by Kyle Lewis, Morgan Serkes, and Richard Furst
The Goshen Gladiators wrapped up a remarkable postseason with standout performances at both the Section IX and NYSPHSAA State Championship meets, highlighted by individual titles, school records, and history-making runs.
Junior Jackson St. Lawrence crossed the line in 15:53.0 to capture the Section IX individual title. He then finished fifth in at the State Championship with a time of 15:47.8, a new personal best and Goshen’s fastest-ever time at Queensbury. His performance led the Section IX Class B boys to capture first place among all sections.
On November 4, the team returned to Warwick for the Section IX Class B Championships, the final hurdle before States. Junior Jackson St. Lawrence delivered a dominant performance, taking control of the 3.09-mile race from the gun and never looking back. He crossed the line in 15:53.0 to capture the Section IX individual title and punch his ticket to the State Championship in Queensbury.
Teammate Shaun Brenner narrowly missed qualifying by just one second, placing 8th in 16:37.9, while Phoenix Andryshak (18:16.9), Caleb McCarty (18:48.9), Tanner Horn (19:00.1), Drew Gilbert (19:05.5), and Peter Marotta (19:19.6) rounded out Goshen’s top seven. The boys’ team finished 4th overall behind Cornwall, Lourdes, and Minisink Valley.
On the girls’ side, freshman Isabella Williams rose to the occasion, placing 6th overall in 19:32.7 to qualify for her first State meet. Fellow freshman Isabella Cruz (22:20.9), junior Emily Loftus (23:08.7), and underclassmen Brielle Jurik (24:15.7) and Anna Heater (24:47.8) helped the Lady Gladiators secure 4th place in the team standings.
A week later, St. Lawrence and Williams represented Goshen at the NYSPHSAA State Championships in Queensbury, where both athletes continued to impress despite frigid conditions.
Freshman Isabella Williams placed sixth overall in 19:32.7 at the Section IX meet to qualify for her first State championship. Williams then broke Goshen’s school record at the Queensbury course in 19:45.3 by almost 8 seconds, previously set in 2013.
Williams, seeded outside the top 60, ran with maturity beyond her years. She steadily moved through the field to finish 48th overall in 19:45.3, improving more than 20 spots from her pre-race ranking. Her time also set a new Goshen school record on the Queensbury course, breaking the previous mark of 19:53 set by Angelique Atlas in 2013, an outstanding debut for the freshman standout.
In the boys’ race, St. Lawrence proved once again that he belongs among the state’s elite. After hitting the mile in a swift 4:50, he maintained his pace and surged in the final mile to finish 5th in New York State with a time of 15:47.8, which is a new personal best and Goshen’s fastest-ever time at Queensbury. His performance led the Section IX Class B boys to capture 1st place among all sections.
St. Lawrence’s season will continue next Saturday at the NYS Federation Championship at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, where he’ll compete against the top runners from every classification across the state.
For both St. Lawrence and Williams, the postseason showcased the heart, determination, and rising talent within Goshen’s cross country program — a proud moment for the Gladiators and a promising glimpse of what’s to come.