Speaking Of Sports
OHS Tennis Star Catan
Heads To State Tourney
ONEONTA – Tennis is far from over for sophomore Chris Catan, Oneonta’s ace player. He qualified for the State Tournament, which begins Thursday, May 30 at USTA’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens. He is the STAC and Section IV champion.
Golf
also has a qualifier for the State Tournament in Oneonta’s Evan Sitts. The senior, who is heading to York College (PA) to play golf this fall, is a 2-time STAC champion and will play in the state competition on June 2 & 3 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course at Cornell University. Cooperstown’s team won its third consecutive Section III small school title on May 21.
They will play in the CSC Tournament on May 30 after winning another CSC regular season crown.
In Cooperstown tennis, although no one qualified for the State tournament, the team won the CSC championship as well as the Section III C-2 title. Sophomore Will Weldon is the C-2 overall champion, as well.
Both Oneonta and Cooperstown baseball teams have qualified for sectional baseball, with Yellowjackets already winning their first game. They play their second round at Windsor on Tuesday, May 28. The finals are set for May 31 at Binghamton University.
Cooperstown comes into the sectional battle as the #2 seed and the CSC Division 2 champion. They played #15 Dolgeville on May 24 and won. 9-0. They play #7Frankfort-Schuyler on May 28 in the quarterfinals, at home. Semis are May 30, with the finals on June 2.
In softball, only Cooperstown is playing in sectionals. The Hawkeyes, also CSC D2 champion, begin sectional play as the #6 seed. They play #11 Waterville on May 28 in Cooperstown. The winner advances to the quarterfinals on May 30, with semis set for June 1 and finals on June 3.
In girls’ track & field, the State Qualifier for Section III is Friday at Cicero-North Syracuse. Cooperstown is bringing Nora Jensen (100 hurdles), Ireland Gable (100m) and Kara Gildea (high jump) as well as the 4 X 100m relay (Ashley Kiuber, Gable, Sam Vezza and Jensen). The girls are the CSC D2 champions and got 2nd in the C-1 meet last Tuesday.
Oneonta will bring several athletes to their qualifier on May 29 & 30, but the one with the best chance to advance to the State Meet is junior long jumper Morgan Jipson. Her leap of 17’ 3 1/2 “ at the Section IV class C meet on May 22 was a school record and if she can repeat it, may be her ticket to the big show. No one else is ranked in the top five at the meet.
In boys’ track and field, Oneonta’s Bradley Morell has already qualified to the State Meet via the new superstandard procedure. This allows for athletes who have a documented effort equal to the average of the 4th place finish over the past five years to qualify outside of the usual method. He has done that with his discus throw of 163’ 3” at the Yellowjacket Invitational. He has a good chance of qualifying in the shot put as well.
Oneonta will bring a few other boys to the meet, held on Wednesday and Thursday, May 29-30, but none are expected to move on. Cooperstown will bring Sam Lytel (400m) and Isaiah Johnson (pole vault and long jump) as well as the 4 X 400 relay team of Lytel, Johnson, Bradon Pullyblank and Antonio Stengler-Henson. The State Meet is at Middletown High School on Friday and Saturday, June 7- 8.