They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten. A massive number of former Rhode Island high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten. A massive number of former Rhode Island high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

Rhode Island Mile Split got the chance to do a Q &A with one of the country's best track athletes. Mike Marsella, a senior at Chariho High School in Rhode Island has one of the best stat sheets of any high school distance runner in the nation. The Chariho senior led his cross country team in the Fall of 2011 to a second place finish at the Rhode Island State XC Championships. Marsella has competed in some of the most prestigious Cross Country and Track Meets there is. Last Spring season, Marsella was Rhode Island State Champion for eight hundred meters and took seventh place in the mile at New Balance Outdoor Nationals.  In the Fall, Marsella earned a trip to Nike Cross Nationals by taking fourth place at the Nike Northeast Regional Quailifier. At NXN finals the Chariho star finished 19th overall.

Coach "Z" is back in action as he tracks down up and coming superstar Matt Centrowitz.  The son of a two time Olympian, Centrowitz talks about his personal best high school times,  favorite high school Teammate, and he also gives some great advice to the local high school athletes. We also find out if he is a Baltimore Raven or New England Patriot Fan. Milesplitmass is looking forward to some great "Take 3 with Z's" in the month a May.

Rhode Island saw it's first big week in Track and Field, Milesplit will be running a "Week in Review" Series.

Many New England Track teams made the trip to the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. Here are a few of the most recent updates.

To some, winning a Penn Relays Gold Watch is a goal just as, and even sometimes moreso important than winning a national championship.  Watches are awarded only to the overall American winners in Championship of America events at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, kicking off for the 118th time next Thursday at Franklin Field.  In some cases, most notably the sprints, it is harder to win a spot on the top of the medal stand than it is to win a national championship.  This fact is because of the international draw the relays bring to Philly; currently, there are 62 schools registered that are not from the United States, with Jamaica the most represented foreign country with 32 individual schools.  For some, winning a watch means beating the world. While the main events remain the short relays, specifically the 4x100m and 4x400m, the distance relays and open events are available on an invite basis.  And with the the high quality meet comes a high caliber field in each of the 4 invitational distance events.  We broke down the competition to help you see where the action may take place. (via )

To some, winning a Penn Relays Gold Watch is a goal just as, and even sometimes moreso important than winning a national championship.  Watches are awarded only to the overall American winners in Championship of America events at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, kicking off for the 118th time next Thursday at Franklin Field.  In some cases, most notably the sprints, it is harder to win a spot on the top of the medal stand than it is to win a national championship.  This fact is because of the international draw the relays bring to Philly; currently, there are 62 schools registered that are not from the United States, with Jamaica the most represented foreign country with 32 individual schools.  For some, winning a watch means beating the world. While the main events remain the short relays, specifically the 4x100m and 4x400m, the distance relays and open events are available on an invite basis.  And with the the high quality meet comes a high caliber field in each of the 4 invitational distance events.  We broke down the competition to help you see where the action may take place. (via )

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten. A massive number of former Rhode Island high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

The talent has always been there for Peabody’s Catarina Rocha, but it’s probably her level-headed approach to cross country and track that has set her apart from the cluster of elite female runners in Massachusetts. For starters, don’t tell Rocha she’s the girl with the bulls eye on her back that the rest of the state is gunning for. As far as she’s concerned, there are too many good runners in Massachusetts for her to think that she’s the clear favorite. As for the pressure to perform well, it just isn’t there. Rocha trains hard and lets the chips fall where they may.

Drew Magaha (Upper Moreland) rocketed his way around the track and wound up with a US#1 and PA Record of 1:48.82 in the 800m run!    Cayla Hatton is back at it again, this time besting some solid collegians over 5000m with a US#7 All-Time clocking of 16:14.99! Ajee Wilson (NJ) won the Elite 800m run with a US#1 time of 2:05.28 against a field of collegians and pros.     (via usa.milesplit.com)

MileSplit, the nation's leading destination for high school track & field coverage, announced  that they have launched a channel for the Roku device. The Roku is a small three-inch set top box that connects to any modern television, allowing a wide range of video content to be streamed to the big screen via a wireless internet connection. (via MileSplit United States)

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten. A massive number of former Rhode Island high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

Top National Outdoor Performances, April 9-14 MileSplit national features the top individual and relay team performances across the U.S. each week.  This week we highlight the top marks during April 9-14. To set quantitative standards for inclusion, we’re generally using the 50th best non-wind-aided performance nationally in each standard event in 2011, with more stringent standards (e.g., top 15 in javelin, top 25 in 4 X 200) for events contested less frequently.  The standards used are given in brackets.  If no one is listed under an event, according to our information no one has met the standard in that event during 4/9-14. For additions or corrections, please email the event, time/distance, name, grade, school, state, meet, and date to lknudson@milesplit.us; and we’ll add/revise them.  For in-depth listings of outdoor performances in each event so far in 2012, go to http://www.milesplit.com/rankings/2012/outdoor/hs .

