Sports

The Elba Lancers, seeded #3 in the Section V D2 bracket, will continue their quest for another sectional title after beating Hammondsport on Saturday 61-49.

Dakota Brinkman scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Adrianna Long scored 10 points and Kennedy Augello, nine.  Haile Deville had 16 rebounds and three blocked shots.

The Lancers (15-6)  face #2 seeded Andover/Whitesville (17-3) at 6 p.m., Tuesday in Dansville in a semifinal match.

Photos by Kristin Smith.

The Golden Gophers beat Warsaw on Saturday to advance .. 

Pavilion's 46-23 victory was keyed by Lauren Kingsley's16 points and 11 for Karlee Zinkievich. Shea Amberger scorednine.

Pavilion (17-2), the #1 seed in C2, will play #4 Kendall (16-5) at 7:45 p.m., March 2, at a site to be determined in the sectional semifinal.

The Batavia Blue Devils, who entered sectional play as the #8 seed, with a losing record (7-13), upset #1 ranked Northstar Christian in the Class B1 quarterfinal at Northstar.

Batavia won 81-71.

Carter McFollins was on fire, scoring 34 points.  Javin McFollins scored 20 points, hitting six three-pointers, and Sawyer Siverling scored 10.

The Blue Devils, now 9-13, will face #4 seed Palmyra-Macedon (15-7) on March 2 at a time and site to be determined.

Merritt Holly, Jr., dominated and Le Roy advanced Section V Class B2 bracket with a 67-50 win over Haverling.

Holly scored 31 points.  Mitchel Hockey scored 17 points.

The Oatkan Knights are ranked #2 in the bracket and are now 15-6.  They take on #3 seed Myderse Academy (13-8) on March 2 at a time and location to be determined.

Photos by Jim Burns.

It was a see-saw game from the start and both #4 Byron-Bergen and #5 Keshequa entered the game with a 15-5 record in a battle for Class C3 in girls sectional game.  

The Bees lead after the first quarter by three and were down three at the half.  After the third quarter, Keshequa led by one and what appeared to be a neck-and-neck battle that could go into overtime did not.

The fourth quarter was all Keshequa, which played a scrappy defense to get the ball and score to secure for themselves for a victory and advance to the semifinals.

• Keshequa Libby Benner scored 12 points, Julia Wilkins 11, including a pair of three-pointers and three free throws.
• Byron-Bergen's Ava Wagoner scored 10 points. Dayanara Coballero scored eight.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

It was a packed house at Batavia Downs today for the first day of the Legends & Stars Sports Expo.

Dozens of vendors are selling sports memorabilia while sports stars, including some current members of the Buffalo Bills, are signing autographs.

At the autograph tables in these photos are Lee Evans, Willie McGahee, and Roscoe Parish.

Doors are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The Hornets are moving forward in their quest for a Section V Class C2 title after their win Friday over Kendall, 82-40.

Next up for the #2 seed Hornets (20-1), neighbors Pembroke (15-6, #3) at a time and place to be determined on Monday.

For Oakfield-Alabama:

• Kam Cusmano, 25 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
• Gaige Armbrewster, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals
• Kaden Cusmano, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
• Brenden Wescott, 12 points
• Kyle Porter, 9 points

"I was proud of the focus and effort of the team tonight," said Head Coach Ryan Stehlar. "We went up against a solid team and a great coach in Coach Zimmer.  He always has his boys prepared and ready to compete.  I have all of the respect in the world for him and the program he has built. We will enjoy this victory, but get back to work tomorrow and focus on the next game."

Angelo Pena and Mike Lang each scored 14 points to help lead the Elba Lancers to a D2 sectional quarterfinal win over Andover/Whitesville 67-30.

CJ Gottler scored 12 points and Zak Marsecill scored 10.

The Lancers will take on Jasper-Troupsburg at a time and site to be determined on Monday.

Photos by Kristin Smith.  For more, click here.

Photos below by Debra Reilly. For more, click here.

