Cornwall Dragons look to build on championship season

A championship season can be difficult to follow. Cornwall Central's cross country teams will try to prove it can be even better the second time around. The Dragons enter the 2026 season carrying the confidence and expectations that come with sweeping the Section 9 Class B team championships a year ago. Both the boys and girls teams reached the state championships in 2025, and several of the runners responsible for that success are back this fall.

The boys return one of the strongest front-running combinations in the section, led by senior Luke Potter and junior Colin Lewis. Potter, who finished third individually at the Section 9 Class B Championships as a junior, went on to place eighth overall at the state meet in 15:57.2. Lewis, a sophomore then, finished second at the Section 9 meet and followed with 10th at state in 16:04.7. Cornwall captured the Section 9 Class B title and qualified the entire varsity team for the state meet, finishing fifth in a Class A/B field. The challenge now is replacing any lost depth while developing the runners behind the top two.

The girls have their own tested front-running duo in senior Noemi Goitia and junior Sky Appleton. Goitia finished 11th overall in Class B at the NYSPHSAA State Championships and helped the Dragons win the Section 9 title. Appleton took fourth at the Section 9 meet and 15th at the state meet as a sophomore. Cornwall also won the OCIAA League Championship and Section 9 Class B title before finishing fourth in Class B at the state meet at Queensbury High School. The key this season will be the pack behind the two leaders, since cross country championships are won by a team's collective finish.

Cornwall enters 2026 with championship experience the Dragons now want to build on. They have proven they can compete with the best in Section 9 and at the state level, and with several leading runners back, they have the foundation for another strong run. The opening races will help determine how far this year's teams can go, and the championship races will decide whether Cornwall can finish the job.