Cross-country: Mayclim, Pennachio, Somers, White Plains win at Westchester

Four years ago, Fred Singleton showed something special to the freshmen on his White Plains boys cross-country team.

It was the area of the school where poster-size photos hang of the Tiger teams that have won league, county and sectional titles.

Singleton told the kids, "You're going to be up there as county champion by the time you graduate."

Friday, a day before the Westchester County cross-country championships at Somers High, Singleton took those kids back to the photos and asked if they remembered what he'd told them.

They did.

"I told them, 'It's time to deliver,' and they delivered," Singleton said.

By a single point.

White Plains, which Singleton said, had been "chasing (Fox Lane) all season," edged the Foxes 111 to 112 to win its first county boys cross-country team title in 12 years.

Thirty-seven schools had the required five finishers to score in the team competition. Briarcliff was third, Bronxville fourth and Mamaroneck fifth.

With 255 boys finishing, Joey DeMilio (12th place, 16:48.5) was the Tigers' top performer, followed by Ronan Staab (13th, 16:49.1), Patrick Brown (18th, 17:13.2), Patrick Stanton (30th, 17:37.9) and Brian Mulvey (38th, 17:53.2).

"Numbers four and five won it for us," Singleton said, referring to Stanton and Mulvey.

Mayclim wins with personal-best time despite fall

Last fall, Bobby Mayclim of Lakeland/Panas crossed the finish in 62nd place at the state Class A championships bathed in mud after falling on the rain-soaked course.

Saturday, he slipped in mud on a downhill about 1.3 miles into the race and fell again.

But this time, 61 people didn't finish in front of him. In fact, no one did.

The junior not only won the boys varsity championship but did so clocking a big 16:01.2 personal-best for 3.1 miles.

At last year's counties on the same course, he was 21st in 17:15.1 and his best 3.1 time prior to Saturday was his 16::12.3 there earlier this fall at the Somers Big Red Invitational.

"It's just a mixture of good coaching and working harder in practices," Mayclim said of his improvement.

Of his race, he said, "I knew there would be a lot of competition going in. I was going out to give my all."

The runner-up, Fox Lane's Noah Bender, ran 16:09.

The rest of the top 10 included Mamaroneck's Sam Young (third, 16:20.4) and Matt Doherty (fourth,16:25.1); Rye Neck's Joe Lavelle (fifth, 16:29.4); Yorktown's William McCarthy (sixth, 16:38.6); Pleasantville's Alex Searle (seventh, 16:38.9); Iona Prep's Tommy Flynn (eighth, 16:41.6); Eastchester's Matt Thomson (ninth, 16:42.1) and Bronxville's Ellis Goodson (10th, 16:46.6).

Third-place team finisher Briarcliff's top runner was Kornel Smith (15th, 17:04.8).

Tusker girls win on home turf

Before the start of Saturday's girls race, Somers coach John Vegliante figured his team had a chance to win but more likely would battle for second, third or fourth place.

He's glad he was wrong.

With 23 schools scoring, Somers won its first ever county girls cross-country title, finishing with 79 points, 16 points ahead of runner-up Scarsdale.

Bronxville (152), Ursuline (160) and Eastchester (186) rounded out the top five.

"I think having the meet at home definitely helped their confidence," Vegliante said.

Cross-country at Bowdoin:Mayclim and Moroney star at 62-school Coaches Invitational

Manhattan College Invitational:Cornwall's Baloga, Mamaroneck's Doherty stand out among thousands at Manhattan

Lisa Edwards golden:How a local teacher's aide and track official became a world champion

The Tuskers' scoring five included Julia Aquilino (12th place, 20:02.3), Mia Sandolo (15th, 20:17), Julia Duzynski (17th, 20:33.5), Jessica Masterson (22nd, 20:46) and Kaeleigh Picco (23rd, 20:46.8).

While Vegliante liked the way they all ran, he pointed to Picco as having "smoked it better than she ever had."

Eastchester sophomore Pennachio gets biggest win

Eastchester sophomore Ava Pennachio won the 177-finisher race, clocking 18:46.1.

Prior to Saturday, Pennachio, who played soccer last year, had four second-place and two first-place finishes in big cross-country meets.

Still, she didn't expect to win counties.

"I have to credit my coach and my team," Pennachio said. "My coach and I were strategizing (pre-race). I was trying to stay with the top runners."

She did just that before taking over the lead somewhere between one-third and one-quarter of a mile to go.

"It is giving me a little more confidence," Pennachio said.

White Plains senior Sophie Ginsberg was the runner-up in 18:55.1.

"She's so awesome and so talented. I'm so happy for her that she broke 19 minutes," Singleton said.

The rest of the top 10 included Fox Lane's Morgan Eigel (third place, 19:07.7); Hastings' Caitlin Thomas (fourth, 19:35.4); New Rochelle's Ariel Esposito (fifth, 19:36.7); Pleasantville's Clara Shingler (sixth, 19:37.4); Bronxville's Lux Burgin (seventh, 19:41); Peekskill's Brianna Carter (eighth, 20.00.1); Fox Lane's Willie Cuono (ninth, 20:00.2) and Scarsdale's Alexandra Simon (10th, 20:00.4).

Fourth-place team finisher Ursuline's top runner was eighth-grader Kyleigh O'Keefe (18th place, 20:36.4).

Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at both @HaggertyNancy and at @LoHudHockey.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Cross-country: White Plains, Somers, Mayclim, Pennachio win