Senate Resolution No. 1587 BY: Senator TEDISCO CONGRATULATING the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School Boys Cross Country Team and Head Coach Chip Button upon the occasion of capturing the 2023 New York State Class B Cross Country Championship WHEREAS, Individual and team championships are highly sought after in high school sports; this Legislative Body commends rare athletic achievements and pays special recognition to those who pursue such excellence and become examples for the youth of this great Empire State; and WHEREAS, Athletic competition helps to enhance both the moral and physical development of young athletes, preparing them for the future by instilling in them the importance of teamwork, encouraging a standard of healthy living, and developing a sense of fair play and competition; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to congratulate the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Boys Cross Country Team and Head Coach Chip Button upon the occasion of capturing the 2023 New York State Class B Cross Country Championship on Saturday, November 11, 2023, at Vernon Verona Sherrill High School in Verona, New York; and WHEREAS, To the praise and applause of their excited fans, the Spartans were able to surmount their opponents in the New York State Class B Cross Country Meet to procure another state title; and WHEREAS, These are not uncharted waters for the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Boys Cross Country Team, who have now won seven straight New York State Class B Cross Country Team Championships; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, this is the program's 24th (and 10th consecutive) Section 2 Championship; and their 12th New York State Championship; and WHEREAS, Demonstrating their superlative teamwork, the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Boys Cross Country Team also recorded a top-10 finish at both the New York State Federation and Nike Regional Cross Country Championships; and WHEREAS, Proudly donning the school's colors of maroon and white, family, friends, and the community at large loyally supported the Spartans throughout their journey as the team also won the Suburban Council Gray Division, finishing with a Suburban Council dual meet record of 13-1; and WHEREAS, In a sport such as Cross Country, which demands speed, agility, and mental fortitude, Head Coach Chip Button and his skilled coaching staff worked hard to hone the skills of this championship team, teaching these outstanding athletes lessons which will prove invaluable both on and off the course; and WHEREAS, The team has embodied the term "scholar-athletes", achieving enviable success in the classroom with a team wide grade point average of 94.05 percent; and WHEREAS, Head Coach Chip Button and all of the outstanding athletes on the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Boys Cross Country Team have clearly utilized dedication, determination and teamwork in providing a lasting contribution to the spirit of excellence which is a tradition of their school; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to congratulate the members of the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Boys Cross Country Team: Brayden Cyr, Brody Dugan, Nolan McFarland, Logan Muller, Ethan Owen, Luca Piccirillo, Cayden Robleno, Ben Smith, Gregory Tomik, and Matthew Windecker; and Head Coach Chip Button on their truly legendary and successful season; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the members of the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Boys Cross Country Team, Head Coach Chip Button, Athletic Director Joe Scalise, Principal Timothy Brunson and Superintendent Patrick McGrath, Jr.