Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018: Glens Falls' Girard commits to Syracuse

   Leading off today: Glens Falls two-sport star Joe Girard III committed to the Syracuse University men's basketball program Sunday night and is expected to sign a binding National Letter of Intent next month.

   Girard, projected as a combo guard in college, is already the state's career scoring leader with a full season remaining. He averaged 50 points a game in his junior season.

   He picked the Orange from a list of finalists that also included Boston College, Duke, Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State. His only two official visits have been to Syracuse and Boston College, and Girard made the announcement ahead of the start of the Section 2 football playoffs next weekend.

   Girard made the announcement at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls with numerous family embers, friends and reporters in attendance.

   Syracuse assistant coach Gerry McNamara made multiple visits to Glens Falls in recent weeks. Head coach Jim Boeheim traveled to Glens Falls on Oct. 4 to make a final pitch.

   Manhattan results: Fayetteville-Manlius' Claire Walters had the day's fastest showing amongst female competitors Saturday in the 46th Manhattan Invitational.

   Walters covered 2.5 miles in the Varsity B race at Van Cortlandt Park in 13:57, the fifth-best performance in meet history. Her effort helped the Hornets to the team championship.

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   Team titles in the prized Eastern States races went to Rhode Island's Bishop Hendricken boys by a 92-113 margin over Fayetteville-Manlius and the Claremont (Calif.) girls by a 72-85 margin over Liverpool. Niskayuna (185) and Shenendehowa (197) finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the girls race.

   Individually in the Eastern States race, Brooke Rauber of Tully finished second in 14:15.1 and Jenna Schulz of Liverpool was fourth in 14:34.7.

   Pearl River's girls had the day's other individual/team sweep with senior Mary Borkowski (15:06.7) pacing the Pirates' triumph in Varsity F.

   Other New York highlights:

    • Nanuet senior Ryan Guerci won the boys Varsity C race in 12:32.1, with Shenendehowa capturing team honors.

    • Pittsford Mendon junior Sam Lawler took the tape first in boys Varsity D in 12:36.1, with Shaker winning the team race.

    • Shelter Island junior Kal Lewis took boys Varsity F honors in 12:54.2 and Trinity from the NYSAIS won the team competition.

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    • Cornwall won the team title in boys Varsity G.

    • Suffern senior Mary Hennelly placed first in girls Varsity A and Shaker won the team race.

    • Bay Shore junior Roshni Singh (14:30.1) won girls Varsity C in 14:55.2 and Greenwich was the winning team.

    • Justus Holden-Betts of Baldwinsville won the girls Varsity D race in 14:54.6.

    • Cornwall eighth-grader Karrie Baloga was the individual champ in girls Varsity E, but the team fell short of John Jay Cross River by a 60-62 score at the top of the standings.

   TWKTCR (This Week's Katelyn Tuohy Course Record): North Rockland junior Katelyn Tuohy scouted next month's NYSPHSAA champion- ships venue by setting the Sunken Meadow State Park course record with a time of 16:52.97 at the Suffolk Officials Invitational.

   Runner-up Olivia Morganti of Syracuse CBA crossed in 18;29.02, and only two boys ran faster than Tuohy. Former Cornwall great Aisling Cuffe had set the previous standard of 17:45 for five kilometers.

   Persistent rain late in the week left the course soft.

   "We were not expecting to run that fast. ... Her level of fitness is just so high now," coach Brian Diglio sad after North Rockland collected the team trophy.

   Said Tuohy: "I was just doing a workout today. It was a good indication of where I'll be when the state meet comes around."

   The Saratoga boys romped in their team race on the strength of Shea Weilbaker's impressive winning time of 15:52.87.

   Milestone: Queensbury's 2-1 boys soccer win over Glens Falls South on Friday was career triumph No. 300 for coach Pete Crotty.