Storm cancels state Federation cross country championships

The state Federation cross country championships, scheduled for Saturday in Wappingers Falls, have been canceled and will not be rescheduled, New York State PHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Zayas tweeted Thursday night.

“As a result of the winter storm and following the recommendation of the cross country organizing committee, the NYS Federation has had to cancel the 2018 Federation Cross Country Championship,” Zayas tweeted. “…It has been determined that the course will not be a suitable championship course for athletes and spectators. The meet will not be rescheduled this year.”

The Federation meet combines public and private schools and is known by some as the ‘real state championship.’ Former St Anthony’s runner Mason Gatewood won the boys championship last year. However, the meet is frequently skipped by many athletes who opt to run in national qualifiers held during Thanksgiving weekend. The Smithtown boys team, the top team on Long Island, which finished third in both Class A and the all-class merge at the state public school championships last weekend at Sunken Meadow State Park, were already skipping the meet in order to prepare for Nike Cross Regionals, scheduled for Nov. 24 at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, coach Peter Schieck said last week.

Long Island had two public school state champions crowned last week. Shelter Island’s Kal Lewis won the boys class D title and Mount Sinai’s Sarah Connelly took girls class B. Both Connelly and Lewis were entered to run in the Federation meet, according to leonetiming.com.