Norwich Senior Makaio Sutton (second from right) poses with the Section IV Class C Sectional Team that will compete at the NYS Championships later this month. (Submitted photo)

CHENANGO VALLEY – Purple Tornado senior Makaio Sutton clinched an at large berth in the New York State Cross-Country Championships on Thursday October 4th by his strong performance at the Section IV State Qualifying meet at Chenango Valley State Park. Sutton placed fifth out of the field of 88 runners, timing 18:03.2 over the 5 kilometer course. Sutton has been the number one runner for the Purple Tornado all season long, his dominance this season is one of the reasons that he is the first Tornado cross-country runner to qualify for the New York State meet since 2016.

Norwich freshman Caden Sutton was the other Tornado runner in the boys’ varsity race placing 60th in his Section IV state qualifying meet debut in a time of 20:48.2.

In the girls’ varsity race Norwich freshman Annie Boland placed 35th out of 66 runners, finishing with a time of 24:34.20. Fellow Purple Tornado freshman Kyra Brunick-Davis was the last Norwich harrier to cross the finish line- placing 58th in a time of 27:44.60.

Notably another Chenango County runner qualified for the state championships as Afton-Harpursville/Bainbridge-Guilford sophomore Ethne Degan punched her ticket to the state meet placing third in the girls’ varsity Section IV Class C race in a time of 20:02.90.

Sutton and Degan will have ‘home course advantage’ as they New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championships will be held at Section IV’s Chenango Valley State Park on Saturday November 13th. The varsity girls Class C race will be held at 9:30am and the varsity boys Class C race will begin at 11:30 a.m.