

Bronson’s accomplishments are made even more impressive by the fact she missed the first two weeks of the season after having surgery late in the summer.

Bronson finished 15th in a field of 284 runners in the A-1 Small School race in a time of 19:29.6 at the rugged McQuaid Invitational.

She also finished third at the Owego Invite, third at NTL Coaches Invite, and eighth at District 4 Championships.

Bronson finished 56th, and cut a minute off her time from her sophomore season, at the PIAA meet.

New to the sport, Burgess improved as the season went on, running third or fourth on the Wildcats throughout the season.

She was 99th at McQuaid in a time of 22:01.3, 25th at Owego Invite, 34th at Forbes Invite, and 20th at McDaniel-Baxter Invite.

Burgess finished 14th at NTL Coaches Invite, and was 43rd at District 4 Championships.

All-Valley Girls Cross Country team:
Sara Bronson, junior, Athens: See above.

Reagan Vaughn, senior, Waverly: Vaughn battled through early-season injuries, got healthy late in the season, and qualified for the New York State Championships for the second year in a row.

Vaughn finished fifth at the Section IV, Class C Championships, and was 44th at States — running 22 seconds faster than her time as a junior.

Vaughn placed eighth at McQuaid in a time of 21:45, was eighth at Owego Invite, 12th at McDaniel Baxter Invite, 11th at Crusader Classic, and 10th at the Marathon Invite.

Harper Minaker, junior, Waverly: Minaker started the season strong, but was slowed by injuries late, and narrowly missed qualifying for States.

Minaker missed out on States by one spot, finishing ninth at the Section IV, Class C Championships in a time of 22:45.5.

Minaker was 23rd at McQuaid in a time of 19:29.6, sixth at Owego Invite, fourth at McDaniel-Baxter Invite, and fifth at Crusader Classic.

Ava Hughes, sophomore, Athens: Hughes ran a strong second for the Lady Wildcats all season.

She finished 66th at the McQuaid Invite in 21:09.7, was ninth at the Owego Invite, 11th at the Forbes Invite, and eighth at McDaniel Baxter Invite.

Hughes placed eighth at NTL Coaches Invite, and was 26th at District 4 Championships.

Mackenzie Chamberlain, sophomore, Waverly: Chamberlain was a strong third runner for the Wolverines all season, and occasionally finished second on the team.

Chamberlain finished 13th at the Section IV, Class C Championships in a time of 23:23.9.

She finished 47th at the McQuaid Invitational in 20:29.3, was 21st at Owego Invite, ninth at McDaniel-Baxter Invite, 12th at Crusader Classic, and 12th at the Marathon Invite.

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IN PHOTO: Athens junior Sara Bronson, and sophomore Abby Burgess. … VSR STOCK PHOTOS.

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GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY "RUNNER OF THE YEAR"
2023 — Athens’ Sara Bronson
2022 — Athens’ Sara Bronson
2021 — Athens' Sara Bronson
2020 — Athens' Emma Bronson
2019 — Waverly's Sheridan Talada
2018 — Waverly's Sheridan Talada
2017 — Waverly's Brandi Welch
2016 — Waverly's Sidney Tomasso
2015 — Sayre's Sydney Beeman
2014 — Waverly's Kelsey Frank
2013 — Waverly's Kelsey Frank
2012 — Sayre's Katie Hurley
2011 — Sayre's Katie Hurley
2010 — Sayre's Hannah Robinson
2009 — Sayre's Hannah Robinson

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