Valley welcomes back ESGs

POUGHKEEPSIE — Just three days after the 2008 Empire State Games concluded in Binghamton, the 51-week countdown to the '09 Games kicked off today.

Fred Smith, the Games' executive director, joined local officials in unveiling the logo for next year's event, seen here.

Standing under a gazebo-type structure at Marist College's Longview Park, Smith and others talked about the great job Hudson Valley did in 2005, the first time the region hosted the Games.

“There wasn’t anything I wasn’t impressed with, and I’m very serious about that. We really had no problem,” said Smith, adding the local organization and execution of the 2005 Games sped up the event’s return to the region. “I think that we’re back — or going to be back — four years later kind of speaks to that directly. It wouldn’t have happened so quickly if we weren’t so impressed by everything that went on.”

"Good night, Binghamton!"

BINGHAMTON — The 2008 Empire State Games have officially concluded, as executive director Fred Smith just presided over the closing press conference here at Binghamton University.
"We couldn't be more pleased about our event here in Binghamton this year," said Smith, seen here at right, next to local organizers.

Not that the work is over.

Smith and ESG officials will hold a press conference later this week at Marist College, when they'll unveil the logo for next year's Games, which will be centered at our area.

“I’ve got a meeting down there Wednesday,” he said. “I’ve already had meetings with folks in Hudson Valley. … The work starts easily two years in advance, sometimes more.”

Valley 2nd in team medal count

BINGHAMTON — Hudson Valley has won 13 totals in team sports during these Games, the second-most of any of the six regions.

Western is tied with the Valley, having also won 13 team medals.

While Long Island's 18 total team medals leads the standings, Hudson Valley has won seven gold medals in team events, the most of any region.

Breaking down the team standings, Hudson Valley has won seven gold medals, a silver and five bronzes.

Open soccer teams take 4th place

BINGHAMTON — Both the men's and women's open soccer teams lost in today's bronze-medal games.

The men fell to Long Island, 2-1, using a goal from Wayne Storms.

Hudson Valley's women lost to Adirondack, 3-1, as Lauren Trinkoff's goal thwarted the shutout attempt.

Men's hoops falls short of bronze

BINGHAMTON — Marist forward Ryan Schneider scored 14 points, but his open men's basketball team lost to Central, 78-76, in the bronze-medal game.

Schneider (seen here) hit four three-point field goals in the close game. He's participated in previous Games, representing his native Yorktown.

Brett Harvey's 22 points led Hudson Valley, while teammate Jonathan Huffman matched Schneider's 14 points.

In addition to hosting a sports-talk show on the campus radio station, Schneider also broadcasts many Marist women's hoops games on the Red Foxes' on-campus radio network.

Open women hoopsters take 3rd

BINGHAMTON — Marist College guard Julianne Viani scored 16 points as her Hudson Valley open women's basketball team beat New York City in the bronze-medal game.

A graduate of Our Lady of Lourdes High School, Viani (seen here with the Red Foxes) sank a trio of three-pointers to help her team win.

A future teammate of Viani's, Marist recruit Emily Stallings, scored three points in the victory.

Marist forward Maria Laterza poured in six points toward the winning cause.

Scholastic women win hoops gold

BINGHAMTON — Hudson Valley defeated Central, 69-62, in the gold-medal game of the scholastic women's basketball tournament.

Hudson Valley needed overtime to win gold, taking its first lead in the extra minutes.

Beacon High School's Kara Tancredi (seen here driving to the hoop for the Bulldogs in a sectional matchup) scored nine points in the win.

Poughkeepsie's Teneka Whittaker added six points.

Central led, 28-24, before Hudson Valley mounted its comeback en route to the gold medal.

JJ's Dennett helps HV win gold

BINGHAMTON — John Jay High School's Jade Dennett scored an insurance goal for the Hudson Valley's field hockey team, which won the gold-medal game, 2-0, at Vestal High School.

