Irvington Girls, Dobbs Ferry Boys Capture League Championships

At long last, Dobbs Ferry  has avenged last year's league loss to Irvington and emerged as 2010 League III-C champions.

The Eagles were led by wunderkind Brendan Wortner, who coasted to a first-place victory.

Wortner was stalked throughout the Bulldogs' 3.1 mile home course by teammate George Epstein, who wound up in second place.  

While the Eagles' top two finishers placed first and second, their supplementary pieces placed high enough to overcome the depth of Irvington.

 In the end, the Eagles eked out an ultra-tight championship race victory by one single point. Dobbs Ferry piled up 46 points. Irvington took second place with 47.

Hastings trimmed their overall score down to 61, while Ardsley followed with 81. Woodlands, known for their prowess on the track and field circuit, finished with 192 points. Children's Village posted 196.  

The Eagles exacted a measure of revenge on Irvington.

 The Bulldogs won the league meet last season, buoyed by a first-place finish from 2009 Westchester County and Section I champion Julian Saliani. Saliani is now a freshman at Johns Hopkins University, where he's emerged into a top-five finisher for the reputable Division-III Blue Jays.  

"It's got to do with all the hill training that I've done recently," said Wortner, who would burst through the finish line in 17 minutes, 49 seconds.

  "You just put your mind to it and anybody can do it. I wasn't intending on going for the (course) record, but at least I came close and I'm really glad about that. It is pretty crucial that we took those first two spots but the rest of your team is pretty important too. In some races, it all comes down to the sixth man. That's usually the deciding factor. All of the team was important, but I think the 1-2 spot was pretty good."  

The race culminated in a rare 2-2-2-2 deal from the Rivertowns teams.

 The quad village squads made their presences known as they captured the top eight spots in the meet.

It was a strong indication of just how close and evenly-matched the teams are this season.  

Brandon Wortner and Epstein (18:13) jumped out to the front of the 5K challenge, dictating the tempo throughout.

Hastings' senior standout Jared Scharf (18:19) and eighth-grader Jamie Caballos (18:47) kept Hastings in striking distance of the leaders by placing third and fourth, respectively.

Irvington's Denis Montaruli (18:48) and Tara Daivey (18:56) held down the fifth and sixth spots. Seventh and eighth place finishes belonged to Ardsley's Steven Sklar (18:57) and Tommy Foley (18:58).  

An injury to Irvington's stellar junior Tom Lindberg had a significant impact on the race. Lindberg, who has emerged into Irvington's top runner this season, suffered a viral infection and was advised by doctors not to compete in the event.  

Wortner pushed into first place during the first 300 meters of the 5K. He established a tight lead on a curve, as the troops darted off into the woods.

Wortner then gradually picked up his pace, extending his stride and fending off the pack. Wortner had a boatload of room between himself and Epstein and never relinquished that edge.

 The Irvington girls watched their streak of success swell, as Annie Field coasted to a first place finish and the Bulldogs' oceanic-depth overwhelmed the competition. 

Field was shoulder-to-shoulder with Dobbs Ferry's Sarah King (ninth in New York State Championship last season) for much of the race. As the two battled it out on the hill, however, Field made her move.  

Emerging from the course's trails near the Lollipop Loop, the two started picking up the pace and pushing themselves.

Field passed King at the course's gravel-encrusted hill and jetted out the remainder of the course.

She flew in front and ended up smoking everyone en route to staking her claim as the league champ.

Field, a senior, clocked a sizzling 20:11 to take first after finishing second to Sleepy Hollow's Katherine Doyle last season. In addition to winning the league meet, Field shattered her own course record to set a new high-water mark at Irvington.  

"It's a great accomplishment," said Field of both the individual and team championships.

"Mostly it shows what our team can do because we all placed where we needed to and you can see how excited everyone is. It just feels indicative of what we've done this season and what we've trained for."  

Field and King have gone eyeball-to-eyeball throughout the years, always placing high and competing for the top spot.

The two runners are close friends outside of the courses and races.  They even ran six miles together on Sunday, preparing for the biggest meet of the season up to date.

The friendly competition seems to aid the runners' progression, as the two have been constantly pushing each other's development.  

 "It's great that we're friendly off the course," said Field.  

When asked if she felt she owed King—who defeated her in last year's Sectional and State meet—from last season, Field explained that she wasn't really running the race for bragging rights.  

"From race to race, if she has a really good day, she'll win. If I have a really good day, I'll win. It goes back and forth."