Leading off today: Having learned a valuable lesson last month, Cornwall junior Aisling Cuffe scored an impressive victory over Roslyn senior Emily Lipari last night in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships at Vestal.

   Having watched the Villanova recruit out-kick her again at the Penn Relays in April, Cuffe set a torrid early pace in the 3,000 meters at the Loucks Games with a five-minute opening mile and wired the field.

   The strategy worked again last night as Cuffe opened with splits of 2:31 and 5:05 over the first mile and won the NYSPHSAA and Federation crowns in 9:27.15 for a state junior-class record and the nation's No. 2 clocking for the season. Lipari was second in 9:29.49.

   Rivals on the track, Cuffe and Lipari have become friendly off of it. They trade e-mails on a range of topics, including the recruiting process that Lipari experienced and Cuffe will soon endure. They've even discovered they have a similar sense of humor. "She can take it and give it back. It's fun," Cuffe told The Times Herald-Record.

   The two will be head-to-head one more time today in the 1,500 as the meet concludes.

   A few of the many other highlights from what is annually one of the best meets in the country:

   Penn relays champ Jordan Yamoah of Arlington broke the state record in the pole vault with a mark of 16-6 to fight off Adam Hume of South Glens Falls (16-1). Hume's previous PR was a relatively modest 14-6.

   "If I had to lose at all, I'm glad I did it to a kid breaking the New York state record," Hume told The Post-Star. "Last year, 15 feet won it. This year, 16-6."    Otis Ubriaco (Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, 9:04.75) shocked Greene's Chad Noelle (9:04.77) at the wire in the boys 3,200, setting up what should be a great rivalry in their senior year.

   In the boys triple jump, Justin Williams of Longwood went 50-0 on his sixth attempt to take the lead, only to see Brandon Hutchinson of Bay Shore come back moments later with a winning effort of 50-2.5.

   Saratoga's Madalayne Smith won the Division I girls 100 high hurdles in :13.78, the No. 5 time of the season in the U.S. Also checking in at No. 5 was the 400 hurdles effort of :59.76 by Colonie's Kyle Plante.

   Brycen Spratling of Webster Schroeder (:46.81) won the 400 meters for the No. 4 U.S. performance this spring, narrowly missing Michael Ford's Section 5 record (:46.6), and Kim Mackay of Kellenberg moved up to No. 5 in the girls 800 in 2:07.75.

   Tottenville triumphs: Pinch runner Christian Osmundsen scored on an error handling Joseph Sessa 10th-inning sacrifice bunt, giving Tottenville a 1-0 win over Lehman for the PSAL city baseball championship.

   Tottenville lefty Jon Silva went the distance, allowing only a second-inning single to Gabriel Pena. He struck

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out 10 and scattered eight walks as the Pirates earned their first championship since 2007 and No. 11 overall.

   "He's done this all year long. He goes out there and battles,'' coach Tom Tierney Jr. told The Advance. "He doesn't quit. He pitches with a lot of guts and we don't win this championship without him, no question.''

   Losing pitcher Tyler Gurman threw a three-hitter, including a first-pitch double by George Kantzian to lead off the bottom of the 10th.

   Lakeland/Panas advances: Kristin Pappalardo's shot from an eight-meter restart just 19 seconds into sudden death carried Lakeland/Panas to a 12-11 girls lacrosse victory over top-ranked West Genesee in the NYSPHSAA Class A semifinals.

   The outcome set up a final today against Farmingdale.

   "I have some unfinished business from basketball season when we lost in the finals. I plan to redeem myself, hopefully." Pappalardo told The Journal News.

Alex Fitzpatrick had a large impact. The two-time all-America goalie stopped 17 shots.    "Their goalie was outstanding," West Genesee coach Bob Elmer said. "We were getting some point-blank looks at times and she was making saves, good saves."

   The Wildcats' Bre Hudgins scored with 1:52 to go in the first mandatory three-minute OT, but junior middie Anna Jeszeck knotted it with her fourth goal of the day with 1:10 to go in the second OT period.

   Star material: You're doing something right when your name shows up on a list with Chamique Holdsclaw, Sue Bird and Tina Charles.

   Junior guard Bria Smith became the fourth Christ The King girls basketball player to earn a berth on the USA U17 National Team yesterday as the 12-player roster was announced. The squad, sculpted from a 35-player tryout in Colorado Springs, Colo., will compete in the inaugural FIBA U17 World Championship July 16-25 in France.

   “We are proud of her,” Royals coach Bob Mackey told The New York Post. “It’s a great thing. It’s a tremendous experience. It’s great for her confidence.”

   Ten of the 12 squad members -- including Cicero-North Syracuse sophomore Breanna Stewart -- led the USA U16 National Team to a gold medal in the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City. Stewart, a 6-foot-3 post player, will be building upon a 9.6 points a game scoring average in last summers competition.