Leading off today: Fayetteville-Manlius won its fifth straight girls championship in the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore., this morning and set a record in the process.

   F-M finished with just 27 points, easily eclipsing the record of 51 set by Saratoga in the inaugural meet in 2004. Beginning with Saratoga and Hilton (2005), New York teams have won the girls race all seven years.

   Saratoga (104) finished second to F-M for the second straight year. Two-time NXN runner-up Saugus, Calif., placed third at 117. North Shore was ninth at 267 after earning a wild-card berth following a third-place showing in the regional qualifier.

   Plano, Texas, senior Rachel Johnson was the individual champion in 18:18.6 on a muddy course, followed by Fayetteville-Manlius junior Christie Rutledge in 18:21.4 to begin an avalanche of five Hornets runners in the top 29. Johnson placed sixth individually in 2009.

   F-M junior Katie Sischo was fourth in 18:49.7, followed by teammates Jillian Fanning (18:51.7) in sixth, Heather Martin in 16th and Courtney Chapman in 29th.

   Individual qualifier Shaylyn Tuite of Pittsford Mendon placed seventh.

   The race was run in temperatures hovering near 40 degrees and winds gusting to 25 mph.

   Arcadia, Calif., brought home the boys title with 92 points, paced by fourth-place finisher Ammar Moussa to hold off Fayetteville-Manlius (135) and six other teams that came in at under 200 points. Shaker was 13th with 325 points.

   Lukas Verzbicas from Illinois was the leading boys finisher in 15:59.2. Mark McGurrin led the F-M in 16:45.4 for 17th place.

   Helmets voted down: Despite intensifying support for new safety measures, New York will not require girls lacrosse

players to begin wearing helmets, The Times Herald-Record reported.

   In October, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association safety committee recommended the

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use of hard-shell helmets with a facemask beginning in 2012, but the paper reported that the measure was rejected 7-2 on Tuesday. Had the rule been approved, it would have gone to a vote by section representatives across the state.

   Girls rules currently require the use of protective goggles. In addition, new yellow- and red-card rules will take effect next spring.

   "I think this is just the beginning and it will be revisited," Kingston coach Debbie Eaton said. "Maybe in the near future they could have some type of lightweight protective head gear. I don't think they should wear the boys' helmets. It's too heavy and girls don't wear shoulder pads and chest protectors like they do in the boys' game. But some kind of protective head gear would be a good thing."

   The safety committee reviewed injury data from the National Federation of High Schools as well as information from certified athletic trainers, with head injuries being the primary concern.

   Beginning in 2011, teams accumulating three yellow cards in game will play one girl short the next game. If a player gets a red card, she will miss two games.