WAPPINGERS FALLS –– A week removed from the NYSPHSAA championship at Chenango Valley State Park, a few county runners made their way to Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls for the Federation Championship.

The boys race, which had 281 runners across the different classes, featured the best of the best. The entire Tri-Valley team was invited after their dominant Class D state title victory the weekend before, and Monticello senior Evan Waterton earned a spot as well due to his 3rd place finish in Class B.

The narrow, hilly course did not provide as much opportunity for passing, so it was pivotal to get ahead of the pack from the start. Both Adam Furman and Evan Waterton did just that and, combined with their hard running, they each earned a top-10 finish. The two finished 7th and 9th respectively.

Aside from Furman, the other Tri-Valley runners got caught in the pack when the course narrowed around the 300-meter mark.

According to Tri-Valley coach Chip Furman, “That inability to move really hurt our scoring.”

The work that the Bears have been putting in has been paying off, with a both a State Championship and a team invitation to the Federation Championship, both firsts for a Tri-Valley boys’ team.

Coach Furman had done his best to prepare the Bears for the championships.

“I purposely put the team in some major invitationals throughout the season so they could get a chance to see big time competition. With each weekend invitational the team gained more confidence.”

Evan Waterton from Monticello has similarly found success in various races and meets. He finished 3rd in the Class B State Championship last weekend, and the Class B winner last week, Gitch Hayes, won the Federation Championship as well.

Rick Sternkopf, Monticello’s cross country coach said, “Each week the races get more and more selective, so we’re pleased at the fact that we’re still able to run.”

Thanks to top-10 finishes by both Furman and Waterton, the two will be racing next weekend in The Marty Lewis Championship Boys race in the Eastbay Northeast Regional event at Van Cortlandt Park. The first ten runners to cross the finish line in that race will earn a trip to San Diego, CA for the Eastbay National Championship Race on December 11.

Tri-Valley will also be sending Craig Costa and Van Furman to Van Cortlandt Park to run in the Freshman/Sophomore race.

While speaking about how proud he was of Evan’s accomplishments this season, Sternkopf mentioned the Bears as well. “Adam (Furman) is having a heck of a season, hats off to the entire Tri-Valley team.”