by Ryan Mosher
In September Casey Gilbert ran his very first cross country race ever. Now, just two months later, the Berlin senior has been crowned the Patroon Conference Champion as well as the Section 2, Class D Champion. This past weekend Gilbert, along with teammate Cody Blain and Kelsey Demick and Ashley Rokjer from the girls team traveled to Long Island for the New York State Championship race.
The races were held at Sunken Meadow State Park, with a 5K course known as one of the toughest in the entire country.
In the boys race Gilbert started off the race in the top of the pack in about 10th place as they hit the one mile mark. By the time the runners came down the steep, curving hill appropriately named “snake,” he had moved up into a smaller pack and was in 7th place. Blain was in the middle of the pack not too far behind. As the race headed toward the toughest part, a long, steep hill called “Cardiac,” Gilbert moved up to 5th place. With 800 meters to go the runners emerged from a small dirt path with a straight shot to the finish. Gilbert came out several seconds after the second place runner in a group with three others. Putting everything he had into sprinting that last section he crossed the line at 17:23.3, taking third place, the best finish by any Berlin runner at any State cross country championship race. Blain would sprint past several runners in the last several meters before the finish line, taking 63rd in 19:18.1.
Demick and Rokjer went off in the second girls race, along with Section 2 Team Champion Greenwich. The course proved tough for the Lady Mountaineers as they battled with the other top runners from across the state. Demick, competing in her third State championship finished in 50th place with a time of 23:10.8.
Rokjer, in her second state championship race, finished 59th with a time of 23:22.27.