In boys basketball on Friday, Notre Dame took a quarterfinal playoff game over Houghton 79-31.

The Fighting Irish (18-3, seeded #1) will take on Romulus (12-9, #4) in a D3 semifinal game on Monday at a time and site to be determined.

Notre Dame led 50-15 at the half.

Ryan Fitzpatrick had 18 points while breaking the school record for three-point shots in a season, previously held by Mike McGee and Spencer Misiti. Jordan Welker scored 14 while Colin McCulley and Cody Henry each had 11. 

Photos by Jim Burns.

The Notre Dame girls beat Honeoye Falls/Lima in a quarterfinals match at home on Friday, 55-7.

The Fighting Irish (16-5, #2 seed) play Genesee Valley/Belfast (16-5, #3) at 6 p.m., Monday, in Letchworth for the Class D1 semifinal.

Lindsey Weidman scored 17 points, Emma Sisson scored 15 and had 10 steals, Maylee Green scored eight and had 15 rebounds.

Notre Dame dominated in their first girls basketball playoff game of 2022 with a 79-31 win over Houghton.

The Fighting Irish, seeded #1, advance to the D2 semifinal on Monday against Romulus (#4) at a site to be determined.

There are no stats available for the game.

Photos by Jim Burns.

Pembroke boys had an explosive second half to defeat Pavilion 68-45 in section five class C2 quarterfinal last evening.

• Junior captain Cayden Pfalzer led Pembroke with 23 points
• Guards Jon Suro scored 14 points including eight free throws and two three-pointers, Tyson Totten scored 13, Avery Ferreira scored 10 points.
• Zack Tillotson scored five three-point buckets and three free throws for Pavilion.

Pembroke #3 seed now 15-6 will play #2 Oakfield-Alabama this Monday, at a time and site to be determined

To view or purchase prints, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

The Notre Dame girls basketball team gathered today to let fans know they're ready for this evening's sectional playoff game against Honeoye Falls/Lima at home at 6 p.m.

The Irish enter the tournament as the #3 seed in the D1 bracket.

The Notre Dame boys team, ranked #1 in D2, plays at 7:30 against Houghton.

Also tonight in boys basketball:

• Elba (13-7) #2 plays Andover at 7 p.m., Friday, at Elba in the D2 bracket
• Byron-Bergen (12-8) #8 plays EMHCS at 7 p.m., Tuesday at EMHCS in the C2 bracket
• Oakfield-Alabama (19-1) #2 plays Kendall at 7 p.m., Friday, at O-A in the C2 bracket.
• Pembroke (14-6) #2 plays Pavilion at 7 p.m., Friday, at Pembroke in the C2 bracket

The Lady Irish have the only local girls game tonight.  Tomorrow's girls games:

• Pavilion (16-2) #1 plays Warsaw at 2 p.m., Saturday, at Pavilion in the C2 bracket
• Oakfield-Alabama (17-3) #3 plays Gananda at 2 p.m., Saturday, at O-A in the C2 bracket
• Byron-Bergen (15-5) #4 plays Keshequa (15-5) #5 at 1 p.m., Saturday, at B-B in the C3 bracket
• Elba (14-6) #3 plays #6 Hammondsport (10-9) at 2 p.m., Saturday at Elba

Photo submitted by Susan Woodruff.

Batavia started off the post-season with a win, beating Livonia 62-47 at home on Wednesday.

Carter McFollins scored 24 points and Javin McFollins added 17 to help lead the Blue Devils to victory in the Class B1 sectional playoff game.

The Blue Devils -- ranked #8 in the bracket and now 8-13 -- will take on #1 ranked Northstar Christian (15-3) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Northstar.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

In a first-round Section V Class C1 playoff game in girls basketball on Wednesday, Alexander beat Marcus Whitman 47-34.

Alexander is now 12-9 on the season. 

The Trojans -- ranked #7 in the bracket -- next face #2 ranked  Canisteo-Greenwood (15-5) at 2 p.m. on Friday in Canisteo.

