CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - On Saturday, Nov. 8, John Jay cross country conquered the hills of Bowdoin Park—and expectations were high that Sloan Wasserman would be first across the finish line. She delivered, stopping the clock with a personal best. But unlike her usual finish-line collapses, the senior remained upright this time, smiling wide as she crossed.
Maybe she was saving something for states? Not a chance. “I was chillin’,” Wasserman said with a grin. “I’ve been training super hard this week.”
Her commanding performance not only secured the win but also sent a message to the competition upstate. “This is definitely a good confidence builder,” she said.
Wasserman isn’t the only John Jay runner New York should be worried about. Freshman Maya Serai finished fourth overall—an achievement that left her both excited and proud. “I didn’t think I’d be able to get here,” she said. “All my hard work paid off, and I’m really excited.”
Having raced the same course two weeks earlier, Serai used that experience to her advantage. “I knew what to expect. I knew where to push harder and where to conserve, so I had a more structured run,” she explained.
Not far behind came senior Emma Barniv, who battled through the mud to finish seventh. “There were some muddy parts, so I tried to be fast but in control on the downhills so I didn’t slip,” she said.
Her strong finish earned her a spot on the podium—something she didn’t realize until her name was announced. “I was shocked,” Barniv admitted. “I wasn’t really sure where I was. I was just trying to put in my best effort.”
That collective effort paid off in the standings, as the girls’ team captured the Section 1 championship. All the Wolves will head to Queensbury for the state meet. “It’s going to be such a fun experience being there together,” Barniv said. “We’ve been working so hard.”
The boys’ team didn’t have quite the same day, but Rohan Patel made sure they were represented in spirit—and grit. Despite crashing over the finish line and needing help to his feet, the junior placed tenth overall.
“He gave it everything he had,” said Coach Sayre. “He was in the four or five spot most of last year for John Jay. This year he’s our clear number one.”
Patel credited his improvement to a summer of heavy training. “It was a lot of work,” he said. Though he narrowly missed qualifying for states, he left everything on the course. “I was just trying to finish,” Patel said. “I wanted to get to the states.”
Disappointed but proud, he found consolation in the podium finish. “It means a lot,” he said.
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