Newton Sports Photography has been an enormous part of our success the last few years.  We have all enjoyed their fantastic work and it has helped make our State one of the fastest growing sites in the Milesplit network.  Milesplitmass would love to lend a hand for a great cause, as Newtonsportsphotography.com is hosting an auction to help raise money for the National Organization of Rare Diseases. (via www.newtonsportsphotography.com)

NORTH PROVIDENCE - His first heart surgical procedure kept him alive, but the second opened new athletic doors for John Celona Jr. He has signed a letter of intent after being offered a track scholarship at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and will be competing against the best hammer and weight throwers in Division I. Celona, who participated in a variety of sports growing up, was at practice for his North Providence Babe Ruth League team when he was 14, and started feeling out of breath. (via www.valleybreeze.com)

Milesplitmass would like to acknowledge some of the areas best bloopers, blunders, and  "Track Attacks"  in our sport.  In this video former Bishop Feehan distance runner and rookie Steeplechaser Bobby McShane,  takes a "Dive" in the steeplechase.  If you have a Blooper, Blunder, or Track Attack caught on video, let Milesplitmass know !

The Lukas Verzbicas phenomenon is no one-off. It's sky is raining elite prep runners who are triathletes first and runners second. The latest is track speedster Daniel Vertiz, and we had a few words with him. (via Slowtwitch.com)

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten. A massive number of former Rhode Island high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

Legendary pole vaulter Mark Strawderman will be inducted into the Rhode Island Track & Field Hall of Fame at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.  “It’s obviously special,” Strawderman said. “This is a special group and I’m honored to be chosen.”  Strawderman was a superstar for Chariho High in the late 1970s and for URI in the early 1980s. (via The Westerly Sun)

Racetab is a FREE software developed by Milesplit Founder Jason Byrne. Jason was wise enough to let the coaches and timing companies lend a voice in tweaking his software. This has made the Racetab software one of the most user friendly programs you can possibly find. Its simple format allows just about any coach, parent, or student to run a Track Meet like a pro within minutes. It also packs all the punch for the power user that even professional timers will use it.

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten. A massive number of former Rhode Island high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

This episode of The Fit Runner takes us to RDV Sportsplex in Maitland, Florida where we meet with physical therapist Laura Podschun to learn about stride mechanics, stretching and plyometrics drills. (via MileSplit United States)

(CNN) -- He has yet to compete at the Olympics, but the eyes of the world will be on Oscar Pistorius if he is selected for London 2012. Born with a congenital abnormality, he had both his legs amputated below the knee at 11 months of age, but that has not stopped him competing at the highest level. The South African runs on specially-adapted carbon-fiber artificial limbs, earning him the nickname "Blade Runner" and the tag of "fastest man with no legs." After winning a legal battle to let him race against able-bodied athletes, the 25-year-old has become one of the most recognizable and popular figures in the world of sport thanks to his inspiring performances on the track.

Two-sport sprint star Marvin Bracy and milers Cami Chapus and Edward Cheserek, a trio of the top high-school athletes in the country, will be out to make history at the adidas Grand Prix on June 9. (via MileSplit United States)

In this installment of “Take 3 with Z” the charismatic Pembroke Coach catches up with World Champion Jenny Simpson.   The former Florida high school standout and University of Colorado graduate was in Boston recently to compete in the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten. A massive number of former Rhode Island high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level. 

Two Bishop Hendricken track and field standouts signed National Letters of Intent earlier this month to continue their careers at Division I colleges. Warwick’s Reuben Horace signed with Boston University and North Providence’s John Celona committed to UNC-Charlotte.  (via warwickonline.com)

Every athlete will be tested this season.  For some, it may be the last interval of a grueling session on the track.  For others, it may be a flurry of mid-race surges at the state championships.  Regardless of whether you are the best athlete on your team, or the worst, the internal struggle is all but guaranteed.

