So comfortable that she had just over a minute to celebrate her championship before the next girl crossed the finish line. Not only did she breeze to the Class C title, but she was the second fastest girl in the section regardless of class size.

It’s no wonder that when Lewis takes the course at Queensbury High School this morning she will be one of the favorites to cross the finish line first in the 3.1-mile race for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship.

According to MileSplitNY, Lewis is the top runner in Class C with a speed rating of 137.23, while Section V Williamson senior Hannah Governor is right behind her at 136.67 and Section I Bronxville freshman Mia Horgan is on their heels with a rating of 134.15.

When Lewis raced Governor earlier this year at the McQuaid Invitational she was able to reach the finish line with a time of 17:29.1 in the 3-mile race and Governor was behind her at 17:58.3.

Isabella Czekanski will represent Fredonia/Westfield in the NYSPHSAA Class C cross country championships today at Queensbury High School. OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman

Lewis will not be running alone in the Class C girls race with another pair of local qualifiers, Clymer/Sherman/Panama seventh-grader Savannah Whitney and Fredonia/Westfield sophomore Izzie Czekanski.

Whitney claimed the fourth individual spot in the Class C race with a time of 20:33.70 at sectionals, while Czekanski earned the final place at states with a run of 20:47.87.

Lewis and the other local girls will hope to be at the 10:30 a.m. awards ceremony, but going first on the day are a pair of runners from Silver Creek/Dunkirk/Forestville in the Class B race at 9 a.m. to begin the day.

Sophomore Leah Mays and senior Hanan Mohamad Narvaez ran 20:22.14 and 20:40.35, respectively, to earn spots in the state meet this morning.

Section VI’s top contender in Class B is Starpoint’s Shannon Zugelder with a speed rating of 137.27, but well behind favorites Sloan Wasserman of Section I John Jay/Cross River at 151.70 and Maddie Laezza of Section XI Eastport/South Manor with 149.40.

Pietro Cabitza will represent Fredonia/Westfield in the NYSPHSAA Class C cross country championships today at Queensbury High School. OBSERVER Photo by Christian Storms

In the Class D race, the Maple Grove girls come in as the No. 4 seed with an average team projected score of 26.20 per runner according to MileSplitNY.

Representing the Red Dragons are seventh-grader Camryn Allen, sophomore Rylie Allen, seniors Mae Benedetto and Lily Bohall, sophomore Lily Elliss, eighth-grader Lucy Elliss and junior Evelyn Fessel.

Section V has the favorite team with Harley-Allendale-Columbia, posting an average runner score of 10.80 and Section III’s Beaver River is right behind them averaging 16.80.

At sectionals, Lily Elliss paced the Red Dragons with a time of 21:34.15 and Fessel was right behind her at 21:47.30. Rounding out the top-five runners going to states are Benedetto, Bohall and Rylie Allen.

A trio of Frewsburg girls join Maple Grove for the 10 a.m. start time and the Bears are led by junior Jadyn Trocki who placed second at sectionals with a time of 21:34.94. Sophomore Raegan Cheney and junior Grace Gilevski claimed the last two spots for Section VI in the Class D race after times of 22:02.75 and 22:11.50, respectively.

Southwestern junior Emma Lewis is the favorite to win the NYSPHSAA Class C cross country championship today at Queensbury High School. OBSERVER photo by Matt Spielman

Anna Furman of Section IX Tri-Valley is the clear favorite to retain her state title with a speed rating of 137.44, well ahead of Section IX Pine Plains senior Violet Bliss with 124.17.

The Class A race is likely to be won by Section II Shenendehowa senior Leyla Bhursi, who set the Queensbury course record last week and comes in with a speed rating of 152.

BOYS

Maple Grove is also sending its boys team to Queensbury this morning and they are the top seed in what figures to be a very tight race at the top.

The Red Dragons average 12 points per runner, while No. 2 Port Jefferson of Section XI averages the same per runner and No. 3 seed Marcus Whitman of Section V earns 13.20 per runner.

Maple Grove’s top runner is the sectional champion, senior Ethan Verbosky, who comes in with the fourth-best speed rating at 173.70 after a time of 16:39.60 last month, while undefeated runner Ibrahim Ford of Section V Arkport is expected to win the race with a rating of 186.67. Following Verbosky, are seniors Ty Kraft and Jacob Lewis placing in the top 10 of sectionals with runs of 17:19.99 and 17:27.34.

Senior Owen Erlandson and sophomore Jack Sherry round out the top five scorers, while Josh Ashbaugh and Liam Price round out the team beginning the 12:30 p.m. race.

The Red Dragons will be joined in the race individually by Franklinville/Ellicottville senior Grant Cornell and Clymer/Sherman/Panama eighth-grader Christopher Phelps, who ran 16:58.38 and 17:29.34 at sectionals, respectively.

Prior to the Class D race, Fredonia/Westfield senior Pietro Cabitza will run in Class C after snagging the last spot after running 17:19.57 at sectionals.

East Aurora is expected to win a third straight Class C state title, while Alden’s Evan and Gage Feider are the favorites to win the individual crown, but it is expected to be a tight race including Section IV Lansing senior Trent Thibault and East Aurora’s Jonah Sebolt.

Jamestown sends off a pair of runners in the final race for the Class A title at 1 p.m., seniors Wyatt Olmstead and Finn Caswell. Olmstead finished fourth at sectionals with a time of 16:48.41 and Caswell was seventh with a run of 17:06.34.

The favorite to win the Class A race is Section I Horace Greeley junior Ryan Sykes with a speed rating of 192.27 and the top-seeded team is Section XI Ward Melville.

The Class B race is expected to be quite close with Section I Hendrick Hudson senior Victor Delgado coming in with a speed rating of 183.54 and Section II Burnt Hills/Ballston Lake junior Ethan Owen clocked at 183.37.