As he finished the second mile, Newburgh Free Academy sophomore Devin Batelic heard his coach whisper to him that he was the sixth runner.

He needed to be the fifth.

He came around, and overtook Washingtonville’s James Mynio, beating him for the fifth and final spot at Wednesday’s Section 9 Class A cross country championship meet on Wednesday at Bear Mountain State Park.

He finished 10th overall with a time of 16:43.8, leading the Goldbacks to a fourth-place finish. Batelic’s time clinched him his first appearance at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship meet on Saturday at Vernon-Verona-Sherill High School in Section 3.

“It felt amazing,” Batelic said. “I saw James from Washingtonville slowing down a little bit, and I knew I had to wait on him because if I expended too much energy, I don’t think this would have happened. I think I played it perfectly by catching him at the last downhill and he never saw me again.”

The Goldbacks top-five runners totaled 129 points. Monroe-Woodbury clinched the Section 9 team championship with 20 points. Batelic will compete as part of the Section 9 team with four other runners: Kingston’s Andrew Lee, Minisink Valley’s Gavin Rossi, Valley Central’s Jacob Sahlstrom and Washingtonville’s Jason Ariano.

Monroe-Woodbury’s Collin Gilstrap won the race with a time of 15:18.8.
“I’m excited to see Verona,” Batelic said.

Jordan Hidalgo was the second Goldback to cross the finish line with a 17th place finish, with Brady Danyluk coming in right behind him for an 18th place finish. Joseph Gaito took 37th and Joey Santo was 47th.

The girls’ team finished eighth with 196 points with Denisha Cruz finished 25th with a time of 21:55.0 and Mary Jane Politi took 28th in 22:07.7. Alexandra Swink finished 40th with Amaya Caban coming in 48th. Inez O’Shea finished 55th.

Monroe-Woodbury won the overall team title with 34 points and Valley Central’s Ava Carsley won the race with a time of 18:36.7

Section 9 Class A Cross Country Championships
Boys
Team results: 1. Monroe-Woodbury – 20; 2. Washingtonville – 86; 3. Minisink Valley – 125; 4. Newburgh – 129; 5. Pine Bush – 152; 6. Wallkill – 165; 7. FDR – 167; 8. Valley Central – 183; 9. Kingston – 211; 10. Warwick – 214; 11. Middletown – 263.
Individual results: 1. Collin Gilstrap (MW) – 15:18.8; 2. Collin Catherwood (MW) – 15:21.9; 3. John Urciuoli (MW) – 16:05.6; 4. Andrew Lee (K) – 16:22.6; 5. Gavin Catherwood (MW) – 16:28.6; 6. Gavin Rossi (MV) – 16:36.2; 7. Jacob Sahlstrom (VC) – 16:37.0; 8. Jason Ariano (W) – 16:38.3; 9. Shane Golio (MW) – 16:41.8; 10. Devin Batelic (NFA) – 16:43.8; 17. Jordan Hidalgo (NFA) – 17:20.2; 18. Brady Danyluk (NFA) – 17:26.1; 37. Joseph Gaito (NFA) – 18:51.2; 47. Joey Santo (NFA) – 19:12.3; 53. Miles Davis (NFA) – 19:25.5; 58. Bryce Profiro (NFA) – 19:37.2.

Girls
Team results: 1. Monroe-Woodbury – 34; 2. Warwick – 107; 3. Valley Central – 108; 4. Washingtonville – 120; 5. Kingston – 134; 6. Pine Bush – 146; 7. Minisink Valley – 184; 8. Newburgh – 196; 9. Wallkill – 218; 10. FDR – 235; 11. Middletown – 267.
Individual results: 1. Ava Carsley (VC) – 18:36.7; 2. Olivia Heim (MW) – 18:50.0; 3. Carla Bautista (K) – 19:19.5; 4. Leanne Fernandez (MW) – 19:35.7; 5. Shaylen Goslar (PB) – 19:41.2; 6. Emma Dilemme (Wall.) – 19:50.6; 7. Samantha Apostolico (MW) – 19:53.4; 8. Alyssa Dovico (War.) – 19:55.6; 9. Lilly Benza (MW) – 20:18.6; 12. Kayla Postolowski (MW) – 20:36.7; 25. Denisha Cruz (NFA) – 21:55; 28. Mary Jane Politi (NFA) – 22:07.7; 40. Alexandra Swink (NFA) – 23:28.8; 48. Amaya Caban (NFA) – 24:15.6; 55. Inez O’Shea (NFA) – 24:55.5; 59. Riley Geis (NFA) – 25:29.4; 62. Jada Moody (NFA) – 26:10.2.