SECTION 4 CROSS COUNTRY: PAIR OF ELMIRA GIRLS QUALIFY FOR STATES (16 PHOTOS) (2024-11-08)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
CHENANGO VALLEY — In the past Ella Devlin was the younger runner going to states, learning from Vicky Mordvinova.

Now, Mordvinova is at Binghamton, and Devlin is headed back to states as a sophomore, but she’s not going alone as classmate Madelyn Wise qualified for states for the first time.

“I’m so excited, it’s going o be so much fun having her with me,” Devlin said. “It’s so nice. It’s so exciting to have another person on my team come with me and it’s great having other people to from other teams with us.”

Devlin learned a lot when she was younger and now she’s ready to share her experience.

“It’s just so amazing,” Devlin said. “V/icky taught me so much stuff, especially at states. To have someone to teach the same things to is just amazing.”

Devlin finished fourth at the Class A Section 4 Championship at Chenango Valley State Park to make states. She had a time of 20:12.50. Wise was sixth in 21:20.30.

“It’s a dream come true,” Wise said. “I have been waiting for this for a year.”

Having Devlin going to states with her helps Wise.

“It really does, it takes off a lot of nerves,” she said.

Devlin has dealt with injuries this year, but she ran one of her best races of the year on Thursday.

“I have this growth plate issue going on in my hip and it’s been bugging me but I just pushed through,” Devlin said. “By far, I think it’s definitely one of my best races because I had so many people around me, pushing me.”

A week ago Devlin won the last chance invite at Owego with Wise second. That meet gave the two some confidence going into sectionals.

“So much confidence, it helped a lot,” Wise said.

Wise was just trying to run hard at the end, not worrying about where she was in the field that much.

“I was just running, just trying to get through,” she said.

For Devlin as the race went on she realized she was running well.

“I just felt good coming through the first mile,” she said. “I looked down at my watch and I think it said 6:10 and I was shocked. I was like I better just keep this pace if I already did the mile with it.”

Elmira’s Mariah Faucett was 28th in 26:47.10.

For the boys Elmira was fourth at 117. Ithaca won at 22 points.

James Lovell led Elmira with a 24th place finish in 18:40. Ayden Coleman was 32nd in 20:08 followed by Jadon Lagonegro (21:15), Henry Mletzko (21:29), Jaydan Roberts (22:29), Aaron Skinkle (22:29) and Wally Ferriter (22:44).  
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE MEET:


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