GRAHAMSVILLE— “Something’s coming, something good,” inform the famous lyrics from a West Side Story anthem. And indeed, there is something quite remarkable on the horizon.

Quietly, and with an intensity that defies description, the Tri-Valley boys are making it known that come November 13 at Chenango Valley State Park, they will be in the hunt for state glory as the gun goes off to start the NYSPHSAA Class D state championship race. It takes far more than wishes to attain such running superiority. It takes rigorous training, brilliant coaching, dedication and repeated encounters with top contenders along the way to assess performances and to make them better. Winning cross-country team titles means having an aggregate strategy for the whole squad, not just one or two top runners.

To that end, the Bears are trying to keep close together by ability so as to maximize point accrual. It’s working. Tri-Valley Coaches Van Furman and Tyler Eckhoff have it all mapped out not just in terms of the day-to-day agenda, but in terms of a road to states that will take them through a series of immensely competitive gauntlets. To that end, the Bears competed at the McDaniel-Baxter X-C Invitational, on the very course on which the state meet will be run. With 135 schools in their race, the Bears took first place on September 18, throwing down the gauntlet against contenders from schools large and small. The Bears outpointed the likes of Liverpool, East Aurora and Horseheads, the next three finishers, which are all Class A squads. In the day’s merged results, they finished eighth overall. Every team in front of them was a Class A School. Needless to say, when it comes to the Class D field in November, Tri-Valley’s chances for a top finish are looking better and better.

Coach Van Furman put the win in perspective: “Winning the team title at Pre-States in Chenango was a huge confidence booster for the boys team. We have put ourselves in the spotlight as a Class D favorite. Coach Eckhoff and I have been preaching to the team to not let up on our goal of challenging for a team State Championship. At this point we still have to do everything right. This includes training hard, staying healthy and working as a team through some big upcoming invitationals. The Bears are traveling far and wide and their local appearances are understandably few. In a meet against Livingston Manor, the harriers in blue easily outpointed the Wildcats 15-50. Team leader Adam Furman cruised to first with his teammates coming behind him in clusters. In the girls race, there were no team results but top finisher Amelia Mickelson continued to show her leadership despite a sparse girls field. (See results below for both the McDaniel-Baxter race and the local foray against Livingston Manor.)

The itinerary to states will include more high-profile clashes including races at Bowdoin State Park, site of the Federation Race following states, the Manhattan College Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park, the McQuaid Invitational in Rochester, at Burnt Hills and, of course, the OCIAA and Section 9 championships at Bear Mountain. Mix in a couple of local clashes with the likes of Sullivan West, S.S. Seward, Monticello and others and the table will be set for the Bears’ emphatic State-ment. The other fall sports such as football and soccer may grab more headlines, but when it comes to performances on the biggest of stages, nothing pre-empts cross-country.

The Tri-Valley Boys Varsity XC Team Placed 1st at the McDaniel-Baxter XC Invitational (Pre-State Meet) at Chenango Valley State Park on Saturday, September 18, 2021.

Individual results for the top 10 T-V finishers:

2. Adam Furman, 16:24.6; 6. Craigh Costa, 17:32.4; 11. Van Furman, 18:05.1; 17. Vincent Mingo, 18:34.5; 23. Caleb Edwards, 18:40.2; 75. Connor Weyant, 20:47.1; 76. Thomas Houghtaling, 20:50.4; 114. Stephen Johnson, 24:39.8; 125. Boe Mueller, 26:23.4; 131. John Woods, 32:50.5

Tri-Valley Girls Varsity XC Individual results:

38. Amelia Mickelson, 23:51.2; 59. Brynn Poley, 26:29.0; Chrissy Wachter, 37:35.7 Tri-Valley Varsity

Boys Defeated Livingston Manor 15-50 1. Adam Furman, TV, 18:07; 2. Vincent Mingo, TV, 19:25; 3. Craig Costa, TV, 19:25.2; 4. Van Furman, TV, 19:25.5; 5. Caleb Edwards, TV, 20:09; 6.Connor Edwards, TV, 20:32; 7. Zachary Dertinger, LM, 20:45; 8. Thomas Houghtaling, TV, 20:47; 9. Andrew Gaebel, LM, 22:15; 10. Daniel Aiello, LM, 22:22; 11. Stephen Johnson, TV, 25:03; 12. Boe Mueller, TV, 25:34; 13. John Woods, TV, 31.05

Tri-Valley and Livingston Manor girls did not field complete teams. 1. Amelia Mickelson, TV, 23:43; 2. Brynn Poley, TV, 28:54; 3.Jocelyn Mills, LM, 31:36; Chrissy Wachter, TV, 34:00