By BOB LEDDY Falk Fund/R.I. Track & Field Foundation Correspondent
August 11, 2011 -- At last year’s State Cross Country Championships, held at Ponaganset High’s course, the La Salle girls’ team copped their fourth straight team title. Hendricken, meanwhile, took the team prize; its fourth consecutive and 19th overall. Coach Kelly Martin’s Rams finished with 30 points, 22 ahead of second-place Barrington. La Salle sophomore Molly Keating entered the girls’ championship as defending state titlist, and the Ram runner succeeded in that endeavor, clocking 18:52; Cranston West‘s Michaela Hackett finished second in that race (10:03).
The Hawks tallied 41 team points for the state team title, but it was Falcon senior Bob Allen taking the individual prize in a time of 15:30. Hendricken senior Ryan Meehan was next (15:37).
Allen has graduated, but Keating is now a senior, and will be the key element in the Rams’ success this fall. Besides Keating, the Rams senior Emily Papazian back in the fold. Papazian placed fourth at the ‘10 States. “We have some great young talent, said Martin, who is entering her ninth season at the help of La Salle harriers.
Part of that equation are sophomore Caroline Falvey (fifth in the state last season) and junior Evie Jansen (seventh). Freshman Emily Coughlin is also on Martin’s list, as is junior Caitlin Marino, who finished 13th at the State Meet last year, earning her second-team All-State honors. “We’ve got a solid 10 girls,’’ Martin said.
The Hawks have senior Mark Vuono at No. 1. Juniors Conor Doyle and Tyler Henesler are also in the mix for head coach Jim Doyle. A pair of Colins - Manning and Tierney - will also contribute, Doyle said. And the coach is impressed with a freshman, Mike Potter. “He appears to be outstanding,’’ the coach said. “In terms of preperation, he’s probably the best freshman I’ve had since the Butler brothers [at St. Raphael Academy in the late ‘80s]. He’s got a lot of lofty goals.’’
Doyle said his team “has a lot of depth,’’ but cautioned that Chariho will be in the running.
Charger coach Bill Habarek lost Ian La Plume to graduation, but the vegteran coach still has plenty of firepower this season. Mike Marsella, now a senior, finished fifth in the state last year (16:12), and the Kilcoyne guys - Dan and Jake - are back. Dan is a senior; Jake a junior. The pair crossed the line 10 and 11 (16:23 and 16:30, respectively) last year at the States.
The Barrington girls’ team lost All-Stater Molly Malinowski to graduation, but coach Ann Marie Marino’s Eagles boast the talents of sophomores Julie Portelli and Abigail Livingston, and juniors Alice Burgess and Fiona Paine.
The annual New England Championships return to Chieftain Country, having last appeared there in 2006.
The 2011 schedule (some invitational dates missing) Aug. 20 - Bobby Doyle Road Race, Narragansett Sept. 7/8 - Injury Fund races, Burrillville Sept. 12 - Dual meet season begins (Ends, Oct. 3). Sept. 18 - Downtown 5K (w/high school 3K races) Sept. 23/24 - Fifth annual Ocean State Invitational, Goddard Park Manchester (N.H.) Invitational Oct. 2 - Women’s Classic 5K (open to RIIL girls’ teams) Oct. 9 - Manhattan Invitational, NYC Oct. 15th - 29th annual Brown University Northeast XC Championships Oct. 20 - Bronco Invitational, Burrillville Middle School Oct. 22 - East Bay Challenge, Glen Park, Portsmouth Oct. 24 - Freshman States, Burrillville Oct. 29 - Class/JV State Championships (Class C, A, JV, B), Ponaganset Nov. 6 - State Championships, Ponaganset (Girls, then Boys) Nov. 12 - New England Championships, Ponaganset Nov. 26 - Foot Locker Regionals, N.Y. Dec. 3 - Nike XC Nationals Dec. 10 - Foot Locker XC Nationals, San Diego
Course Notes: There will be three coach/media polls conducted during the season by RIT&FF: Sept. 9; Oct. 17 and 31 . . . The “Time and Tape Project’’, a program to sign up new officials, will hold classes during the indoor season. Those interested in becoming officials should contact former South Kingstown girls’ track coach Joyce Harvey at joyce836@gmail.com . . . Henry Shepard, of Smithfield, the longtime RIIL cross country director, passed away on 7 Aug. at the age of 87.