Also in girls basketball on Wednesday:

Pembroke beat Perry 58-50 in Class C2. Karli Houseknecht scored 17 points, Allie Schwerthoffer 14 points and 10 rebounds, Elle Peterson eight points, and Sydney Johnson seven points.

Top photo: Senior Natalie Whitmore (22) jumping for a rebound. Photos by Philip Casper.

Sophomore Alyssa Kramer (5) 

Senior Natalie Whitmore (22) Breaking through the Marcus Whitman defense

Senior Natalie Whitmore (22) Looking to pass

Senior Samantha Sawyer (24)

Sophomore Alyssa Kramer (5)

Senior Samantha Sawyer (24) 

The GCC Cougars entered the postseason ranked #4 in the nation and kept their championship hopes alive with a 95-74 victory over the North County Community College Saints.

The Saints, based in Saranac, made a game of it in the first half but the Cougars pulled away in the second to secure the victory. 

In the first half, GCC was 0-11 on three-point tries while Saints hit 43 percent of their three-pointers.

​At the end of the first half, the score was Cougars 44, Saints 42.

GCC is 20-4 on the season.

As the second half began the Cougars found their game and slowly walked away from the Saints by hitting their shots, controlling the ball and pace of the game. The Cougars led by 20 with 10 minutes left in the game and easily maintained that lead for the duration. 

The Cougars will play again at home on Saturday at 2 or 3 pm to a team to be determined. Admittance to the game is free.

Anthony Grey was the high scorer for the Cougars with 16 points from off the bench and starter Jalen Willis had 15. 

For more pictures of the game go to jimburns.org

Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia will be hosting the 15^th annual Genesee Region USBC Association Tournament on March 18-20, 25-27.

All of the handicap tournament’s events – Four-Person Team, Doubles, Singles and All-Events – will take place at the 24-lane East Main Street establishment, with the Team competition on lanes 1-10 and the Doubles & Singles on lanes 11-22.

For the first time, the GRUSBC board has put in an entry deadline.

The deadline for the first weekend is March 12 and the deadline for the second weekend is 7 p.m. March 20. Entries must be paid in full and received by the GRUSBC office at 55 Edgewood Drive, Batavia, NY, 14020, by those dates.

First prize in the Open Team event is $1,000 guaranteed. Prizes in all categories in both the Open and Women’s Divisions will be paid on a 1:5 ratio.

The schedule is as follows:

• Friday, March 18, 7 p.m. (Team event only);
• Saturday, March 19, 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Sunday, March 20, 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Friday, March 25, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, March 26, 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Sunday, March 27, 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The entry fee is $30 per person per event. The All-Events fee (Team, Doubles and Singles scores combined) is $10.

CLICK HERE to download an entry form.

To reserve a spot, send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com.

Post-season for boys and girls basketball begins this week.  Here are the schedules for Genesee County's teams.

In boys basketball:

• Batavia (7-13), #8 seed, plays #9 seed Livonia (8-12) at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, in the B1 bracket
• Le Roy (14-6) #2 plays a team yet to be determined at 2 p.m. Saturday, at Le Roy, in the B2 bracket
• Alexander (7-13) #11 plays #6 Bloomfield (13-7) at 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Bloomfield in the C1 bracket
• Pavilion (2-18) #11 plays #6 Holley (10-10) at 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Holley in the C2 bracket
• Pembroke (14-6) #2 plays a team yet to be determined at 7 p.m., Friday, at Pembroke in the C2 bracket
• Oakfield-Alabama (19-1) #2 plays a team yet to be determined at 7 p.m., Friday, at O-A in the C2 bracket.
• Byron-Bergen (11-8) #8 plays #9 Red Jacket (11-9) at 7 p.m., Tuesday at Byron-Bergen in the C2 bracket
• Notre Dame (17-3) #1 plays a team yet to be determined at 7:30 p.m., Friday, at Notre Dame in the D2 bracket
• Elba (13-7) #2 plays a team yet to be determined at 7 p.m., Friday, at Elba in the D2 bracket

