Archdiocesan XC Championships

Three hundred eleven runners participated in the Archdiocesan Cross Country Championships Nov. 14.

Here are the winners of each race:

PreK-K (.125 miles): Nia Podkalicki, NDA Girls, 50.9; Joseph Pagni, BSS Boys, 52.0. Grades 1-2 (.25 miles): Charli Cosentino, St. Clare Girls, 1:39.6; Luke Thevenot, Sacred Heart Boys, 1:38.6. Grades 3-4 (.5 miles): Maeve Reilley, St. John/Paul Girls, 3:31.7; Robert Genco, SJSTSJN Boys, 3:12.9. 5-6 Girls (1 mile): Ella DiStefano, St. Clare Girls, 7:07.8; Leonides Anzurez, St. Patrick’s Boys, 7:05. Grades 7-8 (1.5 miles): Danielle List, St. Aedan Girls, 9:28.2; Harrison Moeller, SJHA Boys, 9:27.5.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CYO NEW YORK

CYO Cross Country Championships Set for Sunday on Staten Island

The Archdiocesan CYO New York Cross Country Championships will be held at noon Sunday at Catholic Charities of Staten Island.

The event, open to runners in PreK through eighth grade, will support the Food Pantry of Staten Island.

Here are the winners of the recent CYO New York County Championships:

Kindergarten-Second Grade (400 meters); Girls–Ari Pennicooke, CYO Unattached, 1:25.5; Boys–Thomas Foley, CYO Club Boys, 1:16.8.

Grades 3-5 (1,500 meters): Girls–Grace Delaney, St. Aedan, 6:35.8; Boys–Declan O’Keefe, CYO Unattached, 6:31.8.

Grades 6-8 (2,000 meters): Girls–Danielle List, St. Aedan, 7:19.2; Boys–Michael Rynne, Iona Prep, 7:32.9. 

CYO Meet Raising Money for St. Dominic’s Family Services

CYO New York is holding a cross country meet on Sunday at 1 p.m. at St. Augustine’s in Ossining and will donate event fees to St. Dominic’s Family Services.

The Dominican Sisters from Blauvelt started St. Dominic’s Family Services in 1878, a charity that now provides foster care and prevention, developmental disabilities, mental health, therapeutic education and preschool services to some 2,000 children, adults and families in the Bronx, Orange and Rockland counties.

Children from the St. Dominic’s school community will be attending Sunday’s cross country event.

Visit https://e.givesmart.com/events/nOk/ to learn more about St. Dominic’s Family Services and to make a donation to the event raising money for the Friends of St. Dominic’s. Visit cyony.org to learn more about the CYO programs being offered in the archdiocese.

CYONY Suspends Indoor Activity Through End of 2021

CYO New York announced all indoor activity has been suspended until the end of the year and hopes to have a start date of January 15 for a season start date for indoor CYO activities.

“As the Delta variant has set us back to start this year, recently there have been positive signs trending in our favor,” said Seth Peloso, director of CYO New York in a letter to volunteers and participants on cyony.org. “Some may view this update as a setback, but know that the volunteer CYO parish coordinators/athletic directors have informed us of their current state of preparation for this season. 

“For the majority, they will need this time to prepare their volunteers, open or extend their registrations and organize their teams. For those programs that are ahead of the curve, we thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.”

Peloso added that updates will be provided around the first of each date and the start date may change.

“Though a January start date has been earmarked, if the conditions present a path forward to allow indoor activity in December and in consultation with the education office, we will communicate that in advance,” he said. “And of course, as we have learned throughout this pandemic, should things regress we will need to adjust accordingly.” 

Visit cyony.org for updates on CYO athletes in the archdiocese.

CYO Cross Country, Bowling Registration Open on Staten Island

Registration is open for CYO Staten Island cross country and bowling seasons this fall.

The cross country season begins Saturday, Sept. 25, and meets will be held at Clove Lakes and on the grounds of Mount Loretto. Contact Bob Smith at terrier72@aol.com or cyotrack@cc-si.org for more information.

Bowling will be offered on Monday, beginning Oct. 18 and continuing for nine weeks at Rab’s Country Lanes. Bowlers will compete in one of three divisions: kindergarten through second grade, third through sixth grade, and seventh and eighth grade. Visit http://www.sicyo.net/ to register and for more information.

CYO XC Starts Sunday

The CYO New York cross country season kicks off on Sunday at 1 p.m. at St. Augustine in Ossining.

CYO cross country is for runners in kindergarten through eighth grade. Runners will be divided into three divisions: kindergarten through second grade; third through fifth grades, and sixth through eighth grades.

