Leading off today: Eden will return to the court Sunday in Glens Falls in pursuit of its sixth consecutive NYSPHSAA girls volleyball championship.
The Raiders were one of three Section 6 squads and three defending New York State Public High School Athletic Association champions to emerge from pool play Saturday at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Eden, which has won seven state championships in the past eight seasons, will take on Broadalbin-Perth for the Class C crown.
Reigning Class A champ Pittsford Sutherland will battle Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in Class A and Haldane seeks its third Class D title in four years vs. Portville.
Joining Eden and Portville from Western New York will be Williamsville South, which meets John Glenn in Class B. The Class AA final pits Suffern against Penfield. John Glenn advanced by means of a 25-22 win over Ardsley in a tiebreaker after they split their two head-to-head games earlier in the day.
Federation cross country: St. Anthony's waltzed to the boys team title with just 59 points at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls as the Friars won their first New York Federation Cross Country Championship since 1992.
NYSPHSAA teams had won 21 straight boys titles since St. Anthony's went back-to-back in 1991-92.
Northport senior Mike Brannigan (15:30.4), East Aurora's Kenny Vasbinder (15:38.0) and Pat Tucker of St. Anthony's (15:42.7) took the top three spots individually. Frederick Buckholtz, Ryan Kutch, Joe Tucker and Ryan Dearie of St. Anthony's all finished in the top 33.
In the team race, St. Anthony's easy held off Pittsford Mendon (221), Guilderland (237), Xavier (240) and Sachem North (242).
In the girls race, Saratoga won for the fifth time in six years and the 21st time since 1989. The Streaks finished with 81 points to top Shenendehowa (104). Suffern (169), Corning (172) and Guilderland (175) rounded out the top five.
Spencer Hayes (10th), Peyton Engborg (18th) and Paris Fenoff (20th) led the Saratoga charge to the title.
Arlington senior Bella Burda (17:50.4), Corning sophomore Jessica Lawson (17:52.9) and Elmira junior Abby Wheeler (18:28.5) topped the field over five kilometers.
Burda remained unbeaten for the season and won Federation honors for the second time in three years.
"It was such a close race," she told the Poughkeepsie Journal. "It makes me know that every second counted. If I'd have been two seconds slower, I would have lost."
