SCHENECTADY — Shatiira Browne wasn’t about to let a finish-line spill keep her from competing in the 400-meter relay at Saturday’s William F. Eddy Jr. Memorial Track and Field Meet at Union College.

“I’m running. My teammates are counting on me,” the Schenectady High School speedster said after placing second in the 100 dash. “We’re mostly all seniors, and it’s the last time we’ll be here.”

With her left knee heavily taped, and with deep track burns on her right elbow and shoulder, Browne anchored a third-place relay effort by the Patriots, following runs by Shakeriah Henderson, Naytia Robinson and Ladeana McBride.

Earlier in the meet, Browne clocked a 12.70 to finish second, behind Klarissa Ricks (12.65) of Holy Names, in the 100. Browne and Ricks made contact just before the finish line, and Browne went down hard.

“It was a good race. We were neck and neck the whole time,” said Browne, who holds the school 100 record at 12.5. “I just wish the finish was a little different.”

“That was a crazy race,” said Ricks, one of Section II’s premier freshman runners. “It was so intense.”

eddy director departs

Larry Cottrell, the longtime dir­ector of the Eddy Meet, is stepping down from the post.

The meet is the largest and oldest scholastic track and field event in New York state, and held its 68th renewal Saturday.

“I’ve been involved since 1970, and climbed the ladder, I guess you could say,” Cottrell said. “I’ve been an official. I did clerking. I was a starter. I’ve been involved in a lot of aspects, and I loved them all. I had a great run.”

Cottrell served as the meet’s co-director with Ray Vacca in 1991, the first year the event included girls’ competition, and took over the pos­ition solely in 1992 while also serving as site coordinator. Cottrell is stepping down as Union College’s head men’s and women’s track and field coach, as well.

Cottrell said he is remaining as an assistant football coach at Union, with the 2007 season marking his 23th with the Dutchmen. Cottrell played football at Scotia-Glenville High School and Salem College in West Virginia, and was Niskayuna High School’s varsity football coach from 1981-84.

race to remember

Very few athletes can say they beat Edwin Moses, who is considered the greatest 400-meter intermediate hurdler of all time. Scotia-Glenville girls’ track coach Ron Cameron can.

“In hurdling, everything is steps,” Cameron said of his memorable run in the semifinals of the 1976 NCAA Division III championships at the University of Chicago. “Everything clicked that day.”

Yet Cameron, who was competing for Plattsburgh at the time, still needed some help to defeat the

phenom from Morehouse College.

“He was ranked No. 1 in the world with a 48.8. I remember saying to myself, ‘The only way I’m going to beat him is if he falls,’” Cameron said. “Well, that’s what happened.

“He looked back at me as if to say, ‘No one should be running with me,’ and he hit a hurdle and fell into my lane. I hopped over him, and jogged in. I ran a 52.6.”

Cameron later finished fourth in the final, while Moses went on to greatness, winning Olympic gold in 1976 and 1984, and winning 122 consecutive races from 1977-1987 while setting the world record four times.

drought ends

Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk ended a 39-year title drought in baseball last week when it beat Cobleskill-Richmondville, 10-2, at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown.

The victory left coach Bob Dorrance’s Indians with a 14-2 Colonial Council record and champions of the circuit for the first time since 1969. Ravena banged out 15 hits in the win, including a double and two singles by Joe Boomhower.

Schalmont owns both league wins over Ravena.

here and there

u Guilderland athletic director and Suburban Council president Wayne Bertrand has been elected president of the New York State Athletic Administrators Assoc­iation. Bertrand previously served as the organization’s vice pres­ident.

u Ohio native and West Point graduate Brian Spicer has been named varsity football coach at Albany High School, replacing Joe Burke. Spicer coached at Marietta High School in Ohio last season.

u A family tradition will continue next fall when standout Niskayuna center Gary Chrys, a two-time all-state Class AA performer, suits up for Hartwick College. Gary’s brother and father, Joe and Phil, both played collegiate football at Rochester, while his grandfather, Michael, competed at Clarkson and his great-grandfater, Thomas, played at Brown. Gary Chrys was a four-year starter for the Silver Warriors.

u Riker Wikoff broke a 21-year-old Albany Academy record with his winning 54.82 400-meter intermediate hurdle effort at the Eddy Meet.

u Queensbury quarterback/

defensive back Andy Kaier has been named the Class AA Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the New York State High School Football Coaches Association. Kaier has a 96.9

academic average and ranks second in his class. First-team scholar-athlete honors went to Connor Gallo of Lansingburgh and Ray Pasco of Hudson Falls.