While the Cooperstown boys cross country team's hopes of a sectional title were not realized, senior Sam Stults was able to fulfill his goal of qualifying for the state meet by virtue of his second place finish in the Section Three Championships last Saturday at East Syracuse-Minoa.

Stults will be a member of the Section Three team while also competing individually next Saturday at the state meet in Sunken Meadow, Long Island. Stults ran a time of 17 minutes and 19 seconds to finish second behind Richfield Springs' Kane Seamon, who won the D race with a time of 17 minutes flat.

"It's quite an honor for Sam," said CCS cross country coach Jessie Ravage. "He has been a member of the varsity for four years and was a first alternate last year, so this is a crowning achievement for him."

Ravage said Stults was able to meet his goal this year by putting in work during the summer months.

"Cross country seasons are made in the summer, not in the fall," Ravage said. "Sam put his time in and progressed as a runner. He's very pleased."

Ravage said times were slowed Saturday by poor weather and course conditions.

"The boys D race was the seventh race on the course that day, so conditions were muddy and slippery. Our goal was for him to finish second which he was able to do."

Saturday will mark the fourth straight year a Cooperstown boys runner has competed in the state meet.

The boys team, which finished 5th out of 15 teams with 138 points, had its sights set on a sectional title before the season began, but a variety of injuries and sickness during the season were too much to overcome.

"We had high hopes as a team and we were shooting high this year, but we just fell short of the mark for a variety of reasons," Ravage said. "We spent the season trying to overcome those obstacles but in the end we couldn't do it."

Ravage said that while the Section Three Championship race was run on a flat course, the state meet will be on a hilly course, which should work to Stults' advantage.

"Sam really enjoys running the hills, and that's his strength," Ravage said.

Other boys finishers at Saturday's sectional meet included Allan Guiney (11th, 17:59); Jake Conklin (26th, 18:42); Jimmy Stergas (43rd, 19:19); Dan Brassaw (73rd,20:13); Peter Matson (108th, 22:38); Ashby Martin (116th,23:58).

The CCS girls cross country team was led by Erin Sheldon's 22nd place finish with a time of 22:22. Sandy Phillips was 27th overall with a time of 22:29.

"Those were both good, solid races," Ravage said.

Other finishers for Cooperstown included Katherine Donnelly (63rd,26:09); and Liz Cramer (76th,27:31).