This is the first of six meets on the fall schedule. Meets are scheduled for Sept. 26, Oct. 3 and Oct. 17 at St. Augustine.

The county championships are Oct. 24 at St. Augustine, and the Archdiocesan Championships are Nov. 7 at a site to be determined.

The rain date to make up a postponed meet is Nov. 14 at St. Augustine.

Visit cyony.org to register and learn more about the upcoming season.

Registration Opens for Cross Country

Registration is open for the Dutchess County CYO cross country program that will introduce basic running skills and techniques to runners in grades five through eight.

Runners will meet their coaches by the statue in front of Our Lady of Lourdes High School, 131 Boardman Road, in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Practices will be on Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m. starting Sept. 9 and continuing Sept. 16, Sept. 23, Sept. 30 and Oct. 7.

Contact Jill at philipbarj@ollchs.org for more information or to volunteer in the program. Click here to register.

Siegrist Preparing for Next Season

Maddy Siegrist is spending her summer improving a part of her game to give opposing defenses additional concerns when she steps on the floor with the Villanova University women’s basketball team during the 2021-2022 season.

“This summer I’m really focusing on my midrange game,” she told CNY during a lunch break at the Maddy Siegrist Girls Basketball Clinic at Poughkeepsie Day School in the Town of Poughkeepsie Aug. 16.

“I’m comfortable inside, I’m comfortable shooting the ball from three and getting those shots off. Just having the ball in my hands to create different shots is what I’m focused on.”

The Our Lady of Lourdes High School graduate, who also played in the St. Martin de Porres CYO program in Poughkeepsie, already has been a handful for Villanova opponents.

Read the rest of this story in this week’s Catholic New York or at www.cny.org

Photo by Chris Sheridan

CYO Halts Indoor Activities

Seth Peloso, director of archdiocesan CYO, announced there will be no indoor CYO activity during the months of September and October due to the rising trajectory in the number of COVID cases.

“Any indoor activity should be moved outdoors in a safe environment and follow outdoor COVID related guidance provided by the CDC and your local health departments,” he said on CYO.org.

Peloso added that CYO will plan to offer outdoor fall programming, but everyone must be prepared “for a range of possibilities from a delayed start, and even once again, the possibility of a suspended season.

Peloso expects to have another announcement with a plan of action around Oct. 1.

Rangers Great, Rod Gilbert, Dies at 80

Rod Gilbert, the NewYork Rangers all-time leading scorer known as Mr. Ranger, died Sunday at the age of 80.

Born and raised Catholic in the Canadian province of Quebec, Gilbert was honored in 2013 with the John V. Mara Sportsmanship Award at the 77th annual CYO Club of Champions Dinner in 2013. In 2018, he attended the CYO dinner where former Rangers goalie Mike Richter received the Mara Sportsmanship Award. Also in 2018, Gilbert was at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Rusty Staub’s Memorial Mass that also was attended by Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, former Mets owner Jeff Wilpon and Mets television analyst and former pitcher Ron Darling, former Mets manager and player Bobby Valentine, and former Mets John Franco and Lee Mazzilli.

“Growing up in a Catholic household, saying the Rosary once a week with my mom and going to Mass was part of my childhood and something that just to this day has remained with me,” Gilbert said at the 2013 dinner.

“When I came to New York, I came with my friend Frank Gifford (a former New York Giants star, a National Football League Hall of Famer and the 1963 recipient of the CYO Club of Champions John V. Mara award) to a CYO event and ever since then I’ve remained close to the organization,” Gilbert added. “The CYO represents a lot of good and I’m proud to be here tonight.”

Gilbert played all 18 of his NHL seasons with the Rangers, finishing with team records of 406 goals and 1021 points. His 615 assists are second to Brian Leetch’s 741.

Gilbert’s No. 7 was the first number retired by the Rangers. The eight-time NHL All-Star was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.

“Everyone in the Rangers organization mourns the loss of a true New York icon,” said Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury in a release from the team. “Rod’s remarkable talent and zest for life personified this city and endeared him to hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike. Growing up a young Rangers fan, one of the first names I ever heard about was Rod Gilbert – he was synonymous with Rangers hockey. It was an incredible privilege to get to know Rod. His passion and dedication to the Rangers will forever be a source of inspiration for me.”

Gilbert is survived by his wife, Judy; his children, Chantal, Justin, Holly, and Brooke; his grandchildren, Arielle, Owen, Kaya, Jordyn, Lila, Logan, and Damon; and his siblings, Jean Marie and André.