Check out the archives of any serious running forum and you will find them filled with threads asking, “Whatever happened to (name of bust)?” Supposedly Mohamud, a two-time Foot Locker champ, hardly trained as prep. Yet, he was such an exceptional talent that people can hardly fathom that he did nothing as a runner in college.  (via Running Times)

For the second straight year, Chariho High boys’ indoor track coach Keith Croteau took home Coach of the Year honors for the indoor season. (via The Westerly Sun)

Dick Beardsley and Alberto Salazar battled the entire distance of the 1982 Boston Marathon, finishing within 2 seconds of each other in one of the most epic duels in our sports glorious history. (Photo by Francis Rizzo)

In this installment of Take 3 with Z, Dorr shares with us the tragic accident that ended her very promising distance running career.  Ever optimistic, she explains how she seized the opportunity to drop down in distance, and turned what many would consider a career ending medical prognosis into an illustrious career at Penn State.  Reduced to a whisper in the final question, Dorr reveals the most poignant advice we have received all season. 

Dozens of running related apps are released each month.  Most cater to the weekend warrior trying to calculate their projected marathon pace, but a few are designed by track geeks, for track geeks.  These obscure programs address problems that are unique to those of us who feel compelled to get splits on ten athletes at once, or who bravely traverse cross country courses to get that mid-race team score.

Although there was extensive coverage of the New Balance Indoor Nationals, nothing captures the drama of the moment better than a well timed photo.  Fortunately for the athletes of New England, we are lucky enough to have one of the best in our own backyard.

The winning performances of Chariho, Hillhouse, and Carla Forbes of Newton North only represent a fraction of the tremendous competitions that took place in New York last weekend.  When it was all said and done, the athletes of New England rose to the occasion and put together one of the most impressive displays of talent in recent memory.

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten.  A massive number of former New Hampshire high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

  (via MileSplit United States)

The New Balance Indoor National Championships start Friday morning at the Armory in New York.  MileSplit New England will follow the accomplishments of all the athletes from the region and post updates as they become available. 

All morning, the buzz at the Armory around the boys 4 x mile was focused on two powerhouse programs that have dominated distance running in recent years. It was a two-horse race, the chatter went, and whichever favorite emerged – Shaker High School or New Jersey's Christian Brothers Academy – would also own a new national record. (Photo by Geoffrey Decker) (via MileSplit United States)

The Chariho 4 X Mile team of Dan Kilcoyne, Bryce Kelley, Jake Kilcoyne, and Mike Marsella set a new national record of 17:20.20 to win the event by a narrow margin over Shaker of New York.  

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten.  A massive number of former New Hampshire high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

The New Balance Indoor Nationals start on Friday and heat sheets for the event were just released.  

With only one week remaining in the season, the final push for rankings supremacy was made at the New England Championships. The marquee names delivered, but there were also several surprises the emerged from the compilation of the region's best.

The New Balance Indoor Nationals will take place this weekend at the Armory in New York.  MileSplit will have a full coverage team, and MileSplit New England will post all the highlights from the region.  Coverage will continue all week, so check back often.

Newton Sports Photography has made another impressive contribution to MileSplitMass by uploading hundreds of photos from the New England Championships. 

Chariho High’s boys’ indoor track and field team won two events at Friday’s New England championship meet at the Reggie Lewis Center and set a pair of records in the process. (via The Westerly Sun)

The buzz about how good Precious Holmes really was began early this winter and continued through the indoor season. The Hillhouse, CT phenom didn’t disappoint the Reggie Lewis Center crowd at Friday night’s 25th New England Interscholastic Indoor Track & Field Championships.

The La Salle Academy girls kicked off the 25th annual New England Indoor Track & Field Championships by smashing a state record in the 4x800-meter relay. That was just the opening act for the Rhode Island contingent that made its way to the March 2 meet.

The Reggie Lewis center will be bustling with athletes & spectators on Friday evening as the 25th New England Indoor Track & Field Championship invades the oval. Athletes from Maine, Massachussetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, & Rhode Island will be facing off against eachother in hopes of being the crown best in New England. (via MaineTrackXC)

A bit of gamesmanship is underway by the coaches of prominent teams in New England. The meet rules for the New England Championships state that an athlete can only be entered in four events including relays, and several coaches have their top tier athletes slated for the maximum allowable amount. The fact that an athlete can even qualify in four events is a testament to their tremendous talent, but the likelyhood that it will actually happen is slim.

New England track and field action took place on a national spectrum in every sense of the term.  State records were broken in Boston at the Massachusetts All-State Championships, and national leaders were crowned at the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle, Washington. All of this happens only five days prior to the New England Championships.  

The New England Indoor Championships are just a couple of days away and the meet management just released the performance lists.  See the match-ups and follow all the coverage as we kick-off an exciting week of indoor track and field.

The 25th Annual New England Interscholastic Boys' and Girls' Indoor Track and Field Championships are scheduled for Friday, March 2, 2012, at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, Roxbury Community College, MA.  Included are coach, athlete, and spectator instructions from the meet management.

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten.  A massive number of former New Hampshire high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

Mike Marsella traveled across the country to take on some of the best athletes in the nation on one of the fastest track imaginable.  The Chariho High School senior finished 5th overall in a very impressive 4:10.54.  His time ranks him first in Rhode Island, first in New England, and 6th in the nation.  Not a bad tune-up for the New England Championships on Friday.  You can watch the race below courtesy of our friends at FloTrack.

Trey Hardee talks about his philosophy in the 110 High Hurdles. The way you are successful in the hurdles is to never be passive. "You can never have an awful race if you attack each hurdle." Some of Trey's best races aren't clean races but they were races where he attacked each hurdle. When he set his PR of 13.61 in the HH he set it by knocking down and through several hurdles.

In the third episode of The Fit Runner our host is Dr. Giddeon J. Lewis, foot and ankle specialist, and Chairman of the MileSplit Medical Advisory Board. Joining Dr. Lewis to talk about "Heel Pain" are professional triathletes Jarrod Shoemaker and Alicia Kaye, along with University of Central Florida athletic trainer Jennifer Perez. The group will discuss causes of heel pain as well as preventative tips. This is the latest episode in our series on being a fit runner. (via MileSplit United States)

 Boston College will host its first ever ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships at the world renowned Reggie Lewis Center in Boston from Thursday, Feb. 23 to Saturday, Feb. 25. The meet, which is open to the public, kicks off on Thursday at 12 p.m. with the pentathlon and heptathlon. Events start at 11 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

If you want to know what Coach Z and Coach Infa were like in high school, here you go. The best part about this week's Take 3 with Z is that Maggie Vessey turns the tables and makes them blush for once.

Northeastern University sophomore Eric Jenkins shocked everybody--even himself--when he became the only true freshman to qualify for the NCAA Division I outdoor nationals in the 1500m during the spring 2011 season. Why the surprise? His 3:46.04 qualifying mark in late May was more than 10 seconds faster than his best high school time, and the 8:37.69 3K he'd run during his freshman fall gave little indication that he'd blaze such a mark in the spring. (via Running Times)  

Hibernation is over and the best athletes in the region have awoken from their mid-season performance slumber to post some amazing marks in last week’s state championships. Topping the list again is Precious Holmes of Hillhouse High School (CT) who posted a US#1 time of 1:31.23 in the 600m and a US#2 time of 38.56 in the 300m at the Connecticut State Open Championships.

A special thanks to our friends at FloTrack, Shaun Horgan, Haley Yaw, and Jamie Profitt for bringing us all the action from the 2012 Rhode Island State Indoor Championships.

Chariho Regional put a halt to 17 straight years of dominance by Bishop Hendricken on Saturday by taking the boys’ team title at the  R.I. Interscholastic League Indoor Track and Field Championships with a 68-63 win over the runner-up Hawks.

Heading into Saturday's state championship meet at the Providence Career & Technical Academy, the Hawks of Bishop Hendricken had won 17 consecutive state indoor track titles. Mike Marsella, Bryce Kelley, Dan Kilcoyne and Jake Kilcoyne - the core of Chariho High boys' indoor track team - put an end to the streak and lifted the Chargers to the state title.  (via The Westerly Sun)

Erica Johnson, a junior, became the first female in the 20-plus year history of the girls’ indoor state meet to win the 600 three consecutive years. Saturday, she clocked a victorious time of 1 minute, 35.37 seconds. Johnson broke into the lead almost immediately and maintained it throughout.  (via www.eastbayri.com)

 For the second year in a row, the Bishop Hendricken indoor track team considers itself an underdog heading into the state meet. Last year, the Hawks won anyway, delivering big performances across the board to fend off La Salle and win their 17th consecutive championship.  (via warwickonline.com)

Coach Z breaks all the rules in this installment of Take 3-with-Z featuring professional runner Anna Pierce.  For once, he actually asks serious questions, and then he sneaks in a fourth question that clearly jinxed the Patriots and should be blamed for their demise.

They may have graduated, but they are certainly not forgotten.  A massive number of former Rhode Island high school athletes are competing collegiately, and the MileSplit network of sites tracks their progress as they succeed at the next level.

After winning the Suburban Division championship last weekend, the Hendricken indoor track team returned to the Providence Career & Technical Academy on Saturday and stormed to a first-place finish in the Class A championship meet. Hendricken totaled 124 points. Second-place North Kingstown scored 64.   (via warwickonline.com)

 The Toll Gate girls’ indoor track team knows that five-time defending state champion La Salle is favored to make it six at this weekend’s state meet. That’s why the Titans were so happy to bring home their own championship on Thursday night.  (via warwickonline.com)

  The class and division meets highlighted a relatively stable week in the New England rankings.  The field events took center stage this week as Dakota Dailey-Harris continues to improve on her Rhode Island state record in the high jump, and Jake Scinto begins his post-season push in the long jump.

Ed Cheserek 13:57 NR 5000 meters, Ajee Wilson 2:04.13 800 meters, Watkins/Nadel take HS miles! Bernard Lagat highlights the Elite action with an American Record 13:07.15 for 5000 meters! (via MileSplit United States)

As one of the top 50 cross-country runners in the nation, the question for Chariho High's Mike Marsella was not if he was going to join an elite college track and cross country program, but simply which one. (via The Westerly Sun)

Two of New England’s best distance runners were invited to participate in the prestigious Millrose Games Mile on Saturday at 9:14pm.  Mike Marsella (Chariho, RI) and Connor Rog (Fairfield Prep, CT) will battle ten other athletes from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania for regional bragging rights. 

The Hendricken indoor track team won 10 of 14 events and had 30 individual place-winners on its way to a dominant performance at the Suburban Division championship last week. (via warwickonline.com)

It was a high profile week in New England, with New Balance sponsoring two elite events geared towards assembling some of the fastest fields on the East Coast.  Thankfully for track fans, both events delivered as promised.

Freshman men's track & field performer Jalen Young was named Rookie of the Week for the second time this season. (via Rhode Island)

There are four divisions in R.I. girls’ indoor track and without a doubt the toughest of them all is the Headley Division. The nine-team division features three of the top six schools from last year’s state meet, including five-time defending champion La Salle Academy. (via www.woonsocketcall.com)

PROVIDENCE — Team titles in the four girls’ high school indoor track and field divisional championship meets held Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Providence Career & Tech Academy Fieldhouse went to Toll Gate in the Bayha bracket; Hope in Sullivan; LaSalle in Headley and local entry Portsmouth in the Dwyer Division.  (via www.eastbayri.com)

  Thanks to the hard work of Steve Infascelli, James Rooney, and Greg Zopatti, MileSplitMass will be bringing fans a series of candid videos from the meet.  This lighthearted look at life beyond the lines of the oval truly shows the passion and enthusiasm these three coaches have for the sport they love.  In this first set of videos we learn what proper wam-up attire is, get Super Bowl picks from the pros, and find out what position David Oliver would play if he was on the Patriots roster. 

The energy was palpable Saturday night at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Massachusetts as a handpicked field of elite athletes from all levels of the sport thrilled the capacity crowd with photo finishes and mid-race drama.  But, you are bound to get some amazing races when you take a group of high school athletes, put them in a room with their idols, pack a building full of over 4,000 fans, and then turn on the TV cameras.

A stacked field has been assembled for both mile races, and the addition of the boys 4x800m and girls 4x400m has given high school track fans even more to cheer for.  The Reggie Lewis Center track is considered a relatively fast surface, and if athletes get after it early, we may see some jaw dropping times.

