“Around the Oval’’ Marsella Is 8th R.I. boy picked for fabled N.Y. run Hope girls break R.I. 4x200 record; Local weight throwers tops at Yale; Rams’ Keating second in girls’ mile
By BOB LEDDY R.I. Track & Field Foundation Correspondent
22 Jan. - - Chariho High senior Mike Marsella Saturday finished second in the invitational mile run at the New Balance Games at the Armory Track & Field Center in New York with a time of 4 minutes, 15.27 seconds. The New Balance race was the final qualifier for the Millrose High School mile on 11 Feb. The top two finishers Saturday automatically qualified for a Millrose spot. The New Balance mile was won by Zavon Watkins, of Liverpool, N.Y., in 4:14.52. The No. 3 finisher clocked in at 4:20.71.
Marsella becomes the eighth Rhode Island boy in the event’s 38-year history invited to run the Millrose. (See Oval Notes below). He will be seeded second in the 12-runner field, behind Watkins. “It’s exciting,’’ Marsella said of his upcoming appearance in what is arguably the most prestigious single event of the indoor track season.
Marsella led from the outset Saturday, with quarter splits of 0:65, 0:65, 0:63 and 0:62 seconds. He held the lead until roughly the last 40 yards of the race. “I went in top-seeded,’’ the Charger “Long Ranger’’ said of Saturday’s mile. “That’s not my favorite. I was in the inside lane, and I had to take the [quick] lead so as not to get boxed in. I took it out slow, and went through the 1000 [meters] in 2:42. Then I picked it up. [Watkins] looked like a sprinter, and he used his 800 [meter] speed to get around me.’’
Marsella added that he was satisfied with his performance. “A 4:15 mile is kind of great,’’ he said. “I’ve been doing strength training, and haven’t focused on the mile, so I’m pleased.’’
“He took the lead from the gun,’’ said Chariho coach Bill Habarek. “We knew [Watkins] is a good 800, 1000 kid, and Mike did all of the work out there.’’ Yale Invitational highlights
Meanwhile, other Rhode Island track athletes competed Saturday in a storm-dented, slightly depleted Yale Interscholastic Track & Field Classic, held at the college’s Coxe Gage in New Haven. The Hope High girls’ 4x200 relay trimmed the R.I. record with a time of 1:43.24, currently ranked tenth in the United States. Royal Cheatham, Shyniece Sanders, Jarnae Royster and Quashira Mc Intosh did the honors for the Blue Wave. The old 4x200 mark belonged to La Salle (1:43.58). Cheatham went on to win the 55-meter dash in 7.27.
The boys’ weight throw competition on Friday night was a tussle between Classical’s Joe Velez and Hendricken’s Reuben Horace. In the second round, Velez, a senior, broke the Yale Invitational record with a throw of 67 feet, 3.75 inches (20.52 meters), and Horace topped that in the fourth round with a toss of 69-9.50 (21.27). But it was Velez in the end with a winning distance of 73-5.50 (22.39). Horace finished second with his 21.27-meter throw.
Pilgrim’s Maggie Dufault bettered by nearly two feet (0.61 meters) her next opponent in the girls’ 20-pound weight throw. Dufault unloaded the ball 50 feet, 4 inches (15.34). Classical’s Martha Cooper was third (46/4/14.12).
The second heat of the girls’ 3000 was won by South Kingstown’s Paige Ethier with a time of 10:05.91. In the girls’ long jump, it was Hope’s Cheatham and Classical’s Maddy Berkson going head-to-head again. Cheatham finished second in the event with a leap of 17 feet, 7.75 inches 5.38). Berkson was third at 17-4.75 (5.31). Berkson finished second in her heat of the girls’ 800 meters (2:12.90).
La Salle senior Molly Keating placed second in the girls’ mile with a time of 5:02.28. Reagan Anderson, of Delaware, won the event in 4:58.06. In the girls’ 3000, it was South Kingstown’s Paige Ethier with a winning time in Heat 2 of 10:05.91. Ethier’s time nearly toppled the R.I state record; a 10:02.71 clocked by La Salle’s Jean Christiansen in 2007.
OVAL NOTES: South Kingstown’s John Duggan was the first local miler to gain a berth to Millrose, in 1986. In 1988, Andrew Butler, of St. Raphael Academy, ran on the Madison Square Garden’s four-lane banked track, and a year later returned to the race with his brother and teammate Neal. Hendricken’s Dave Murphy qualified for the 2003 Millrose, followed four years later by the Hawks’ Andrew Palumbo. The last Rhode Islanders to appear at Millrose were East Greenwich’s Mark Feigen and Nick Ross; both ran the 2009 race. Only one local girl earned a Millrose berth. La Salle’s Jeanne Mack competed at the 2008 event . . . “Last-chance’’ qualifiers for the State Championships will be held next Saturday (1/28) at the PCTA track. The boys’ meet goes off at 12 noon, with the girls’ event (the Headley Meet) following at approximately 4 p.m.
