NEW YORK — On top of her left hand the words Show Time were written in black marker. On her left palm was the word Surge.
Adrianna Pettinelli had these to remind herself how big Saturday's 2.5-mile Manhattan University Cross-Country Invitational in the Bronx was and also that at certain points on the Van Cortlandt Park course, she should push the pace, surging ahead.
Ryan Sykes didn't seem to be carrying any inspirational messages. But a year after coming in second in the premier boys race at Manhattan, he wore a grin similar to Pettinelli's after crossing the finish.
Those smiles grew when both learned that in addition to winning medals for winning their respective boys and girls Eastern States race titles, they also won large carrot cakes from
the nearby famous Lloyd's Carrot Cake shop.
Indeed, life is sweet for the high school stars, who are both not only two of Section 1's top runners but also two of the top runners in the state.
Pettinelli is only a Scarsdale junior but Sykes will have traded in Horace Greeley's orange and black uniform for Harvard' crimson by the time the next Manhattan University Cross-Country Invitational rolls around.
That will be No. 55.
No. 54 sent a clear message that cross-country is alive and well in Section 1 and, for that matter, also among private schools located within the section's boundaries.
The main focus, as it should have been, was the section sweeping the two top varsity races on a day when thousands ran in varsity races.
Sykes' time of 12:04.3 was not only nearly nine seconds better than the runner-up in his 223-runner race, but was also the top time among the 1,520 varsity boys appearing in seven races.
Pettinelli, who was pushed a bit down the homestretch by Tri-Valley's Anna Furman, who finished just under two seconds behind her, won in 14:25.4.
That time won her 136-runner race and was the fastest time among all 1,247 girls who finished in the six girls varsity aces.
Sykes cut more than eight seconds from the time he logged in last year's Eastern States Championship.
Sykes said feeling pressure before a big race is a "privilege" and he no longer is "stressed out" by the big stage.
He battled multiple injuries last year but calls himself mostly 100% now, added running Van Cortlandt, which, at 2.5 miles, is more than half a mile shorter than the high school norm of 3.1 miles, means mistakes are harder to overcome.
"You've got to be smart with how you do it," he said. .. "It's just a lot shorter and faster, I think."
"Here, literally every second counts," said Sykes, who noted he entered the race as its top returner from last year.
"I kept pushing and, eventually, I just heard guys dropping back a little bit, and I knew that it was time to go," Sykes added.
Pettinelli, who competed at Manhattan last year but not in the top Eastern States race, had finished second then in 14:40.9, so she slashed better than 15 seconds off that on Saturday.
She said Furman coming up behind her during the long straightaway to the finish "definitely gave me a lot of motivation."
"... Since it's such a long straightaway it can get really mentally hard. So, knowing that there was someone right there pushing me definitely helped a lot," explained Pettinelli, who followed her game plan to take the lead from almost the start and keep it.
"I tried to keep in front the entire time, so I wouldn't have that moment where I was doubting myself. I've learned from previous races that I respond very well to that — being ahead, so I think that definitely helped."
Smiling, Pettinelli referred to her sadness last year when learning Lloyd's was closed for renovations, so she couldn't buy a carrot cake. Winning a cake this year was even better than winning the race, she said, grinning.
One team championship
North Rockland may have lost some big guns from last season, including Claudel Chery and Ryan Tuohy, who are now running collegiately, but the Red Raiders remain impressive.
With four top-15 performances and one top-35 performance, North Rockland captured the team championship in the boys varsity A race.
The Red Raiders' top runner was Cooper Cataldi, whose 13:15.3 clocking was good for fifth out of 209 finishers in that race.
Nanuet was also second to Palos Verdes, California iin the 35-school boys varsity D race and Pleasantville also had a strong showing in fourth place.
Local top-25 finishers
Below is a listing of local runners who finished in the top 25 of each race, as well as the top local teams' finishes.
