The Altamont Enterprise

Wednesday 19 June

Erwin Austin

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Class C state semifinals: Birds go down, swinging

Details: Published on Friday, 14 June 2013 20:35

By Jordan J. Michael

img 0031-web The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Bad surf: Geneseo’s Trevor Mothersell tries to jump over Voorheesville catcher, Jared Paigo, at home plate during the sixth inning of last Saturday’s Class C state semifinal at Broome Community College in Binghamton. Paigo is tagging Mothersell out after a great throw from center field by Nico Church, and Mothersell’s cleat cut Paigo’s head, forcing Paigo to miss a crucial at bat in the seventh inning. Mothersell, who was honored with a Sportsmanship Award before the game, was ejected for endangering the welfare of another player. The Blackbirds lost, 2 to 1.BINGHAMTON –– Jared Paigo sat in the dugout as a medic tried to stop the blood leaking from the top of his head. He was angry.

Voorheesville had two runners on the bases with two outs in the seventh inning, desperate for a run that would tie the game.

It was Paigo’s turn to bat, and he is one of Voorheesville’s best, but he was unable. Alex Minnick came off the bench, took a few practice swings, and made his way to the batter’s box to face Geneseo’s pitching ace, Ben Kelly, who came into last Saturday’s Class C state semifinal with an 0.09 ERA.

“I was confident that Alex could hit the ball, but I was very upset,” Paigo, Voorheesville’s catcher, said this week. “I would have gotten the ball in play, somewhere, but my opportunity was ruined. I watched Alex, but my season was already over.”

Minnick, a sophomore, played a lot during the beginning of the season, but hadn’t seen much time in the last month. Kelly’s first-pitch fastball blew by Minnick’s swinging bat as Mike Young and Kristian Singh stole third base and second. All Minnick needed was some contact, but he missed another fastball for strike two.

Former Guilderland lacrosse players reunite in big game, championship for three

Details: Published on Friday, 14 June 2013 20:25

By Jordan J. Michael

chp 0166-web Photo by Dan Santandrea
Warming up: Three Guilderland alumni –– Danny Santandrea, Eugene Sellie, and Aaron Cahill –– played in the Division II lacrosse championship on May 26 in Philadelphia. Here, Santandrea, right, works through pre-game drills for LeMoyne, which won the title, 11 to 10, over Mercyhurst.It is a small world, after all.

Aaron Cahill, Eugene Sellie, and Danny Santandrea are far removed from their days as Guilderland lacrosse players, but all three of them were on the field for the Division II Championship game last month in Philadelphia. Cahill and Santandrea were teammates for LeMoyne College, and they went up against Sellie, who will be a senior at Mercyhurst College next fall.

When athletes leave high school, they go in all different directions, but somehow Santandrea, who was in eighth grade when Cahill graduated from Guilderland, ended up at LeMoyne with Cahill, a graduate student. Sellie was a sophomore at Guilderland when Cahill was a senior, and spent one season as his Dutch teammate.

Stark a big hit with Ithaca College, team third in World Series

Details: Published on Friday, 14 June 2013 19:55

By Jordan J. Michael

photo 4-web Smooth swing: Guilderland native Luke Stark played in the 2013 Division III World Series as the starting center fielder for Ithaca College. The Bombers finished third in the tournament after a 5-to-4 loss to Southern Maine in 13 innings. Ithaca was down, 4 to 3, in the bottom of the ninth, and Stark extended the game with an RBI single.Luke Stark once thought about transferring from Ithaca College, but his love of baseball kept him at the school. His decision to stay paid off because he was a key player in the Bombers’ playoff run to the 2013 Division III World Series.

Stark, Ithaca’s starting center fielder, and a 2010 Guilderland High School graduate, came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning during the Bombers’ final World Series game against Southern Maine. Down to his last strike, Stark hit the ball past second base, bringing in the tying run.

Ithaca went on to lose in 13 innings, 5 to 4, finishing third in the World Series tournament.

Tedeschi finishes illustrious running career at BKW, will run for DePaul next

Details: Published on Friday, 14 June 2013 19:50

By Jordan J. Michael

tedeschiwall-web Winner’s wall: Berne-Knox-Westerlo senior Courtney Tedeschi has won over 100 races during her six-year career as a varsity runner in track and cross-country, including a state championship in 2012. Here, Tedeschi stands with records of all her accomplishments displayed in her Hilltown home. She will compete for Division I DePaul University next fall on a full scholarship.HILLTOWNS –– Courtney Tedeschi’s last race in a Berne-Knox-Westerlo uniform didn’t go as planned, but the gifted runner was a winner more than one-hundred times over during her six-year varsity career in both track and cross-country.

Tedeschi, a senior, who will compete for Division I DePaul University next fall, looked at her trophy wall this week and tried to count the exact total, but there were too many trophies, medals, and plaques to add up. She may be the best runner in Bulldogs’ history, female or male.

“I’d say 80,” Tedeschi said, counting her trophies from home. “Wait, 100 might be a safer bet…maybe 120?”

Some of those victories came by large margins; others by a few seconds. Tedeschi won the 2000-meter steeplechase Division II State Title in 2012, and ran in five straight state cross-country competitions, placing fifth in 2012.

Dutch playoff run ends, but ultimate goal achieved by winning Class AA title

Details: Published on Friday, 07 June 2013 20:31

By Jordan J. Michael

img 9412-web The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Happy day: Juniors Taylor Tewksbury, left, Abi Peck, middle, and Tori Greco celebrate Guilderland’s Class AA sectional championship softball win last Friday in Clifton Park. The Dutch beat Bethlehem, 8 to 3, for its first title in 15 years. Guilderland had 12 hits against Bethlehem.

CICERO –– It was an extraordinary season for the Guilderland softball team.

Last Friday, the Dutch captured a Class AA championship for the first time in 15 years, and the blissful celebration would have made the sourest person smile.

Guilderland was a fundamentally sound, hard-hitting, entertaining, and smooth-pitching team that was never out of any game.

That was all true until Cicero-North Syracuse’s Sydney O’Hara took the pitching circle in Cicero on Tuesday. After crushing 12 hits off Bethlehem pitching for a sectional title last Friday, the Dutch could muster only two knocks off O’Hara on Tuesday, and both came in the final inning.

The Guilderland players didn’t seem too flustered because they knew what they were up against. O’Hara is committed to Division I Syracuse, and threw major heat, fire that Guilderland hadn’t felt all season. Also, O’Hara helped her own cause by hitting a home run.

The Dutch were silenced, 7 to 0, but that Section 2 title is what will be remembered. Tuesday’s loss will be forgotten, used for future experience.

Heads were not down. Guilderland accomplished want it had wanted in the previous game.

Run for Women

Details: Published on Monday, 10 June 2013 20:48

dsc 0246-web The Enterprise — Tucker Seinberg-Hughes
Top contenders: Sarah Crouch, 23, from the United States, in front, and Diane Nukuri Johnson, 28, from Burundi, just behind her, pour it on as they race to the finish line in Saturday’s 5K Freihofer’s Run for Women. Crouch came in 14th with a time of 16:56 and Johnson was 16th with a time of 16:58. Johnson had spoken at Guilderland Elementary School the day before the race and encouraged kids to do their best.