Cross Country

What: Section 4 Championships.

When: Thursday.

Where: Chenango Valley State Park.

Schedule of events: 11 a.m.: Class D boys; 11:20: Class C girls; 11:45: Class D girls; 12:10 p.m.: Class C boys; 12:40: Class C-D awards, Class AA boys; 1: Class A boys; 1:20: Class B boys; 1:40: Class AA girls; 2:05: Class A girls; 2:30: Class B girls; 3:15: Class AA, A, B awards.

Qualifying for the state meet: The first-place team and the best five individual times in each class qualify for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships, which will be held on Nov. 14 at SUNY Plattsburgh.

Outlook: Ithaca High is rolling into Thursday's meet after sweeping the Southern Tier Athletic Conference team titles on Saturday in Owego. Team depth is what carries Rich Bernstein's Little Red club this time of year, but both groups -- the boys are ranked 17th in the state, the girls 10th -- are anchored by No. 1 stalwarts in Andris Goncarovs and Mary Carroll. Carroll, a sophomore, is the reigning Class AA girls individual champion. She'll get support from classmate Zoe McAlear, senior Megan Mormile and freshman Jackie Cornell.

Ithaca's boys took second last year to Binghamton, ending a 13-year reign of titles, and Corning earned the Class AA girls crown.

Newark Valley has dominated Class C in recent years, sweeping the team titles each of the last two seasons. The Cardinals, whose girls are ranked No. 2 and boys No. 11 in Class C, swept the IAC team titles on Saturday at Marathon, led by individual winners Chris Friend and Jenna Cupp. Lansing received strong showings from Josh Barber (second) and Shanna Swanson (fourth). Trumansburg's Danielle Peck, a junior, is also a seasoned runner, and Marathon's Elizabeth Jewess has had a strong season.

In Class D, Spencer-Van Etten's Geoffrey Hall has proven himself one of the section's top runners

-- Brian Delaney