Leading off today: Though the full story will not be posted online until sometime this week, The Times Union story on the Section 2 financial mess does not look pretty.
Following up on a story from last fall in which the paper reported that the governing body for high school sports in the Albany region has no idea how much money it has (or doesn't have), The Times Union reported Sunday that untangling the financial picture following the suicide last June of treasurer Roger Seward borders on the impossible.
Quoting from the story:
"The minutes from a July executive committee meeting, turned over to the Times Union following a Freedom of Information request and under threat of legal action, describe a stunning lack of oversight. At one point in the meeting, the section's president, Paul Jenkins, asks for financial reports from the sectional boys' basketball tournament. He's told they don't exist.
"'They do not prepare any financial reports,' the minutes say. 'They do not track tickets sold.'"
Yikes.
According to the paper, the section is being audited to determine whether there was any embezzlement -- though there is no evidence thus far of criminal activity. At the very least, however, there is a mountain's worth of missing documentation -- in some cases related to legal paperwork such as IRS 990s that were not filed for years if not decades.
Cain close to sub-9 territory: Early returns on Mary Cain's decision to leave the high school circuit and run independently under the coaching of Alberto Salazar look promising.
Racing Saturday at the University of Washington Preview against a field of collegians and pros, the Bronxville junior won the 3,000 meters in 9:02.10.
It's the fastest time ever for a U.S. high school girl indoors or outdoors, beating the mark of 9:08.6 set by Lynn Bjorklund in 1975.
Because the track at UW is oversized, Cain's performance will not gain widespread acceptance as a school girl record even though it crushes Melody Fairchild's indoor 9:17.4 from 1991. However, the highly influential Track & Field News reportedly will recognize it as an overall national record.
