Around the Oval with Bob Leddy

Bob Leddy, RIT&FF Correspondent

A retired sports writer and past track official, Bob Leddy covered high school and college cross-country and track & field for twenty years with the Providence Journal. He is currently the correspondent for the Rhode Island Track & Field Foundation, and graciously continues to provide informative and interesting notes and commentary to the RITCA website.

Nov. 14, 2009 – It was not the ideal day for a cross country championship, but Rhode Island harriers braved the elements at Wickham Park in Manchester, Conn. for the 75th running of the New England Championships. Indeed, Hendricken, and the La Salle girls, cut through a steady rain (in the case of the girls’ race, a heavy precipitation) to win team titles. Each squad claimed team supremacy at the State Championships a week earlier - and in much better weather conditions.

The Rams, led by sophomore Molly Keating, posted 138 team points today, to 184 for the second-place Eagles. Hendricken, with senior Jake Sienko as its lead man, collected 105 team points, to 244 for second-place La Salle. The top Rhode Islander girl over the line was Barrington’s Abigail Jones, who placed 15th overall in 19 minutes, 17 seconds. Cranston West junior Robert Allen was Rhode Island’s No. 1 male finisher (seventh overall). Allen’s time was 16:30. Allen placed second at the State Championships a week ago.

“We ran as a team today,’’ said Hendricken coach Jim Doyle, who notched his fourth New England cross country championship (including one while he coached at St. Raphael). Hendricken last won the regional crown in 2002. “It was pretty wet out there, but [Sienko] stuck in the race.

La Salle’s Keating, who won the R.I. individual title last week, finished second (19th overall) at Wickham. Keating’s time was 19:34.

Among first-team All-State girls from last week: Cranston West senior Arianna Colella (third at States) was the seventh Rhode Islander today (50th overall). Colella was timed in 20:15. Barrington junior Molly Malinowski (fourth last week) was the third Rhode Island finisher at Wickham (26th overall) in 19:50. Sarah Barry, of Barrington was No. 6 for Rhode Island today (48th overall) in 20:13. Barry finished fifth at Ponaganset. Ram freshman Evie Jansen, who was sixth last week, was the fourth from her state to finish today (33rd overall). Jansen’s time was 20:01.

Besides Sienko and Allen, who went 1-2 last week, North Providence junior Alex Gallo (third at States) was No. 4 for R.I. (34th overall); his time was 17:03. Zach Fraielli, of La Salle (No. 4 last week) placed third for R.I. today (22nd overall) in 16:46. Dan Appenfeller, Mt. St. Charles’ first-ever All-State harrier (fifth last week), was No. 11 (75th overall) in 17:37. Hawk Mike Mac Kenzie was the sixth finisher last week, and fifth for the state today (35th). Mac Kenzie’s time was 17:03. Rounding out the boys’ first All-State squad last week was Ram junior Ryan Walsh. He was the seventh Rhode Islander today (48th overall) in 17:21.

Around the Course Again: The winner of the boys’ race was John Raneri, a senior from Fairfield, Conn. with a time of 15:57 . . . The girls’ division was won by sophomore Emily Durgan, of Cheverus, Maine in 118:35 . . . Other local finishers today included: Smithfield’s Kate Meinertz was 146th in 21:33; Coventry’s Vera Fedorenko (165 in 21:48); Westerly’s Rachel Orlando (175/ 22:00); Cumberland’s Nastasja Rattling (184/22:09); Bridget Murphy, of Westerly (201/22:19) and Erica Johnson, of Bay View (203/22:27).

Girls

Boys

Nov. 8, 2009 – Put an "18" up on the board to represent the number of state team titles won by cross country teams from Hendricken High. At the State Championships today, the Hawks earned that total, gathering 49 team points, to 91 for second-place Barrington. Hendricken placed its scorers within the top 20 finishers, and we led by the winning performance of senior Jake Sienko.

On the girls’ side La Salle, also utilizing scoring depth, copped its third straight team prize. (The Rams and Eagles went 1-2 in team scoring last year). Today, the Rams posted 41 points to Barrington, which totaled 49. La Salle also had the day’s individual champion: sophomore Molly Keating.

