Nolan McGinn, Emily Bush & Kinetic RC Extend Historic NXN Legacies At Bowdoin Park

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

John Nepolitan Photos - BOYS | GIRLS

Without a clear favorite in New York boys cross country this fall, Saturday's NXR New York boys title was as up-for-grabs as any in the country. 

Saratoga Springs had beaten Monroe-Woodbury on a tiebreaker in the New York Class A state meet. Monroe-Woodbury had come back the following weekend to take Feds. 

The battle for the NXR title in New York's third de facto state meet of the month came down to two points. MWXC edged the Auburn Pulsars, 78-80 for the win. Both groups qualified automatically for Nike Cross Nationals. 

Was the winning margin captured in John Nepolitan's photo (above), when Oliver Jibb of MWXC squeezed out half a second of space over Ryan Maher of Auburn Pulsars as the two runners finished eighth and ninth?

Or was it won in countless other passes across the up-and-down terrain of Bowdoin Park?

Fortunately for Auburn Pulsars, second was practically as good as first. Both clubs qualified for their first NXN. 

Nolan McGinn, competing unattached, ran away from the field and won the individual title in 15:57.8. The senior from Fayetteville-Manlius will ensure that his school is represented and that coach Bill Aris has another reason to come back to Portland.

McGinn, who has not lost this fall, was fifth in the NXR New York regional last year and finished 81st at NXN.

"I didn't see myself as the favorite," McGinn said. "I know that there are very talented runners in New York state and there are great competitors in New York state. You always have to take them seriously and I knew that I had to put forth my best effort, or close to my best effort, out on the course today."

Jake Gogarty, Shane Golio, Bobby Mayclim and Matt Windecker all earned spots on the NXR starting line by placing in the top five. 

Kinetic RC Girls Qualify For 16th NXN

Emily Bush will continue to make history at Nike Cross Nationals when she competes in the championship meet for the fourth time, despite missing two years due to the pandemic. 

Bush, who made her debut on the Kinetic roster as a seventh grader and was part of team championships in 2019 and 2022, led her team through the NXR New York regional and won the race for the second time in her career, in 18:09.5. It was almost identical to her winning time in 2021 (18:09.3). 

"The whole way I was trying to gain as much of a lead as I could and take very step with intention, and put in those surges before the spots where the course gets narrow in those bottlenecks," Bush said. "I tried to do everything I could to have my best race for these girls."

Bush and her senior teammates, Alycia Hart (fourth) and Anya Belisle (sixth) helped power the team to 42 points. 

Elm Ave AC took the second spot, as expected, with 62 points. The runners who attend Bethlehem Central will return to NXN as well. 

Elm Ave put four runners between 14th and 21st, led by freshman Anna Chrapowitzky. 

Sophia McInnes managed to stay connected to Bush the longest. Bush's lead extended on the downhills in the second half of the race. McInnes was second in 18:25.0. 

Freshman Tsadia Bercuvitz of Finger Lakes Running Company was third in 18:40.0, Emilia O'Leary from Aurora Runners was fifth, eighth-grader Cali Gabrielson from Mt. Sinai finished seventh and Sarah Lawson from Corning Track Club was eighth to latch onto the final qualifying spot.