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FROM PRESS ROW: A CHRISTMAS WINTER SPORTS WISH LIST FOR SANTA (2021-12-25)

I know Santa, it’s been a while since you’ve gotten a letter from me.

As I’ve gotten older I haven’t been sending you a Christmas list of all the things I want this year.

Honestly, I’m pretty content these days. I have an amazing wife, an amazing family, and everything I could want.

But, maybe I can send you a list of some things I’d like for the upcoming winter sports season and you could help out with that?

The fall was a magical one for sports teams in this area.

You had an individual state champion in girls’ swimming and boys’ cross country and the Corning boys won the cross country team title.

You had sectional titles and league titles galore, and plenty of all-state selections.

So, what does the winter season hold?

Hopefully success just like the fall.

Here’s my sports wish list for Santa this year.

* A state title, or two, for Corning’s Ryan McNutt. The Corning season is off to about as dominating of a season as you can get. In the Hawks last meet, at Union-Endicott, he set four pool records in four events. He’s already qualified for states in five events this year.

Last year there was no state swim meet when McNutt was ranked first in the state and he was a part of a relay that set a state record. But, there wasn’t a chance to win state titles. This year the senior, bound for Penn State next year, has a chance to bring home state gold.

* Area basketball teams to continue these hot starts.

The Corning boys and girls are both unbeaten to start the year. The Horseheads boys are also off to a perfect start and the Elmira girls are unbeaten and have just one loss, to a top five ranked team in the state.

This year is shaping up to be a special one for area teams, and let’s wish for a couple of sectional titles, and some success at the state level.

* The continued development of some of the area’s up-and-coming stars.

Corning sophomore Isaiah Henderson is averaging over 20 a game for the Hawks to start the year. Notre Dame’s Shannon Maloney is putting up 20 a contest as a junior for the Crusaders.

Horseheads has a dominant duo in Amauri and Jeremy Truax, who are both underclassmen and Edison’s Payton Littlefield continues to score in double figures every game as a sophomore.

The future looks bright for area teams, and let’s just enjoy watching them grow and get better and better each game.

* Some more nights of raining threes from the Horseheads girls.

After 15 threes, 14 from Sophia Bonnell and Carly Scott, against Waverly the Blue Raiders look like a team that can shoot the lights out on any given night.

* More of the 1-2 punch of Jalea Abrams and Megan Fedor for the Elmira girls.

The two form one of the most dominant inside/outside combinations you will find.

Fedor has been a double-double machine, and has had multiple 20-plus point games, while Abrams had 40 points and seven threes last game, just one point and two threes of her sister, Zaria Thomas’ school records.

* More sub-15 second pins from Horseheads’ Gannon Johnston.

It’s been amazing to watch. Three dual meet matches, three pins in under 15 seconds for the Blue Raiders.

When you need just 29 seconds to win three matches, you know you are pretty dominant.

* Continued team success for the Horseheads wrestlers.

The Blue Raiders are state ranked, and they have already seen some of the best teams in the state.

Here’s hoping Horseheads stays healthy and wrestles at this level all year.

* More dramatic moments from Corning’s sports teams.

The wrestlers have twice won matches that came down to the final weight.

The boys’ basketball team beat Johnson City in overtime after Jackson Casey beat the buzzer with a three to force overtime.

There is nothing more fun than watching dramatic moments each game.

* Every area team to send swimmers to state swimming.

Corning’s McNutt has already qualified for states, but it’s not just him that you have to watch out for.

Horseheads has dominant swimmers, and Aaron Verkleeren is one of the best divers around.

Elmira has Jacob Rose, among others, looking to get to states this year.

Hopefully a number of area swimmers will make it to the state meet.

* Dominance on the track like we saw in cross country.

It was quite a fall in cross country. A state individual title, four state medalists for Corning individually and a team state title for the Hawks.

Elmira had three runners at states, Horseheads had one and Notre Dame had two qualify.

Many of those same runners are competing in the indoor track and field season, and hopefully they have a lot of success this season.  

* More great bowling by area teams.

Meghan Sturdevent of Corning is one of the best female bowlers in Section 4, and even the state, and all of the area teams have bowlers off to great starts to the year.

* Let’s call this an add-on to the more great bowling. Let’s hope for in-person bowling matches.

Last year many teams had to bowl virtually, and it already has happened once for an area team this year.

Getting matches in, no matter how, is always good. But, virtual bowling isn’t really fair with different bowling centers having different lanes, some which are easier to score high than others.

Let’s hope that teams are able to make it through their seasons and are able to do it in person.

* Success for our area athletes at the college level.

Elmira grads Kiara Fisher and Zaria Demember-Shazer are already off to dominant starts at Division I Marist.

Elmira grad Tyler Moffe is having a strong season on the court for The Citadel.

Horseheads’ Brewster Marshall has been dominant for the Alfred men and swimmer after swimmer are finding success at the college level, with Molly Craig of Notre Dame and Horseheads’ Sophia Verkleeren both hitting provisional national qualifying times for Williams College.

And, as indoor track and field starts in college, there are a ton of high caliber athletes from area schools competing in college.

The fall saw athletes at nationals, and athletes win national titles on teams, and make national finals. Let’s hope for the same this winter.

* One request has to be for next year. Let’s have the Josh Palmer Fund Holiday Tournament back in all its glory next season. Losing it for a second year in a row is tough, and the players, the schools, and the community needs this tournament back next season.

* And, finally, Santa, please just make sure all the area teams are healthy and can have full seasons this year. After the shortened year because of Covid last year, a season without any interruptions would be amazing.


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