Photos and article by Laura Luft

The Dash in the Dark event was hosted by the Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Cross Country Teams right on the OAE school grounds. There were around 70 schools in attendance, traveling from as far away as Pennsylvania.

There were more than 1,100 runners in races throughout the night. This was mostly a 3-person relay with each runner doing a 2-mile distance.

• Girls Blue Race Large school winner was Fairport (40:18.3 time), and the small school winner was Harley Allendale Columbia (47:59.0 time).
• Boys Blue Race Large school winner was Fairport (35:21.5 time), and the small school winner was Akron (35:35.4).
• The boys individual race winners were Brendan Jacoby (11:48.6 time) from Brighton and John Alfiero (11:58.9 time) from Attica.
• Girls Gold Race Large school winner was Fairport (37:17.9), and the small school winner was East Aurora (35:08.6).
• Boys Gold Race Large school winner was Spencerport (31:41.6), and the small school winner was East Aurora (30:40.2)

There was also an intense race among the mascots in attendance.

The hosting OAE cross-country team had a historic night, according to Coach Robert. 

Eli Williams, Elijah Loysen, Trevor Enes, Jackson Gilbert, Angelina Luker, Evelyn Chadbourne, and Mackenzie Domoy have all earned top 10 best OAE runners lists per their respective grade levels. On top of that, Caroline Luft not only became the 3rd fastest sophomore in OAE history but also became the 8th fastest OAE runner in Dash in the Dark history regardless of grade.

Logan Clark became the 2nd best Junior and 2nd best OAE runner in Dash in the Dark history. 

Connor Domoy became the top OAE senior runner as well as running the 2nd fastest time in Dash in the Dark history, becoming the only OAE runner to break the 10-minute barrier at this race. 

Last but certainly not least, Connor Domoy, Eli Williams, and Logan Clark not only got 2nd at Dash as a team, but became the fastest OAE relay team in Dash in the Dark’s 13-year history, overtaking the 2018 gold relay team of Kyle Mott, Zack Hall, and Derek McIntire by over a minute. 

A nice start to the season by the hosting OAE XC teams. 

Big thanks to all the dozens of people who helped to make this happen and the schools that come and support it. It is a fun night to kick off the Cross Country season for all area schools.

Brooke Kennedy (Basom/Oakfield-Alabama Central High School) is one of eight women's cross-country newcomers to continue their career at Baldwin Wallace University.

Coordinator of Cross Country and Track and Field, Joe Eby, who is in his ninth season, returns seven letter winners and five Academic All-OAC(Ohio Athletic Conference) selections from last year's squad that finished fourth at the OAC Championships.

Click Here to view the entire 2023 women's cross-country roster.

Baldwin Wallace opens its 2023 campaign at the 54th Annual Tommy Evans Invitational hosted by the University of Akron on September 1 on the Silver Creek Metro Park Cross Country Trails.

The Le Roy HS boys cross country team did something no other cross country team has done in the history of the school this season: won a Section V title.

The team was honored at the start of the Le Roy Central Schools Board of Education meeting on Tuesday.

The team consisted of Erik Schwab, Aiden Soggs, Ian Kepple, James Blake, Cole Friedhaber, Kyle Northrup, and Andrew Greene.

Schwab had a fourth-place finish in the championship race and Soggs finished 8th.

In the girls' race, Charlotte Blake finished second overall, claiming her third sectional patch in the sport. She is one of the most decorated cross country runners in school history.

Erik Schwab, Andrew Greene, Ian Kepple, James Blake, and Charlotte Blake. 

Some member of the Batavia cross-country team are looking for vehicles to wash for their fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 2 .pm., today at Empire Tractor 5072 E. Main St. Road, Batavia.

Proceeds will help support the team's New York City trip.

EIghth-grader Cody Harloff was the first to cross the finish line in a 1K fun run at Centennial Park this morning held to promote the Batavia High School Cross-country Team.

The run was promoted to Batavia Middle School students.

Below, Coach Rich Boyce explains to the rules of the race to the runners.

First-place awards were given to the winners at each grade level participating.

The eighth annual Dash in the Dark at Oakfield-Alabama High School, where high school cross-country runners run their races at night under the lights, took place last night (Sept. 8).

Thirty-five schools, more than 1,000 competitors from Section V and VI, and one from Pennsylvania, attended this year's event.

Cross-country participants call this the “Super Bowl” of races which runners start and finish under the football stadium lights along with construction towers to help guide them on the course.

Teams consist of three runners and will be split up into two divisions depending on school size. Each school can enter three teams in the Gold Race (fastest race) and unlimited teams in the Blue Race.

The course is a fast, flat, grassy, 1,600-meter loop around the school grounds. Each leg will run two loops, starting and ending inside the football stadium.

Medals are awarded to the top 10 fastest individual times, both girls and boys, for both divisions.

Team trophies are given to the top three teams in both divisions in the Gold Race.

Team awards go to the top three teams in the Blue Race, for both divisions and genders.

For final results go to: http://yellowjacketracing.com/results

Submitted by Peter Beuler from Oakfield-Alabama High School.

Junior Cole O'Donnell has been named the 2016 Genesee Region League Male Cross-Country Runner of the Year.          

Cole is a two-time Genesee - Livingston League Cross-Country All-Star and a one-time Genesee Region League Track and Field All-Star. He helped lead his team to their fourth consecutive division championship and the program's first sectional championship since 2008 this fall.

At Sectionals, he finished fifth and came in 28th place out of 122 runners at the State Meet.

Fresh off a Section V title, the boys of Oakfield-Alabama's cross-country team competed this weekend for a state title. The team entered as the eighth seed but notched a sixth-place finish.

They competed at Chenango Valley State Park, outside of Binghamton, "against the very best Class D runners in all of New York State," said Paul Beuler, who provided the photos and information.

Junior Cole O'Donnell from OA-E, finishing in fifth place in Class D at the Sectional Meet on Nov. 5th. 

Senior Mike Bowen from OA-E finishing in 32nd place at the Sectional Meet on Nov. 5th at Wayne High School.

Senior Josh Larmon from OA-E, on the right, finishing in ninth place at Sectionals. 

Sophomore Mark Anauo from OA-E finishing in 15th place.

The seventh annual Dash in the Dark hosted at Oakfield-Alabama High School, where high school cross-country runners run their races at night under the lights, took place last Friday evening.

Thirty-four schools, more than 1,000 competitors from Section V and VI, and one from Pennsylvania, attended this year's event. 

It's pretty much the "Super Bowl" of cross-country, said Peter Beuler, Oakfield-Alabama-Elba head coach, because the runners start and finish under the football stadium lights and have construction light towers along the course as well to guide them. It's very unique and the kids love it.

The course is a fast, flat, grassy, 1,600-meter loop around the school grounds. Each leg will run two loops, starting and ending inside the football stadium.

Teams consist of three runners. Each school can enter three teams in the Gold Race (fastest race) and unlimited teams in the Blue Race.

Teams will be split up into two divisions depending on school size. 

Medals are awarded to the top 10 fastest individual times, both girls and boys, for both divisions.

Team trophies are given to the top three teams in both divisions in the Gold Race. 

Team awards go to the top three teams in the Blue Race, for both divisions and genders.

For final results go to: http://yellowjacketracing.com/results

To purchase prints click here.

The Notre Dame XC team participated in the 49th annual McQuaid Invitational on Saturday.  The meet featured over 7,000 runners from over 245 schools representing 5 states and Canada. The modified boys led the day off with Tyler Fuller finishing 166th with 12:13 and Trevor Nellis 176th in 12:18.  Chris Neal placed 254th in 14:34.