John Jay's Condon Makes Up Ground and Takes Second at States

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - For the second consecutive year, Andy Condon qualified for the states in Cross Country, and he definitely made up ground from last year’s 19th place finish. 

Obviously quantified in seconds, meters and position, the senior had a more common place measurement to mark the improvement at Queensbury High School.

“It was great to go from being on one side of the stage to the other in one year,” Condon clarified his second-place finish at the podium.

Nonetheless, the bus went up on Friday, and the runners kept a low profile.  

“We just hung out, nothing really serious,” said Condon. “We were just keeping it lighthearted.”

Off I-87, Condon slightly took it up a notch by doing a jog through the day before. 

“You got a sense of where we could make moves, checked out the hills and the flats and just got the lay of the land,” he said.

Still, Condon didn’t overthink the landscape. “My goal was to stay as close to the front as possible and give myself a chance,” he said.

In the thick of it, the field showed the Wolf that he had his work cut out for him. “Everyone around me was so fast and so good,” Condon assured.

Specifically, there were about eight runners who grouped toward the front, and they all had their eyes on the defending champ. Unfortunately, Condon briefly lost visual contact with William Tempest with about 2000 meters to go. “I didn’t see him make his move,” the runner lamented. 

An oversight that he regrets. “If I saw him, I would have tried to stay with him,” said Condon, "and then hopefully out kick him.”

Not to be, the cluster got strung out in the final 600 meters, and left him going neck and neck with Liam Davidson. 

“It was definitely difficult,” said Condon. “I was giving it everything I could, hoping he wouldn’t catch me.”

Condon held up, and with the Federations coming up, there’s still no rest. But there’s plenty of motivation to keep him from getting weary. The state champ is obviously lacing up, and there’s an 80 meter gap that Condon is hoping to bridge.  “I have a chance this weekend to maybe get a little revenge,” he said.

A good showing, and the season will continue. 

“If I qualify for the nationals that will be a big deal, so we will see what happens,” Condon concluded.