In girls basketball:

• Batavia (4-16) #7 seed plays #9 North Rose-Wolcott/Sodus (4-16) at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, at Rochester Prep CORRECTION: Batavia plays Greece Odyssey at home at 7 p.m. tonight in the B1 bracket
• Le Roy (6-14) #9 plays #8 Dansville at 7 p.m., Tuesday at Dansville in the B2 bracket
• Alexander (11-9) #7 plays #10 Marcus Whitman (9-10) at 7 p.m., Wednesday, at Alexander in the C1 bracket
• Pembroke 10-10 #7 plays #10 Perry (6-14) at 7 p.m., Wednesday, at Pembroke in the C2 bracket
• Pavilion (16-2) #1 plays a team yet to be determined at 2 p.m., Saturday, at Pavilion in the C2 bracket
• Oakfield-Alabama (17-3) #3 plays a team yet to be determined at 2 p.m., Saturday, at O-A in the C2 bracket
• Byron-Bergen (15-5) #4 plays Keshequa (15-5) #5 at 1 p.m., Saturday, at B-B in the C3 bracket
• Notre Dame (15-5) #3 plays a team yet to be determined at 7 p.m., CORRECTION: The game time has been changed to 6 p.m., Friday, at Notre Dame in the D1 bracket
• Elba (14-6) #3 plays #6 Hammondsport (10-9) at 2 p.m., Saturday

Article by Coach Nick Burk

The Batavia Indoor Track team competed at the A2 Section V championships on Saturday at Houghton College and the boys team came away with a 111 to 107 victory over 2nd place Newark and 13 scoring schools. This Sectional Championship is the 10th title for the Batavia Indoor boys team and the 26th Sectional championship for both the girls and boys Indoor teams.  Combined with our Outdoor Sectional championships, this makes 37 Titles for Batavia Track and Field!

The meet started out very strong with a 4th place finish in the 3200m by junior Nate Canale (10:28.56).  The 55m Hurdles was a big event for the Blue Devils with Junior Fabian Vazquez finishing 2nd (8.19), Junior Ifran Armstrong finishing 4th (8.62), and Senior Jesse Reinhart finishing 5th (8.79).  Next in the 1000m, Junior Cody Harloff crossed the line in 3rd place (2:45.96), and Junior Noah Pickard finished 4th (2:49.78), in the 1600m, Freshman Cooper Konieczny finished 6th (5:15.51), and in the 300m Sophomore Parris Price finished 6th (37.63).

In the Field events, Batavia had a dominant showing, specifically in Pole Vault with Junior Tyler Umlauf winning the event championship (11-0).  Senior Noah Burke finished 2nd (11-0), and Sophomore Owen Halpin finished 6th (9-0).

The throwers once again were well represented in this meet with Senior Austyn Fernandez taking 2nd in the Shot Put (44-2) and 4th in Weight Throw (47-10).  Senior Luke Geiger placed 2nd in the weight throw with a phenomenal toss (56-2). Senior Abel Hammer finished 3rd in the Shot (43-10) and Senior Dan Saeva finished 5th in Shot as well (41-7). Junior Parker Kleinbach finished 6th in the Weight Throw (44-9).  All together our throwers contributed 29 points in just two events towards our total score.

Other field event results included Fabian Vazquez finishing in 2nd in Long Jump with a new personal best jump (21-2), Jesse Reinhart finished in 4th in Triple Jump (40-10) and 4th in High Jump (5-7), and Senior Carter Havens finished 6th in Triple Jump (39-5).

All three relays were able to score demonstrating the depth and balance of our team this season.  The Boys 4x800 Relay of Cody Harloff, Noah Pickard, Dom Grillo (Junior) and Nate Canale finished 4th (9:30.32).  The 4x400 Relay of Carter Havens, Donavin Solis (Sophomore), Ifran Armstrong, and Cole Grazioplene (Sophomore) finished in 3rd place (3:42.87), and the 4x200 Relay of Fabian Vazquez, Aidan Anderson (Junior), Parris Price, and Cole Grazioplene finished in 3rd as well (1:36.46).

