New York Federation Championships (NY)
Jess Lawson, Aidan Tooker Get Redemption From State Meet
Jess Lawson, Saratoga Girls Win Big
On the same course as next week's NXN New York meet, the US #3 Saratoga Springs girls dominated the New York Federation Championships. They won with--unofficially--77 points. Corning junior Jess Lawson (pictured above in yellow) covered the Bowdoin Park 5K in 17:50, beating out rival Abbey Wheeler of Elmira for the win. Saratoga Springs freshman Kelsey Chmiel was third.
Chmiel led the race halfway before Lawson and Wheeler broke away.
Chmiel beat Wheeler at last week's New York state meet, where Lawson was second behind Fayetteville Manlius's Claire Walters. FM did not run Feds; they never do.
We believe that US #13 Shenendehowa was competing, but did not crack the top three. Unranked North Rockland was second with 115 and Monroe was third with 145.
Aidan Tooker Snaps Noah Affolder's Undefeated Streak
No. 13 ranked Noah Affolder looked like the top dog in New York last weekend after extending his winning streak to the state meet in Class B, while No. 10 Aidan Tooker fell to Ben Petrella in Class A. Petrella and his NXN hopeful Liverpool squad sat out the Federation Championship, leaving the battle for Affolder and Tooker, who had not yet met this season.
As predicted, the race came down to the duo with Tooker taking the 'W' one year after placing fifth. Affolder took runner-up honors; he was 15th in 2014.
Conor Lundy of Fordham Prep was somewhat of a surprise in finishing third; he has raced just three times this season. The senior was ninth last year.
