Lake Placid’s Karl Schulz, right, sprints to the finish just behind Westport’s Jon Gay during Friday’s Section VII state qualifier meet at Cobble Hill Golf Course in Elizabethtown. Gay placed second with a time of 15:21 and Schulz was one second behind in third. News photo — Shaun Kittle

ELIZABETHTOWN – Lake Placid cross country teams have a lot to be happy about.

After an unsteady start to the season that included two forfeited meets, the Blue Bombers boys seized a Class D victory over Ticonderoga, Seton and Moriah at Friday’s state qualifier meet in Elizabethtown. It was the first time in school history that a Lake Placid boys team has won the meet.

Lake Placid’s Karl Schulz crossed the finish line in 15 minutes, 22 seconds, behind only Plattsburgh’s Jeriqho Gadway in 14:47 and Westport/Moriah’s Jon Gay in 15:21. Schulz, who missed a couple meets late in the season due to nordic combined training in Europe, has consistently been Lake Placid’s top runner this season.

Schulz said he appreciated the competition Gay gave him, even though Gay was able to pull away at the end.

“John Gay, he was definitely pushing the pace, which is good because it pushed me,” Schulz said. “I think if I tried to put the sprint in a little earlier, I would have gotten him.”

Lake Placid’s Nina Armstrong heads for third place Friday at the state qualifier meet in Elizabethtown. News photo — Shaun Kittle

Karl’s brother, Scott, finished in 16:04 and Forest Ledger was next for the Bombers in 16:27.

Lake Placid’s girls also did well. They came in second place behind Seton Catholic.

Senior Nina Armstrong finished third in 18:48, behind Seton Catholic runners Margaret Champagne in 17:58 and Sofia DeJordy in 18:07.

For Armstrong, the win was bittersweet. She did well and earned herself a spot in the state championships, but as a senior the meet brought her one step closer her final race of a six-year career with the Blue Bombers. Armstrong is one of six seniors on the Lake Placid girls team, along with Sage Miller, Erin Skufca, Briana Roy, Glenice Gallagher and Elena Bushy.

“I bet they’ll miss us, but they’ll be fine,” Armstrong said. “We’ll come back next year to cheer them on.”

Nina’s sister, Gabby, will still be around to carry the torch. She took eighth place with her 19:30 finish.

The Armstrong sisters were out of town during last weekend’s Champlain Valley Athletic Conference race in Saranac Lake. Bombers coach Mel Frazer said it was good to have them back.

“They ran where they needed to,” Frazer said. “Sage Miller stepped up where she needed to and finished strong, too.”

Saranac Lake had some victories, too. The girls placed second in Class C behind Seton.

The Red Storm’s Johanna Mohrs placed sixth overall in 19:18.

“I’m decently proud,” Mohrs said. “I was really trying to get fifth, but I got sixth, which is more realistic. I was prepared for it, so I don’t feel too bad.”

Mohrs, a junior, was excited about how well her team performed and said she’s looking forward to next fall.

“As a team, we had a really good race,” Mohrs said. “Everyone really tried. We were focused. Everyone was out cheering us on, which helped to. They like to support us, and we like having them here.”

Red Storm coach Joe Merrihew agreed. He had a lot of praise to dish out for both the boys and girls teams.

“Going into the season, I was thinking we were only going to have two runners make it to states,” Merrihew said. “But as the season progressed, and as our runners progressed, we ended up with four today. That’s a great thing. We didn’t win a team title, but to send two guys and two girls to states, that’s fantastic.”

Unlike the Bombers, the Red Storm doesn’t have any graduating seniors.

“A shout-out goes to Karl (Schulz), who took third,” Merrihew said. “They’re going to the state sectionals, and they’ve earned it. After having to forfeit their first two meets, and then coming and cleaning up after that, they’ve had a great year.”

Lake Placid is sending all seven of its boys and two girls to next Saturday’s NYSPHSAA state championship meet at SUNY Canton. They are brothers Karl and Scott Schulz, Forest Ledger, Trent White, Curtis Rissberger, David Mihill and Nick Salpaugh. The girls are sisters Nina and Gabby Armstrong.

Saranac Lake is sending boys Zane Pelleteri and Anderson Gray and girls Johanna Mohrs and Maggie Peer to the state sectionals.

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Section VII state qualifier meet

Friday at Cobble Hill Golf Course, Elizabethtown

Boys

Team scores

Class C

1. Plattsburgh 38, 2. Saranac 39, 3. Beekmantown 86, 4. Saranac Lake 89, 5. Ausable Valley 129, 6. Northeast Clinton 158.

Class D

1. Lake Placid 27, 2. Ticonderoga 43, 3. Seton Catholic 56, 4. Moriah/Elizabethtown (incomplete).

Individuals (Top 15)

1. Jeriqho Gadway (Pburgh) 14:47, 2. Jon Gay (Westport/Moriah) 15:21, 3. Karl Schulz (LP) 15:22, 4. Zach LePage (Saranac) 15:51, 5. Caleb Moore (Seton) 15:55, 6. Isaiah Maddix (Peru) 16:03, 7. Scott Schulz (LP) 16:04, 8. Brady Terry (Peru) 16:08, 9. Kody Parrott (Ti) 16:19, 10. Andersen Gray (SL) 16:22, 11. Zane Pelleteri (SL) 16:23, 12. Forest Ledger (LP) 16:27, 13. Kolby Kitterle (Saranac) 16:34, 14. Matt Cote (Seton) 16:37, 15. Connor Cota (Pburgh) 16:37.

Girls

Team scores

Class C

1. Saranac 21, 2. Plattsburgh 59, 3. Saranac Lake 66, 4. Beekmantown 96, 5. Northeast Clinton 147, 6. Ausable (incomplete)

Class D

1. Seton 21, 2. Lake Placid 45, 3. Ticonderoga 68, 4. Moriah/Elizabethtown (incomplete)

Individuals (Top 15)

1. Margaret Champagne (Seton) 17:58, 2. Sofia DeJordy(Seton) 18:07, 3. Nina Armstrong (LP) 18:48, 4. Elysha O’Connell (Saranac) 18:54, 5. Lea DeJordy (Seton) 19:07, 6. Johanna Mohrs (SL) 19:18, 7. Pascale Allen (Seton) 19:21, 8. Gabby Armstrong (LP) 19:30, 9. Lexi Blockson (Saranac) 19:35, 10. Lia Clemons (Peru) 19:39, 11. Abby Cerne (Saranac) 19:43, 12. Makenzie Baker (Pburgh) 19:44, 13. Meghan Mazzella (Peru) 19:56, 14. Shauna Fliss (Peru) 19:56 15. Sage Miller (LP) 20:00.