The Gym Bag: New Year Singles Classic set to roll, road racer Chris Calimano had busy month, Wagner football and more

For Jim Elliott, it’s that time of year again.

The 49th New Year Singles Classic, which will take place at Rab’s Country Lanes next month, is currently accepting submissions from the tournament director of Staten Island’s oldest open bowling competition.

The weekends of January 11–12 and January 18–19 are when qualifying for the tournament will take place. Every day, the squad will meet between 1 and 2:30 p.m. On January 25 at 3 p.m., the Top 24 finals will take place.

A second entry is free for those who register and bowl in the tournament’s first qualifier on January 11 at 1 p.m. Elliott claims that only bowlers who pay for the first qualifier in full in advance will be permitted to bowl, and he anticipates a sellout for the first group.

The admission price is $60, which is $10 more than in 2023 but the same as last year. Three games of bowling across six lanes make up the format. Seventy percent of a 220 average is handicap. Scratch is the final.

There will be 24 finalists overall, with the top two high rollers from each qualifying (16) receiving seeds for the finals and the following eight high series.

Jeff Scire of Staten Island won his first-ever New Year Singles Classic title last year after decades of trying.

Checks made payable to Jim Elliott should be sent to Just For Kicks, 91 Lincoln Ave., Staten Island, N.Y., 10306, to reserve a space. Elliott may be reached at 718-667-5120.

Chris Calimano ran the quickest time of the day in the Men’s 40-and-over competition at the 75th Annual Lou Marli Turkey Day Classic on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024, with a time of 16:14. In 17:10, Calimano placed third in the open race as well. Jason Paderon/Staten Island AdvanceAdvance of Staten Island

Chris Calimano had a hectic month of road racing.

Chris Calimano, a road racer from Staten Island, has had a busy month. He participated in five races, including the NYC Marathon and a 50-mile race.

Here is a list of Calimano’s activities since November 3, 2024, in reverse order.

On Dec. 1, he finished second

overall at the annual

Prospect Park 50 Miler

, hosted by the Prospect Park Track Club, with a time of 6 hours, 53 minutes.
On Thanksgiving Day

in the annual Lou Marli Run

, the 43-year-old Oakwood resident actually ran the day s fastest time out of the 40-and-over competition, clocking in at 16:14. Less than a half-hour later, the ultra-marathoner ran the open race and took third in 17:10.
On Nov. 16, he placed second overall at the

NYC Trail Mix 50 Miler

, held in the Staten Island Greenbelt, with a time of 7:45.
On Nov. 9, Calimano ran a 2:57 marathon at the

St. Luke D&L Marathon

in Allentown, Pa., which earned him a third-place in the Masters 40+ division.
On Nov. 3, he competed in the NYC Marathon.

This month has been exciting and hectic! “Calimano said.” As usual, I was excited to pace the 3:45 group for the New York Road Runner (NYRR) at the NYC Marathon, and I crossed the finish line exactly on time in 3:44:25.

The Wagner football trio receives recognition.

The Wagner College football team’s sophomore Jaylen Bonelli, senior Ricky Spruill, and graduate student Chase Stafford were named to the NEC’s Second Team All-NEC.

With 789 receiving yards and six touchdowns this season, Bonelli, the NEC Rookie of the Year the previous year, led Wagner. The Florida native recorded a season-best 149 receiving yards and a touchdown in Wagner’s road victory at Delaware State, while also making a season-high 11 grabs versus Columbia.

With 2,126 rushing yards at the end of his career, Spruill finished ninth in Wagner history and went into the Seahawk record books. Spruill added 204 receiving yards and three receiving scores in 2024, while he led Wagner with 590 running yards and five rushing touchdowns.

One of the top receivers in the NEC, Stafford concluded the 2024 season with 138 receiving yards and touchdowns versus Saint Francis University and Florida Atlantic.

Shawn Solomon Jr. of Duquesne won the Offensive Rookie of the Year title, while Elijah Howard, Christopher Jean, and Kimal Clark of CCSU were named NEC Offensive Player, Defensive Player, and Defensive Rookie of the Year, respectively. Adam Lechtenberg, the head coach of CCSU, was named the league’s Coach of the Year.

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