TOP R.I. GIRLS WT - 1, Maggie Dufault, Pilgrim 50-4 (15.34 meters); 3, Martha Cooper, Classical 46-4 (14.12); 4, Ann Dagrin, Class. 42-3 (12.87); 8, Bianca Donadio, Class. 38-9 (11.81); 9, Lauren Carroll, Class. 36-6 (11.12); 10, Manuela Vadis, Class. 34-3 (10.44). SP - 2 (F1) - Tianna Cruz, Coventry 34-3 (10.44). LJ - 2, Royal Cheatham, Hope 17-7.75 (5.38); 3, Maddy Berkson, Classical 17-4.75 (5.31); 19, Stefanie Fitzgerald, Coventry 15-1.75 (4.62). 400 - 1 (H11) - Gianna Rocchio, Cov. 1:02.73. 800 - 2 (H1) - Berkson, Class. 2:12.90; 1 (H2) McKenzie Meehan, LS 2:16.91; 9 (H2) Caitlin Marino, LS 2:22.27; 10 (H2) Kendall Feaster, S. Kingstown 2:23.02; 14 (H2) Emily Papazian, LS 2:24.71; 2 (H3) Mary Coogan, Barrington 2:23.72; 4 (H5) Alicia De Castro, LS 2:27.10. Mile 2 (H1) Molly Keating, La Salle 5:02.28; 4 (H1) Madison Meehan, LS 5:11.89. 3000 1 (H2) Paige Ethier, S. Kingstown 10:05.91; 13 (H2) Caroline Falvey, La Salle 10:43.45. 55m - 1, Cheatham, Hope 7.27. 4x200 - 1, Hope (Cheatham, Royster, Sanders, McIntosh) 1:43.24 (#10 US/ SR. OR: 1:43.58, La Salle 2008). 4x400 - 3 (H2) E. Greenwich 4:15.48; 4 (H4) Mt. Hope 4:43.29. 4x800 - 2, La Salle 9:16.68 (# 3 US). DMR - 2, La Salle (Madison Meehan, Kane, McKenzie Meehan, Keating) 11:53.36. All times FAT. TOP R.I. BOYS WT - 1, Joe Velez, Classical 73-5.50 (22.39 meters/MR); 2, Reuben Horace, Hendricken 69-9.50 (21.27); 3, Carlos Mangum, Central 60-10.75 (18.56); 4, John Celona, BH 58-11.25 (17.97); 5, Dylan Gardner, Pilgrim 58-1.75 (17.72); 6, Tom Vadis, Class. 58-0 (17.67); 8, Robert Palazzo, Class. 56-7.25 (17.26); 10, Charlie Ionata, Barrington 55-9 (16.99); 11, Ndailor Sheriff, Class. 52-9.75 (16.09); Clarence Gallop, Central 52-4 (15.95). SP - 1 (F2) Aaron Comery, Coventry 50-0.50 (15.25); 2 (F2) Nick Di Ciantis, BH 49-11.50 (15.220; 4 (F2) Mike Pecchia, BH 41-9 (12.72). HJ - 4, Jordan Barboza, BH 6-2 (1.88); 7, Larry Warwick, Cov. 5-10 (1.78). LJ - 3 (F3) Ryan Rei, Cumberland 21-4.50 (6.51); 5 (F3) Warwick, Cov. 21-1 (6.42); 6 (F3) Jarell James, Hope 21-0 (6.40). Mile - 10 (H1) Mark Vuono, BH 4:35.69; 5 (H2) Evan Little, LS 4:35.29. 3000 - 8 (H1), Jake Kilcoyne, Chariho 8:48.45; 3 (H2) Mike Potter, BH 8:48.95; 4 (H2) Tyler Henesler, BH 8:49.70; 11 (H2) Colin Tierney, BH 8:56.84; 1 (H3) Evan Little, LS 8:57.53; 3 (H3) Connor Doyle, BH 9:01.04. 800 - 4, Dan Kilcoyne, Chariho 1:55.01. 400 - 3 (H2) Josh Landy, LS 51.19; 2 (H4) Alex Perreault, BH 51.80; 3 (H8) Sean Fitzgerald, LS 54.53; 3 (H9) Dan Clarkin, Cov. 53.92; 1 (H12) Steve Martinelli, LS 54.90. 4x200 - 1 (H2) Central Askie, Isaac, Ortiz, Ikuejamofo); 1 (H2) La Salle (Landy, Thompson, Martinelli, Ward) 1:36.49; 3 (H2) Hendricken 1:39.10. 4x800 - 3 (H1) Hendricken 8:51.18. DMR - 4 (H1) E. Greenwich 10:49.37. All times FAT.
