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Success Overseas

Area residents Holly Griffith, left, and Judy Porpiglia show off their medals upon completion of the Berlin Marathon last month. Submitted photo

Practice makes perfect.

At least that was the case for area residents Judy Porpiglia and Holly Griffith who both completed the Berlin Marathon last month.

Buoyed by a rigorous, 16-week training schedule, the women finished the race in 3 hours, 45 minutes, 25 seconds, which was a personal record for both.

For Porpiglia, it was her 11th marathon, and she has now completed five of the six marathons in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, which includes New York, Chicago, Boston, Tokyo, Berlin and London. Porpiglia, who now has five Boston Marathon qualifying times, hopes to complete London in 2020 and receive her six start medal.

Griffith, meanwhile, has run three marathons, two of which were also part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series (Chicago and Berlin).

Jamestown native Dylan Gaeta nears the finish line at the Berlin Marathon. Submitted photo

To get to that level of running, Porpiglia and Griffith would get up at 4 a.m. several mornings a week to encourage and push each other to be their best. The formula worked as both set personal-bests last month.

Accompanying the runners on their trip were their “pit crew,” comprised of Mike Porpiglia and Nichelle Carlberg.

Porpiglia and Griffith weren’t the only locals to conquer the Berlin course.

Jamestown native Dylan Gaeta was also a participant, touring the course in 2:48.33, which was good for 971st place.

Gaeta, who lives and works in Chicago, completed his M.S. at the University of Chicago in 2018 where he also serves as a part-time running coach. He will begin pursuing a PhD in environmental engineering at Johns Hopkins University in 2020.

The son of David Gaeta and Michelle Paterniti, Gaeta, 25, began his running career at Persell Middle School, continued as a track athlete at Jamestown High School (Class of 2012) and at the University of Rochester. He is also registered to run the Boston Marathon in the spring.

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Chloe Knapp (Jamestown/Jamestown) and the Cortland women’s tennis team sit at 7-4 overall and 3-4 in SUNYAC play on the year after picking up an 8-1 win over Oswego at last report.

Knapp was a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Lorrayne Broach at first singles and suffered a 6-8 loss at first doubles with teammate Isabella Arrigo.

Knapp has six singles wins and five doubles wins so far this season.

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Sophomore Mikayla Johnson (Lakewood/Southwestern) and head coach Matt Johnson (Lakewood/Southwestern) helped the Fredonia women’s tennis program to a 10-4 record and a 3-4 SUNYAC mark this season.

The Blue Devils suffered a 3-6 loss to Plattsburgh to end the year, with Johnson picking up a pair of wins, besting Sierra Barrett 6-3, 6-0 at third singles and earning a second doubles win with teammate Sarah Bunk as they topped Cydney Bond and Barrett, 8-3.

On Oct. 4, Johnson and Bunk picked up the lone win for Fredonia in a match against Oneonta, as they topped Rebecca Macdonald and Olivia Fraser, 8-5.

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Sarah Pillittieri (Jamestown/Jamestown) and the Allegany College women’s golf team claimed their first home invitational since 2012 on Sept. 23.

The Gators bested six other teams, with Pillittieri firing rounds of 99 and 108 at the Country Club of Meadville.

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Brooke Federko (Jamestown/Jamestown) and the Buffalo State women’s volleyball team are at 5-12 at last report after suffering losses to Geneseo and Brockport. Federko has played in all 17 matches this season, grabbing 14 kills and a team-high 454 assists.

The junior setter also has 168 digs.

The Bengals will take on Oswego on Thursday.

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Hope Pietrocarlo (Bemus Point/Jamestown) and the Edinboro University women’s cross country team finished 12th out of 44 teams at the Lehigh Paul Short Run.

Pietrocarlo finished in 48th place with a time of 22:08.6, trailing only teammates Tori Klimowicz and Stefanie Parsons.

The Fighting Scots will be in action next at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships on Oct. 25.

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Alexa Dix (Jamestown/Jamestown) picked up an assist in Gannon University’s 3-0 soccer win over Clarion recently.

Dix fed Maddie North for her third of the year and second of the game in her first appearance of the year.

Gannon sits at 4-4-1 at last report.

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Alex Lee Yaw (Jamestown/Mercyhurst Prep) and the Gannon men’s soccer team are 8-1 at last report.

In recent action, the Knights were 7-1 winners over Daemen, with Lee-Yaw grabbing his fifth goal of the season and first assist of the year. Gannon then was a 2-1 winner over Slippery Rock, with Lee-Yaw assisting on the game winner by Ivan Manfredi.

Lee Yaw opened up the scoring for the Knights with a free kick in the 35th minute of play.

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Hannah Lillie (Lakewood/Southwestern) finished in 44th overall place at the Gannon-Mercyhurst Invitational cross country meet to help Gannon finish in second place behind Seton Hill. Lillie clocked a 22:29.3.

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Morgan Plymel (Jamestown/Maple Grove) has made appearances in five games for the Alfred State women’s soccer team so far this year, including three starts.

Plymel picked up an assist in her first career game, a 2-2 tie against SUNY Delhi on Aug. 30. The Pioneers are 1-7-1 at last report.

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Wes Senn (Randolph/Randolph) has helped the Alfred Saxons to a 4-1 start, and was named a team captain for his senior season.

Senn leads an offensive line that has paved the way for 275 rushing yards per game and 15 touchdowns.

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