The strength of the Batavia program is that we've structured our team to be as competent across all of the events for track and field as possible.  We place great emphasis on developing hurdlers, vaulters, and throwers to compliment our accomplishments on the track.  Once again the depth of our team shined through in this meet and contributed directly to our 10th championship!

Not to be outdone, our Batavia Girls Indoor Track team had an incredible day and fell just 1 point short of their own championship. Canandaigua finished in first with 88 points, while our girls scored 88.  There were 13 total teams that scored for the girls as well.

On the Track Freshman Campbell Riley had an incredible meet winning the Sectional Championship in the 1500m (5:12.72) and placing a very close 2nd in the 1000m (3:10.43).  In the 3000m, freshman Izzy Scott finished in 5th place (11:44.19).  In the 55 Hurdles, Junior Abby Moore finished 4th (10.18).  In the 1000m Freshman Nicole Doeringer placed 4th (3:20.35), and Senior Olivia Halpin placed 6th (3:40.11). In the 1500m, 7th grader Mallory Boyce finished in 6th place (5:49.72).  All of our points besides one that was scored on the track were from girls who are underclassmen and will return next season.

In the Field events, specifically, the girls Shot Put we had arguably our best performance of the day from 8th grader Libby Grazioplene. Libby entered the meet seeded 15th in this event and ended up as the Sectional Champion with a personal best throw that was more than five feet above her previous best (30-5).  This was one of the most clutch performances we've ever had for Batavia Track.  Freshman Zenallah Simmons finished 2nd in Shot (29-6) and 6th in Weight Throw (32-2). Senior Emma Radka finished 4th in Shot Put (28-8),

Other field event results included Senior Gavin Konieczny finishing in 2nd in Pole Vault (8-6) and her sister, Junior Sydney Konieczny finishing in 4th in Triple Jump (31-0) and 6th in Long Jump (14-10). Sophomore Isabella Walsh finished 2nd in the High Jump (4-11).

The girls had a great showing in the relays also, demonstrating our team's depth.  The 4x800 Relay of Izzy Scott, Jadyn Boyce (Sophomore), Makayla Andalora (Senior), and Mallory Boyce finished in 4th (11:16.32).  The 4x400 Relay of Nicole Doeringer, Leigh LeFevre (Freshman), Noelia Ventura (Senior), and Campbell Riley finished in 3rd place (4:31.30), and the 4x200 Relay of Abby Moore, Layla Jones (Freshman), Sydney Konieczny, and Ella Shamp (8th grade), finished in 4th with a season-best performance (1:55.72).

The girls team came into this meet seeded to finish in 4th place by nearly 30 points to Canandaigua!  We ended up in 2nd place by one point and this was a truly amazing performance by our Lady Devils! So many of our girls contributors on this year's team are young and yet they displayed heart and determination like a much more veteran team would.  Our future is very bright with these young athletes.

Batavia track and field is proud to have competed so well in Sectionals and is looking forward to the State Qualifier meet this coming Friday at Houghton College.  Again none of our success would be possible without the dedication from our coaching staff including Dan Geiger, Bre Clark, Rich Boyce, Bill Buckenmeyer, and Amanda Mikiciuk. These coaches helped prep this team for success and were up to the task of continuing the strong traditions of Batavia Indoor Track. full results can be found at:
http://results.yentiming.com/2022/indoor/2-19-22-Class-A2.htm

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Press release:

Todd Haight, the long-time general manager and director of live racing at Batavia Downs, has announced that he will retire from that position at Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation effective March 15.

"I would like to thank WROTB Chairman of the Board Richard Bianchi and all the directors for their support over the past 20 years. I would also like to thank my dedicated co-workers who proved to be a great support system for the live racing department, and the members of the Western New York Harness Horseman's Association that I’ve worked in conjunction with for many years," said Haight.

