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 having swept 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.
For Cornwall, the goal is no longer simply to establish itself as one of Section 9’s top programs. The Dragons have already done that.
Now they want to stay there.
BOYS OUTLOOK
The Cornwall boys return one of the strongest front-running combinations in the section, led by senior Luke Potter and junior Colin Lewis.
Potter enters his final high school season as one of the Dragons’ most experienced runners. As a junior, he finished third individually at the Section 9 Class B Championships while helping Cornwall capture the team title.
He then turned in an outstanding performance at the state championship, finishing eighth overall in 15:57.2. Lewis was close behind, placing 10th in 16:04.7.
Lewis, now a junior, gives Cornwall another proven championship-level runner. He finished second overall at the Section 9 Class B meet as a sophomore, setting up what could be a formidable Potter-Lewis combination at the front of the pack this season.
The boys enter 2026 after a season in which they captured the Section 9 Class B championship and qualified the entire varsity team for the state meet. Cornwall finished fifth in the Class A/B field at the state championships.
The challenge now will be replacing any lost depth while continuing to develop the runners behind the team’s two leading stars.
With two returning runners who have already proven they can compete among the state’s best, the Dragons should once again be a team to watch when the championship races arrive.
GIRLS OUTLOOK
The Cornwall girls have their own championship-tested front-running duo in senior Noemi Goitia and junior Sky Appleton.
Goitia returns as a veteran leader after finishing 11th overall in the Class B NYSPHSAA State Championships last season. She also helped the Dragons win the Section 9 Class B championship.
Appleton adds another proven championship performer. She finished fourth individually at the Section 9 championships and 15th overall at the state meet as a sophomore.
Together, Goitia and Appleton give Cornwall an experienced front end capable of putting the Dragons in contention at major invitationals and championship meets.
Last year’s team provided plenty of evidence of that potential. Cornwall won both the OCIAA League Championship and the Section 9 Class B Championship before finishing fourth in Class B at the NYSPHSAA State Championships at Queensbury High School.
The key this season will be the pack behind the two leaders. Cross country championships are won by a team’s collective finish, making the development of Cornwall’s returning runners and younger competitors critical as the season progresses.
The Dragons have already shown they can compete with the best in Section 9. With Goitia and Appleton back, the girls have the experience at the front to make another championship run.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Cornwall enters 2026 with something many teams spend years trying to acquire: championship experience.
The Dragons know what it takes to win Section 9. They know what it takes to compete at the state level. And with several of last year’s leading runners returning, they have the foundation to make another run at the top.
The first races will determine just how far this year’s teams can go.
The championship races will determine whether Cornwall can finish the job.