Girls local top-25 finishers per race
Eastern States Championship
136 finishers
1. Adriana Pettineli, Scarsdale: 14:25.4
14. Mia Horgan, Bronxville: 15:11
20.. Malina Santee, Horace Greeley: 15:31.9
25. Mia Haimelin, John Jay-Cross River: 15:40.2
Eastern States team winner and top local team
17 teams
1. Bethlehem Central 44 points
7. John Jay-Cross River 184 points
Girls Varsity A
216 finishers
12. Lili Richards, Pearl River 16:05.2
13. Katie Ahern, Pearl River 16:12.9
22. Lyla Turner, Pearl River 16:31.5
Girls Varsity A team winner and top local team
30 teams
1. Ocean City 47 points
3. Pearl River 95 points
Girls Varsity B
231 finishers
No local runners in top 25.
Girls Varsity B team winner and top local team
21 teams
1. Ward Melville 64 points
12. Suffern 392 (Top individual Grace Delaney, 16:36.6 in 28th place)
Girls Varsity C
220 finishers
6. Kira Waring, Mahopac 15:3.3
11. Josephine Sullivan, Nyack 15:58.9
16. Cara O'Halloran, Mahopac 16:11.5
Girls Varsity C team winner and top local team
33 teams
1. Middletown South 65 points
11. Nyack 289 points
Girls Varsity D
216 finishers
1. Elizabeth Walsh, Pawling 15:17.2
.9 Caitlin Morrow, Hackley 15:49.2
10. Cassidy Dineen-Herzog, Lakeland/Panas 15:51
17. Kaya Duzynski, Somers 16:12.8
18. Alyssa Connolly, Tappan Zee 16:13.3
20. Ashley Hosein, North Rockland 16:15.8
22. Emma Curran, Hackley School 16:20.4
Girls Varsity D team winner and top local team
32 teams
1. Tatnall 99 points
8. North Rockland 288
Girls Varsity E
226 finishers
9. Claire Grushko, Hastings 16:10.6
11. Oona McManus, Hendrick Hudson, 16:11.5
20. Isabel Pool, Arlington 16:23.4
Girls Varsity E team winner and top local team
30 teams
1. Monroe-Woodbury 78 points
13. Arlington 342 points
Boys Eastern States Championship
223 finishers
1. Ryan Sykes, Horace Greeley 12:04.3
5. Marshall Brown, Rye Country Day 12:21.4
Boys Eastern States team winner and top local team
32 teams
1. Broughton 64 points
25. Rye Country Day 641 points
Boys varsity A
209 finishers
5. Cooper Cataldi, North Rockland 13:15.3
8. John Weinman,, Arlington 13:29.8
9. Andrew Maltbie, North Rockland 13:34.7
12. Emmanuel Perez Nieves, North Rockland 13:40.8
15. James McCarron, North Rockland 13:47.7
Boys varsity A team winner and top local team
31 teams
1. North Rockland 73 points
Boys varsity B
211 finishers
10. Kieran Degen, Iona Prep 13:27.2
12. Liam Chappelear, Masters 13:34.1
Boys varsity B team winner and top local team
32 teams
1. Northport 57 points
6. Masters School 264 points
Boys varsity C
205 finishers
22. Ian Mejia, Lakeland/Panas 13:35.4
Boys varsity C team winner and top local team
25 teams
1. Ocean City 74 points
15. Lakeland/Panas 377 points
Boys varsity D
236 finishers
16. Julian Giebelhaus, Pleasantville 13:25.3
17. Sean Dooley, Pleasantville 13:27.6
19. Joaquin Villan, Nanuet13:28.4
22. Garrett Ross, Nanuet 13:33.8
23. Adam Goldsmith, Nanuet 13:35.7
Boys varsity D winner and top local team
36 teams
1. Palos Verdes 76 points
2. Nanuet 140 points
Boys varsity E
234 finishers
22. Sean Sykes, Horace Greeley 13:45.6
Boys varsity E team winner and top local team
34 teams
1. Salesianum 117 points
10 .Horace Greeley 285 points
Boys varsity F
203 finishers
14. Jackson O'Rourke, New Rochelle 13:29.8
15. Jonas Krasner, New Rochelle 13:31.2
17. Ben Salama, New Rochelle 13:32.7
Boys varsity F team winner and top local team
25 teams
1. St. John's College
5. Tappan Zee 211 (edged New Rochelle, which was sixth at 219)
Nancy Haggerty covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Ryan Sykes, Adrianna Pettinelli win premier races at Manhattan invite