The top fourteen finishers in each race earn a spot on the Providence Journal’s All-State cross country team; the coaches associations customarily award their all-state awards to the top 21 placers.

Rams do a "three-peat"

La Salle’s Keating, who finished 12th last year as a freshman, ran a cool and collected race. She crossed the line in 18 minutes, 28 seconds. "It was great competition," said Keating. "I tried to take it out fast in the first mile."

Yesterday’s championships were held in unseasonably mild conditions, with temperatures in the mid-60s under clear skied. "It was perfect," Keating said of the weather.

"Our girls put their hearts on the line," said La Salle coach Kelly Martin. "They’re like a family, and they gave it one hundred percent. I knew [Keating] had a shot to win the title, the way she’s been running this season," the coach added. "Molly runs for her team."

Barrington, which was favored by coaches participating in the RIT&FF polls this season, received a fine performance from junior All-Stater Abigail Jones. She placed second in 18:54. But it was La Salle’s fifth runner - sophomore Emily Papazian - that put the Rams over the top.

Finishing third was Cranston West senior Arianna Colella. She finished in 19:09. "I did my ‘confidence thing’," said Colella, who last year finished sixth in the state. "I was excited; had no fear," she said. Colella clocked a 5:33 mile split.

Barrington’s Molly Malinowski was behind Colella. The Eagles’ junior hit the line in 19:17, and was followed by teammate Sarah Barry (19:20). Boding well for the future of the Ram program, freshman Evie Jansen came in sixth (19:34). Rounding out the first All-State team was Bay View senior Stephanie Beaudette. Beaudette, after collapsing at the Class Meet a week earlier, ran a gutsy 19:36 today.

Rounding out the top 14 were North Kingstown freshman Aisha McAdams in eighth place (19:39); Danielle Renzi, of La Salle, ninth 19:44); South Kingstown freshman Kendall Feaster tenth (19:57); Barrington’s Emily Siskind 11th (19:57). The Rams put the next three runners over the line: Caitlin Marino was 12th (19:58); Papazian 13th (20:13) and Victoria Beardwood 14th in 20:18.

Sienko, Allen battle it out

"I wanted to keep the pace fast," said the Hawks’ Sienko, after taking the race out in the final mile, and finishing with a winning time of 15 minutes, 56 seconds. But for the first two miles, Cranston West’s Robert Allen was a stride behind. The Falcon junior placed second in 16:10. "[Allen] hung with me for the first two miles,"said Sienko, who last year finished seventh.

"My goal was to stay on [Sienko's] back," said Allen, a fifth-placer last year. "The weather was great."

Backing up the Hawks’ scoring push was senior Mike MacKenzie, who placed sixth in 16:37. Junior Ryan Meehan was No. 3 man for Hendricken; he was tenth in 16:55. Andy Andraka placed 14th (17:02), and senior Brian Doyle came in 19th in 17:08.

Coming in behind Allen was North Providence junior Alex Gallo (third in 16:23). La Salle’s Zach Fraielli was fourth in 16:26. And, in what is an historic first for Mount St. Charles Academy, the school has its first All-State cross country runner. He’s senior Dan Appenfeller, who finished fifth in 16:36.

Ryan Walsh, the Rams’ junior, placed seventh (16:42), followed by the Eagles’ No. 1 runner: senior Brian McLaughlin (16:50). Placing ninth was North Kingstown’s Zach Seites-Rundlet (16:51). Barrington junior Cyrus Cousins was 11th in 16:56, followed in the chutes by Chariho junior Ian La Plume (16:59). Tim Kazanjian, of Barrington, was the 13th-place finisher (16:59), followed by Andraka.

Around the Course - Again: Hendricken has won state harrier titles beginning in 1978, running through 1982. The Hawks picked it up in ‘84, with three straight titles; winning it again in 1989 . . . La Salle captured its first team championship in 2007 . . . The New Englands are scheduled for next Saturday (14 November) at Wickham Park, Connecticut.

GIRLS’ STATE CHAMPIONSHIP:

BOYS’ STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: