He’s the first R.I. boy in 8 years to make the Nationals; La Salle’s Keating is 10th in girls’ field
By BOB LEDDY R.I. Track & Field Foundation Correspondent
26 Nov. - - Chariho High senior Mike Marsella became the first Rhode Island boy in the eight-year history of the Nike cross country races to qualify for the National Championships, to be held next Saturday in Portland, Ore.
Running for the “Charger XC Club“ at the Northeast Regional qualifier at Bowdoin Park, Wappingers Falls, N.Y., Marsella (this season’s Rhode Island and New England harrier champ) placed fourth in a time of 16 minutes, 14.7 seconds. The two top-scoring teams (and top five individuals not from those squads) earned the right to compete at the Nike U.S. Championships, which will be run at Portland Meadows Park on Dec. 3.
Molly Keating, the La Salle senior who notched her third straight R.I. cross country title last month (and who finished second in New England a week later), finished the Nike run in tenth place. Keating was timed in 19:09.9.
In boys’ team scoring, Hendricken (running as the Hawks TC-RI) placed fourth with 136 points. Chariho (running as the Chargers TC) finished in seventh. “It wasn’t our best race,’’ said Hawk coach Jim Doyle. “Our objective was to get second [place].’’
The La Salle girls’ team (La Salle RC-RI) came in seventh in team ranking (224). Barrington, this year’s state team champs, was the second Rhode Island team (10th overall). Running as “Eagle Speed’’ the team gathered 292 points.
(Two years ago at this event, both Hendricken and La Salle qualified for the Nationals as teams. Abigail Jones, of Barrington, now at Brown University, qualified as an individual in ‘09).
Despite his finishing position, Marsella wasn’t in top shape for the 3.1-mile race. “He was pretty spent,’’ said Charger coach Bill Habarek. “He wasn’t 100 percent.’’ Marsella said he felt as though he was fighting some kind of bug going in. “My legs didn’t feel 100 percent,’’ he said. “By a mile and a half, my legs held their own, but didn’t run to my fullest. I didn’t get a lot of sleep [the night before]. My breathing was labored.’’
Nonetheless, Marsella, who finished in 63rd place at last year’s Northeast Regional meet, never was out of the front pack in Wappingers Falls. “I was leading with 200 meters to go,’’ he said. “I tried to hold on as long as I could, but [other frontrunners] were on my shoulder.
(The boys’ race was won by Jack Leahy, of the Blue Devil Track Club in New Jersey in 16:08).
La Salle senior Molly Keating, the R.I. champ, placed tenth in the girls’ championship field. Keating’s time was 19:09.
(The girls’ race was won by Ellie Purrier, of Vermont, in 18:20. Purrier won this year’s New England meet at Ponaganset).
The top freshman finisher in the boys’ race was the Hawks’ Mike Potter, who was his team’s top scorer (19th overall). Potter was timed in 16:41. “He ran a great race,’’ coach Doyle said.
Course Notes: The Nike race in New York was one of eight regional qualifiers around the United States . . . Because of National High School Federation rules regarding post-season competition, teams (seven runners) enter the Nike meets using club designations . . . The races at Wappingers Falls were held in perfect weather conditions; temperatures in the 50s. The course is a hilly one, with a climb a mile in, and downhill topography thereafter.
GIRLS Open Division Top R.I. finishers (w/overall place) 1 (18) Liz Hansen, Chargers XC 21:04; 2 (31) Allison Reilly, Excel-erate North-RI 21:23; 3 (74) Hannah Lynch, Excel-NorthRI 22:27; 4 (83) Melissa Viens, Excel-erate NorthRI 22:41. Dist. - 3.1. Championship Division R.I. team scores 7, La Salle RC 224; 10, Eagle Speed 292; 19, Excel-erate North-RI 434. Top R.I. finishers (w/overall place) 1 (10) Molly Keating, LSRC 19:09; 2 (32) Abby Livingston, Eagle Speed 19:51; 3 (39) Aisha Mc Adams, Excel-North 19:58; 4 (56) Evie Jansen LSRC 20:18; 5 (71) Jaxine Wolfe, Excel-North 20:36; 6 (74) Megan Verner-Crist, Eagle Speed 20:39; 7 (75) Tiana Kibbe, LSRC 20:39; 8 (80) Fione Paine, Eagle Speed 20:46; 9 (85) Caitlin Marino, LSRC 20:50; 10 (97) Carolina Falvey, LSRC 21:01; 11 (98) Alice Burgess, Eagle Speed 21:02; 12 (137) Julianna Portelli, Eagle Speed 21:35; 13 (138) Emily Papazian, LSRC 21:37; 14 (139) Courtney Dawless, LSRC 21:41; 15 (150) Allie Lomas, Excel North 21:49. Dist. 3.1.
BOYS Open Division R.I. team scores (Schools entered as clubs) 6, E, Greenwich TC 174; 7, Hawks TC “A” 183; 14, Coventry TC 395; 19, Lincoln TC “A’’ 484; 22, Hawks TC “B” 555; 27, Charger TC 722; 29, Hawk TC “C” 869; 31, Linccoln TC “B” 924; 32, Hawk TC “D” 931. Top R.I. finishers (w/overall place) 1 (6) Ben Fazio EGTC 17:16; 2 (14) Scott Kulm EGTC 17:33; 3 (20) Chris Millman, EGTC 17:45; 4 (30) Ryan Tierney, Hawk TC 18:00.0; 5 (31) Dan Clarkin Cov. TC 18:00.1; 6 (32) Chase Martin, Hawk TC 18:00.4; 7 (40) Alex Doherty, Hawk TC 18:12; 8 (47) Ryan Mc Naughton, Hawk TC 18:20; 9 (58) Mark Rini, Cov. TC 18:27; 10 (59) Gerrett Scanlon, EGTC 18:28. Dist. - 3.1. Championship Division R.I. team scores 4, Hawk2 TC 136; 7, Charger XC 228; 17, LSA XC 470; 20, Excel-erate North-RI 496. Top R.I. finishers (w/overall place) 1 (4) Mike Marsella, Charger XC16:14; 2 (15) Jake Kilcoyne, Charger XC 16:35; 3 (19) Mike Potter, Hawks TC 16:41; 4 (22) Colin Tierney, Hawks TC 16:44; 5 (36) Tyler Henesler, Hawks TC 16:56; 6 (38) Bryce Kelley, Charger XC 16:58; 7 (44) Colin Manning, Hawks TC 17:03; 8 (53) Connor Doyle, Hawks TC 17:10; 9 (68) Dan Kilcoyne, Chargers XC 17:21; 10 (70) Adam Rego, LSA XC 17:25; 11 (74) Mark Vuono, Hawks TC 17:29; 12 (84) Bob Wilkinson, Excel North-RI 17:34; 13 (86) Austin Gaudreau, Excel North-RI 17:36; 14 (108) Mike Wilkinson, Excel North-RI 17:47; 15 (109) Jake Grundy, LS XC 17:49. Dist. 3.1.
