Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019: Tuohy sets course record at Great American

   Leading off today: We're going to rate Katelyn Tuohy's first major outing of the cross country season as a success.

   The North Rockland senior set a course record en route to winning the Great American Cross Country Festival in Cary, North Carolina, on Saturday. The two-time Nike Cross Nationals champion toured the 3.1-mile course in 16:22.8 to knock 13 seconds off the girls course record set by Nevada Mareno in 2015.

   "Course records are course records. They're not a big deal," she said. "But it's really fun traveling down here. It's just a fun trip for us."

   Tuohy finished 42 seconds ahead of runner-up Jenna Hutchins of Johnson City, Tennessee, in her first all-out run in a competitive situation since the NYSPHSAA track and field championships in June. Feeling worn down by illness and the rigors of a heavy course load, she shut down her season rather than competing in assorted national meets.

   "I think she was even more anxious than I was," North Rockland coach Brian Diglio said. "It's been a long time since she felt healthy and able to give a big effort."

   North Rockland placed nine out of 23 teams from eight states and will head to the Manhattan Invitational next weekend.

   Speaking of records: Junior Brooke Rauber lowered her record for her home course en route to winning the Tully Invitational. Rauber led her team to a narrow 54-59 win over South Lewis by winning the Tully Invitational in 17:14.3.

   Her record there was 17:46.7 in muddy conditions a year ago.

   Sophomore Lexi Bernard (18:22.1) and eighth-grader Brynn Bernard (18:30.3) took the next spots behind Rauber.

   More cross country: Cornwall's girls pulled out a 136-138 victory over Niskayuna in their division of the Paul Short Run at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Cornwall freshman Karrie Baloga took individual honors in 16:59.7.

    • Shaker eighth-grader Leonni Griffin pulled away from teammate Tori Mariano down the stretch to successfully defend at the 81st Grout Invitational, covering 2.75 miles in 15:25.71. Greenwich packed five finishers in the top nine to edge Shaker for team honors.

    • Carmel junior Katie Turk had the top girls time (18:17.3) in the 42nd Brewster Bear Classic. Running in a different division, North Salem junior Ava Jolley posted a 18:19.7 clocking for her fourth consecutive invitational victory of the season.

   New Paltz's Riley Brutvan captured the boys Varsity I race in 15:47.3.

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   Boys soccer: Cooper LaValley converted a first-half penalty and Greece Arcadia defeated host Spencerport 1-0 in the title game of the Broadbent-Selander Tournament.

   Spencerport, ranked 19th in the state in Class AA, had won 10 straight since an opening-game loss.

    • Aidan Wood tallied in the first overtime as Keshequa, ranked sixth in Class C, escaped with a 2-1 win over Perry.

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    • Thomas Binkowski scored four goals to for Bath in a 6-0 victory at Wellsville, extending the Rams' regular-season win streak to 35 games.

   The state's top-ranked Class B team improved to 12-0-0.

    • Ali Alomari scored three times and assisted on three other goals for Lackawanna in its 8-0 victory vs. Holland. The hat trick left Alomari with 37 goals for the season.

   Maine dispute: A high school athlete in a wheelchair is challenging a decision by the Maine Principals Association that he cannot compete in that state's championship meet.

   Turner, Maine, soph- omore Jonathan Scho- maker, who suffers from cerebellar hypoplasia, is a member of the Leavitt cross country team and trains with schoolmates. He reportedly has covered a mile in seven minutes, though media outlets did not indicate whether that was done on a flat surface or the uneven terrain more common in cross country meets. He competes on a shorter course than other athletes in regular-season cross country races.

   The appeals process began after he was not allowed to compete in the regional and state meets a year ago. The MPA denied the appeal due concerns over safety for Schomaker and other competitors.

   "He's fully capable of doing the 5K," Jon Schomaker said of his son. "In the interest of time, so we don't hold things up, we give him a shorter course. ... At Highland Green Golf Course, he did the full 5K there, probably in the 45-minute range. He can move, and on the downhills he is flying. It's all in perspective."

   Jon Schomaker said he would be satisfied if the MPA made Jonathan's course shorter than five kilometers so that he does not cross paths with other racers on a repeated loop portion of the race.

   Said Mike Bisson, the head of the MPA's cross country committee: "People aren't trying to keep him out. They don't want to impact other kids' safety. And part of the reason is we have had models to follow and there is no good model for wheelchair competition for gravel or harder courses. We don't really have a great model. We know how a wheelchair compares to someone running the course. We know that the wheelchair can be slower."