The 200 yard Medley Relay team of Caroline Laskowski, Annie Zhu, Aileen Pablo and Sarah Bouzarouata qualified for the state meet with a PSAL record time of 1:53.41 in their November 5th quarterfinal meet against Fort Hamilton, a meet the Lady Engineers won 60-37.  The Lady Engineers finished second in the PSAL meet behind Stuyvesant of Manhattan.

Bouzarouata also qualified for the state meet in the 50 yard freestyle (25.35, set on Sunday in the finals of the PSAL meet when she placed second in the 50 yard finals behind Rachel Cho of Benjamin Cardozo of Queens) and 100 yard freestyle (55.03, set on Sunday during the preliminary meet of the PSAL meet).

Zhu, who is a member of the USA Junior National Team, qualified for the state meet in the 500 yard Freestyle during the regular season, with a time of 5:01.10, and the 100 yard Breaststroke with a time of 1:04.99.  Both times were set during a October 15 meet against Curtis of Staten Island.

Stuyvesant and Brooklyn Tech will face each other in the PSAL team championship meet on Tuesday 4:00 p.m. at CUNY/Lehman College in Bedford Park, The Bronx.

(IF YOU GO to the PSAL Meet at Lehman College: CUNY/Lehman College is located within walking distance of the Bedford Park Blvd./Bedford Park station on the #4 train and within walking distance of the Bedford Park station on the (B) and (D) train.)

BRONX -

Brooklyn Tech edged Curtis by one point to capture the team title for the first time since 2001, 80 to 81.  Curtis was led by Jason Stapleton, who captured the Boys’ Individual Championship with a time of 16:43.47.  However, The Engineers captured the team title with strong performances by Michael Coogan, who finished in 3rd with a time 17:00.61, and Zakaraiah Malik, who finished in 8th with a time of 17:23.64.

The Engineers were also helped by strong performances by Chonn Cadiz (21st), Omar Griffin (22nd), and Brandon Seabrook (26th).  Their respective finishes were enough to hold off the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th best times from Curtis.

The team championship is determined by taking the top five finishers from each team and adding the sum of the finishes (ie. 1st place = 1 point, 2nd place = 2 points, 3rd place = 3 points, etc.).  Curtis’ runners placed in 1st, 13th, 15th, 25th, and 27th place; Tech’s runners placed in 3rd, 8th, 21st, 22nd, and 26th.

Seabrook finished exactly one second ahead of Curtis’ 5th fastest runner, Miguel Orea, thus allowing the Engineers to clinch the title.  Had Orea finished ahead of Seabrook, Curtis would’ve captured it’s four team title in the past eight years (Curtis won the team title in 2002, 2003, and 2006).  Finishing in third place was the team from McKee High/Staten Island Tech, last year’s champions, while Bronx Science captured the final state qualifier slot.

The top four teams, along with the top 12 racers who are not members of the state qualifier teams, will compete on Saturday at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, Dutchess County.

TOP 30 FINISHERS – PSAL BOY’S CROSS COUNTRY MEET, VAN COURTLANDT PARK, THE BRONX

1. Jason Stapleton, Curtis/Staten Island – 16:43.47
2. Daniel Hyman Cohen, Stuyvesant/Manhattan – 16:58.70
3. Michael Coogan, Brooklyn Tech – 17:00.61
4. Raul Avalos, Susan Wagner/Staten Island – 17:02.61
5. Mark Dressman, William E. Grady – 17:13.80
6. Sammy Lazhir, Paul Robeson – 17:17.81
7. Joseph Carlin, McKee/SI Tech – 17:21.48
8. Zakariah Malik, Brooklyn Tech – 17:23.61
9. Hao Zhou, Bronx Science – 17:24.04
10. Younes Benzaid, William C. Bryant – 17:24.96
11. Scott Rizzo, McKee/SI Tech – 17:26.43
12. Matthew Heath, Clara Barton – 17:28.08
13. James Bowen, Curtis – 17:35.34
14. Konrad Surkont, Stuyvesant – 17:37.93
15. Michael Gale, Curtis – 17:43.02
16. Hugh Prince, Thomas Jefferson – 17:44.57
17. Shevaun Marsh, William E. Grady – 17:48.74
18. Stephen McNamara, Bronx Science – 17:51.89
19. Gavin Henry, Midwood – 17:52.49
20. Aaron Somoroff, Bronx Science – 17:54.10
21. Chonn Cadiz, Brooklyn Tech – 17:55.33
22. Omar Griffin, Brooklyn Tech – 17:56.50
23. Jonathan Dixon, Midwood – 17:56.81
24. Steven Popper, Tottenville/Staten Island – 17:58.14
25. Kyle Hannafin, Curtis – 17:59.98
26. Brandon Seabrook, Brooklyn Tech – 18:01.94
27. Miguel Orea, Curtis – 18:02.94
28. Tyler Eckel, McKee/SI Tech – 18:04.36
29. Christopher McSorley, McKee/SI Tech – 18:04.94
30. Tozar Roberts, Curtis – 18:05.55

• Qualified for states as part of top four team finish
• Qualified for states as runner not part of one of the top four teams

Wayne LaRoche of Martin Van Buren High School in Queens is the 12th state qualifier after capturing the Individual Varsity championship with a time of 17:18.51.

TOP 10 TEAMS - PSAL BOY’S CROSS COUNTRY MEET, VAN COURTLANDT PARK, THE BRONX

1. Brooklyn Tech, 80
2. Curtis, 81
3. McKee/SI Tech, 124
4. Bronx Science, 134
5. Stuyvesant, 151
6. Tottenville, 223
7. Midwood, 242
8. Thomas Jefferson, 304
9. William E. Grady, 333
10. Paul Robeson, 376

IF YOU GO: Bowdoin Park, site of the 2009 State Federation Cross Country Championships, is located on Sheafe Road in New Hamburg, Town of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County.

Driving from Brooklyn, go eastbound on the BQE to the Triborough (RFK) Bridge, then take I-95 North to the Hutchinson River Parkway.  Follow the Hutchinson River Parkway to I-684 North just east of White Plains, then take I-84 westbound towards Newburgh.  Take Exit 13-N (U.S. 9) from I-84. From light at exit, proceed approximately 9 miles north on U.S. 9 to traffic light just beyond the Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall (get in FAR LEFT lane.) At light (U.S. 9 & Spring Rd.) you will make a left onto Post Road (Hudson Motors is on left) and go to bottom of hill to stop sign. At stop sign make a left onto Sheafe Road. Follow Sheafe Road for about 2 ½ miles to Bowdoin Park’s entrance on right just after Chapel (directions from Dutchess County web site).

Bowdoin Park is located 1.3 miles to the northeast of the New Hamburg Rail Station on the Metro-North Hudson Line (PDF file, Adobe Acrobat required).  The weekend round trip fare from Grand Central Terminal to New Hamburg is $26.00.

From the Metro-North Station, walk to Main Street, then turn left on Main Street away from the center of New Hamburg.  Walk 0.6 miles (Main Street becomes Channingville Road) to Sheafe Road; the Channingville Deli will be at the corner on your left.  Walk 0.6 miles north on Sheafe Road to the entrance of Bowdoin Park.