Haight started at WROTB in 1998 as an independent contractor and later became an employee when the historic racetrack re-opened in 2002.

He first co-hosted a nightly live broadcast of races on cable TV with track announcer John Bothe. Then in 2005, he joined the corporation's marketing department, and that allowed him to reinstate all the great promotions that occurred at Batavia before WROTB purchased the Downs.

"I was able to bring back the popular driver's bike race on Labor Day and the old-fashioned hot dog days and our fans responded in big numbers once we did. Another popular promotion we started and grew was the wiener dog races and it’s nice to see so many other race tracks are doing them now," said Haight. 

“I was also able to hit the streets to sell advertising and more importantly, develop great relationships throughout the community. We used those relationships to bring businesses -- many of them for the first time -- to the Downs for a night at the races. Working with Group Sales Manager Mary Bucceri, we routinely sold out the clubhouse. Those groups affected the corporation's bottom line with sales surpassing one million dollars."

Haight explained his most valuable experience during his tenure was to work side-by-side with then WROTB vice-president and general manager of live racing, Mike Kane. He said that although he already knew the racing side of the business, Kane's mentoring on the management aspect made all the difference and was a roadmap to success for him.

In 2011 when the WROTB board of directors promoted Kane to President, Haight was promoted to general manager and he remained in that position through his retirement. 

The racing product grew under Haight's watch and in 2013 betting rose 24%. Incremental year-over-year increases continued until 2019 when the track hosted the prestigious New York Sire Stakes Night of Champions and saw new records set for both total betting handle and nightly betting handle.

"I was very happy with the way the Night of Champions turned out. It was the biggest card of racing here since the 1988 Breeders Crown and it was simply a great night, from the crowd to the racing to the event itself. The entire staff here stepped up and did an incredible job," said Haight.  

"We got through the pandemic relatively unscathed in 2020 and despite not having spectators, nightly betting doubled the levels of 2011 and crushed the records set in 2019. Last year we tried some new things and you could look at the tote-board and clearly see our pools were bigger. We ended the year up to about $3,000 per race, which was another record since WROTB took over the Downs."

Haight is currently a USTA director and the chairman of District 8 and will remain in both of those positions. And regardless of which job he was doing, his hard work promoting the sport of harness racing has not gone unnoticed by his peers. 

"It was my pleasure to work with Todd for the past 10 years. As general manager of racing at Batavia Downs, Todd had an amazing mastery of the many responsibilities his job entailed. I will miss working with him as he was a true professional. I wish him all the best in the years to come," said Bruce Tubin, president of the Western New York Harness Horsemen's Association.

"Todd has been a pleasure to work with and he will leave big shoes to fill. His kind are a dying breed in that he cared for racing so much. I wish him the best of luck in retirement," said Kim Crawford, director of USTA District 8.

"I have worked with Todd at Batavia Downs since 2014 and can tell you there is no one in this industry who worked harder to promote harness racing than him. Appeasing an established customer base while trying to draw the next generation to the sport is not easy, but he maintained that delicate balance which in turn drove increased handle and attendance to the track year over year. He will certainly be missed," said Tim Bojarski, racing publicist and president of the Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association. 

As far as retirement, Haight isn’t sure about his future and has indicated that he has several options.  

"If it’s playing a lot of golf I’m okay with it. And if it’s remaining in the horse racing industry in some capacity, I’m okay with that too. In any event, the last 20-plus years have been good to me and for that I’m extremely grateful."

Photo: File photo from 2021 by Howard Owens.

Attica's Josh Elliott rolled his first United States Bowling Congress-certified 800 series on Friday night, posting an 812 set in the County Line Trios League at Mancuso Bowling Center.

The 39-year-old right-hander registered games of 276, 257 and 279 on lanes 11-12.

Mark Brown, also an Attica resident, had a big night with 267-212-259--738.

For a list of high scores around the Genesee Region USBC for the week, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.