Bishop Hendricken won the boys’ indoor track freshman state championship on Monday, while Toll Gate finished a close second to La Salle in the girls’ championship on Tuesday.  (via warwickonline.com)

Chariho High School set a lofty standard for the week when their 4x800m relay team cruised past the Rhode Island state record of 8:04.09 set in 2009 by South Kingstown.  The team of Drew Turner (2:02.4), Dan Kilcoyne (15:58.7), Bryce Kelley (1:58.6), and Mike Marsella (1:54.6) combined for a US#2 time of 7:54.3 to win the Charles Sweeney Last Chance meet.  They are the only team in New England to break the 8 minute barrier this season, but a slew of teams from the region have already run under 8:10.

  Maddy Berkson was recently honored with an invitation to the U.S. Open Indoor track meet at Madison Square Garden in New York.  The Classical High School sophomore took advantage of the tremendous opportunity and posted one of the fastest mile times in New England. Berkson finished 6th among a handpicked field of elite athletes from the East Coast, and her 5:02.77 clocking demonstrated that she will be a contender for a state and regional title in the event. 

PROVIDENCE — The Chariho High boys’ 4x800-meter relay Saturday obliterated the Rhode Island indoor record at the Charles Sweeney “Last Chance’’ meet at the PCTA oval. (via www.eastbayri.com)

Providence College senior David McCarthy (Waterford, Ireland) has set the New England Collegiate record, as well as the school-record, for the mile. McCarthy blazed to a time of 3:55.75. (via www.friars.com)

David Oliver trains at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney World in Orlando with famed coach Brooks Johnson. He focuses on the fundamentals while looking toward the London Olympic Games. (via MileSplit United States)

New  York NY - The mile is a classic distance.  About 8 meters longer than the now standard 1600m, the mile recently has seen a movement encouraging its' return.  There is even a website dedicated to this very thing, petitioning high school sports to return to the classic distance.  And if there ever was any indication that the mile was still alive, the fields for the mile at the upcoming US Open and Millrose would be it.  See if your favorite made the cut. (via MileSplit New York)

Meet directors of the New Balance Grand Prix announced the high school fields on Wednesday afternoon, with the boys and girls mile races highlighting the prep action.  In years past, the race has focused on athletes from New England and the New York Metro area, but this year’s field has expanded to include athletes from as far away as North Carolina. 

This year, the Toll Gate girls’ indoor track team thought it would be really tough. For 13 years in a row, they hadn’t lost a dual meet. But before the 2011-12 season even began, the Titans were circling last week’s meet against North Kingstown as a potential streak-ender. Their own lineup had suffered some major graduation losses and North Kingstown was looking strong. The match-up shaped up as a tough one. (via www.warwickonline.com)

Chariho High's Kilcoyne brothers broke school records at the Yale High School Indoor Track & Field Classic on Saturday in New Haven. Jake Kilcoyne broke a 22-year-old school record in the 3,000-meter run at Yale. Dan Kilcoyne broke his own record that he set last year at this same Yale event in the 800-meter run. (via The Westerly Sun)

Show stopping relays were the order of the week with the Yale Track Classic and the Massachusetts Division meets providing ample competition to tear apart the rankings.  Some teams, like Marshfield (MA), had the luxury of doing both.  They participated in the MSTCA Division 2 Relays last weekend, and then traveled to Yale Friday where they unleashed a US#1 DMR time of 10:17.40.  That group was anchored by Joel Hubbard who split 4:14 for his mile leg.

CHICAGO (January 23, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Mike Marsella of Chariho HS as its 2011-12 Gatorade Rhode Island Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.  Marsella is the first Gatorade Rhode Island Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Chariho HS. 

Mike Marsella of Chariho was recognized as one of the best distance runners on the East Coast today when it was announced today that he has qualified for the Millrose Mile.  The prestigious event will take place on February 11th at the Armory in New York and MileSplit will have full coverage of all the action.  

The Mile holds a special place in Track & Field and beyond. No running distance, or field event for that matter, has the history, the appeal, the “magic” of the Mile. The first sub-4 minute mile by Great Britain’s Roger Bannister in 1954 is regarded as the greatest individual athletic achievement of the 20th century, and no other event has produced an equivalent of the sub-4 minute mile standard in the sport, in the media and in the public’s mind.

The DMR was king on Friday with eight teams entering the US top ten.  The Tatnall (DE) girls posted a US#2 time of 11:44.02 to lead a very talented field of challengers, and the Marshfield boys are now US#1 with their winning time of 10:17.40.