Scholastic men play golden soccer

BINGHAMTON — John Jay High School's Jake Keegan, Arlington's Cody Farrier and Spackenkill's Josh Maley each helped Hudson Valley win the gold medal by scoring goals in the second half of the championship contest, in which Hudson beat Long Island, 4-2.After leading Spackenkill to the state Class B crown last fall as a senior, Maley said Hudson Valley's teamwork — not to mention its ability to rally late — led to Sunday's win.

“We came back every game,” the team's captain said, “but on top of everything, this team is made up of guys from seven different high schools around the Hudson Valley. It’s just a bunch of amazing guys; we all clicked. You’ve got state championships, all kinds of characters on this team.

“We really came together, a lot of team chemistry, and that’s really what it’s all about.”

LaGrangeville resident takes silver

BINGHAMTON — Rachel Pierantozzi was part of Hudson Valley's scholastic women's 400-meter relay team which took second place in Saturday's finals.

The LaGrangeville resident teamed up with runners from Mount Vernon, Yonkers and Spring Valley to finish the race in 48.93 seconds.

Central just edged out Hudson Valley to win the gold medal in 48.85 seconds.

For more on Rachel, who will return to Millbrook High School in the fall, here is a preview story we ran in the Journal leading up to the Games.

More on HV/Adirondack baseball

ENDICOTT — Here's another view of the field that greeted players, coaches, officials and spectators when the storm at Union-Endicott High School died down.Parts of the field were actually under, thus rendering the diamond unplayable tonight and, officials said, tomorrow until noon at the earliest.

With that in mind, ESG officials called off the game and awarded the gold to Hudson Valley, though Steve Greller had another idea.

Even before the final decision was announced, Greller told me he was in favor of awarding each team gold — this despite the fact his team was ahead by two runs at the time the game was stopped.

“I liked the idea of giving both teams medals,” said Greller, a LaGrangeville resident, “but the state has decided that is not an option and they will base it on the seeding.”

As a result, Hudson Valley, which had lost the past two ESG gold-medal games against Long Island, returns home as the only team to receive gold, as Adirondack was awarded silver.

Valley baseball takes home gold

ENDICOTT — Officials have conferred and awarded Hudson Valley's baseball team gold medals following tonight's dangerous storms.In short, tonight's weather left the field here at Union Endicott High School (not to mention most around the area) unplayable and ESG officials determined under the circumstances, the tournament could not continue at a reasonable time tomorrow.

As a result, Hudson Valley, which claimed the top seed in the standings following several tie-breakers, was awarded the top award.

"Hudson Valley wins the gold. Adirondack takes the silver, based upon the field conditions," said state baseball chairman Drew Marino, a Mahopac resident. "What happened was, we had a three-way tie for first (between Hudson Valley, Adirondack and Central) and then all the teams were 1-1 and then it went to run differential.

"So that's what happened. We had a rain-shortened tournament."

Gold-medal baseball weather update

ENDICOTT — Big thanks to my colleagues in the information center (you might know it as the newsroom) for passing along the message: The gold-medal baseball game is currently delayed because of weather.As you can see, the tarp is on the mound and home plate here at Union-Endicott High School, as the rain continues to pour.

There was a delay in an earlier game here today due to thunder and lightning; and we've got that, too, here this evening to accompany the precipitation.As you can see from the above map, compliments of the Weather Channel, much of the state is experiencing showers. On their Web site, the Weather Channel announced a severe thunderstorm warning until 8 p.m.

You know you're in for it when the Weather Channel Web site tells you this: IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM... SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS! (And that's a direct quote — capital letters and all — copied and pasted from their site.)

So sit tight, baseball fans, as we may be in for a long night!

Hudson Valley baseball team in rain delay

The Hudson Valley baseball team leads Adirondack, 2-0, in the second inning, but are in a rain delay.

Hudson Valley scored twice in the first on a bases-loaded hit by pitch, and a bases-loaded walk.

For more updates, please check this blog later.

Baseball tries for gold

BINGHAMTON — As Lorac was kind enough to point out before I could post it, Hudson Valley reached this evening's gold-medal baseball game.
Speaking to Hudson Valley coach Steve Greller, though, he said the game will likely start a little after tonight's scheduled 6 p.m. first pitch, as the earlier Adirondack-New York City game ran a tad late.

More updates will be coming as warranted...