Ava Carsley has been to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association cross country championship meet twice already.

But this year is different for the Valley Central High School senior. She’s going as a sectional champion.

With a change in school enrollment numbers sending Karrie Baloga and the Cornwall Dragons to Class B, Carsley won the Section 9 Class A race at Wednesday’s Section 9 Class A championship meet at Bear Mountain State Park.

Carsley finished second to Baloga at last year’s sectional meet.
“It felt really nice,” Carsley said. “I’m a senior, and it’s nice to finish off with a bang. I’m really happy about that.”

She won’t be going alone either.

Fellow Valley Central senior Jacob Sahlstrom will be heading to his first state meet as he finished seventh in the boys’ race with a time of 16:37.0 to take one of Section 9’s five spots at Saturday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship meet at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School in Section 3.

It’s only Sahlstrom’s second year doing cross country.

“It’s such a sensational feeling,” Sahlstrom said. “I’ve never gotten Top 5 in any of my races, ever, and it’s just a terrific feeling. I feel great after it.”

Carsley entered the race confident that she could win it, and was never seriously challenged, finishing 14 seconds ahead of second-place finisher, Monroe-Woodbury eighth-grader Olivia Heim.

Her time of 18:36.7 wasn’t a personal best, but it was good enough to get the job done on a course that she doesn’t care for.

“I don’t really love this course,” Carsley said. “Every time I go into it, I’m just like, ‘ugh.’ I think the first time I ran it, I did better because I didn’t have that dread the whole time.”

Sahlstrom rebounded from a difficult Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association meet but shaved a minute off his time at sectionals to earn his state spot.

A better weather day led to a better performance.

"I think the environment, and having everyone here to just push me on, especially my parents and my teammates, and everybody else, it was just a good feeling,” Sahlstrom said.

Carsley’s first-place finish led a group of three local runners going to the state championship meet. Pine Bush’s Shaylen Goslar finished fifth in 19:41.2 to earn her spot to states, while Wallkill’s Emma Dilemme was sixth in 19:50.6 to secure a berth.

Monroe-Woodbury won the overall team title with 34 points and Carsley led the Vikings to a third-place finish with 108 points. Pine Bush was sixth and Wallkill finished ninth.

Sahlstrom led the Vikings to an eighth-place finish with 183 points. Pine Bush finished fifth and Wallkill took sixth. Monroe-Woodbury won the overall team championship with 20 points, and the Crusaders’ Collin Gilstrap won the overall race with a time of 15:18.8.

Section 9 Class A Cross Country Championships
Boys

Team results: 1. Monroe-Woodbury – 20; 2. Washingtonville – 86; 3. Minisink Valley – 125; 4. Newburgh – 129; 5. Pine Bush – 152; 6. Wallkill – 165; 7. FDR – 167; 8. Valley Central – 183; 9. Kingston – 211; 10. Warwick – 214; 11. Middletown – 263.
Individual results: 1. Collin Gilstrap (MW) – 15:18.8; 2. Collin Catherwood (MW) – 15:21.9; 3. John Urciuoli (MW) – 16:05.6; 4. Andrew Lee (K) – 16:22.6; 5. Gavin Catherwood (MW) – 16:28.6; 6. Gavin Rossi (MV) – 16:36.2; 7. Jacob Sahlstrom (VC) – 16:37.0; 8. Jason Ariano (W) – 16:38.3; 9. Shane Golio (MW) – 16:41.8; 10. Devin Batelic (NFA) – 16:43.8; 13. Caleb Sahlstrom (VC) – 17:05.1; 14. Colby Zupetz (PB) – 17:09.4; 15. Jake Craypo (Wall.) – 17:11.2; 23. Jacob Crawley (PB) – 18:05.2; 29. Vance Palmer (VC) – 18:26.1; 30. Malakai Henry-Geraghty (PB) – 18:28.2; 31. Mario Verruto (Wall.) – 18:31.2; 34. Josh Craypo (Wall.) – 18:42.2; 40. J.J. Wagner (Wall.) – 18:54.8; 42. Joseph Crawford II (PB) – 18:58.7; 43. Mathew Kadanthod (PB) – 18:59.2; 45. Riley Burke (Wall.) – 19:08.4; 49. Logan Ceiley (PB) – 19:19.2; 50. Jason Hutchinson, Jr. (PB) – 19:21.5; 59. Nicky Missale (Wall.) – 19:37.4; 66. Aundre Rick (VC) – 20:04.4; 68. Rocky Reavey (VC) – 20:09.3; 71. Isaiah Tejada (VC) – 21:21.0; 73. Marco Martini (Wall.) – 21:33.3; 77. Brian Quinn (VC) – 23:02.6

Girls
Team results: 1. Monroe-Woodbury – 34; 2. Warwick – 107; 3. Valley Central – 108; 4. Washingtonville – 120; 5. Kingston – 134; 6. Pine Bush – 146; 7. Minisink Valley – 184; 8. Newburgh – 196; 9. Wallkill – 218; 10. FDR – 235; 11. Middletown – 267.
Individual results: 1. Ava Carsley (VC) – 18:36.7; 2. Olivia Heim (MW) – 18:50.0; 3. Carla Bautista (K) – 19:19.5; 4. Leanne Fernandez (MW) – 19:35.7; 5. Shaylen Goslar (PB) – 19:41.2; 6. Emma Dilemme (Wall.) – 19:50.6; 7. Samantha Apostolico (MW) – 19:53.4; 8. Alyssa Dovico (War.) – 19:55.6; 9. Lilly Benza (MW) – 20:18.6; 10. Caitlyn Murphy (Wall.) – 20:28.6; 15. Hannah Pawlowski (PB) – 20:48.6; 20. Sophie Carsley (VC) – 21:36.3; 21. Sydney Remenar (VC) – 21:38.1; 27. Laura Griffin (VC) – 22:06.2; 30. Lillian Gabriele (PB) – 22:09.8; 39. Catherine Primavera (VC) – 23:17.18; 46. Maeve Eagan (VC) – 24:10.3; 47. Eden Carr (PB) – 24:13.2; 49. Ava Dymond (PB) – 24:17.7; 58. Grace Burns (VC) – 25:27.7; 60. Katrina Brand (Wall.) – 25:53.0; 68. Maya Simon (Wall.) – 26:53.7; 70. Viola Thibodeau (PB) – 27:17.7; 72. Caitlin Palmer (PB) – 27:43.0; 74. Kateri Warren (Wall.) – 32:15.0