Class Meets: La Salle close to perfect with Class A triumph

Rhode Island Class Championships

La Salle Academy’s Kelly Martin has seen plenty of success from her girls’ cross-country squad throughout her 10-plus years of coaching.

But in her eyes, nothing compared to what she saw on Saturday at the class championships.

Sophomore Eliza Rego smashed the course record and her remaining six teammates were among the top 12 as the Rams convincingly beat second-place  and nationally-ranked Barrington, 28-55, to earn the Class A plaque in a heavily-talented race on Ponaganset’s covered-bridge trail.

“Overall, this is the best team performance that we ever witnessed,” said Martin, who is assisted by Vin McGinn. “What they did out there was absolutely unbelievable. They looked fantastic! They stuck to the game plan and they just came through for us.”

It would certainly be a great achievement if the Rams could match what they accomplished on a cold and windy afternoon at The Reservation at next Sunday’s state meet.

For starters, there was the effort turned in by Rego. With her winning time of 17 minutes, 47.08 seconds for the five-kilometer distance, she simply destroyed the course mark of 18:01 that was set by Elle Purrier of Richford, Vermont at the New England Championships in 2011. The fleeted-footed tenth-grader also erased the R.I. record of 18:11 by former La Salle great Molly Keating in that same NE race.

As a team, all seven of La Salle’s varsity runners finished ahead of the Eagles’ No. 3 harrier (senior Mary Kate Coogan, 13th at 19:46.51) to easily secure the title over the two-time defending class and state champions.

“I think they exceeded our expectations,” Martin said. “Hopefully they can have the same race next weekend at the state meet because really that’s the only one that matters.”

Rego beat a strong field to earn her individual title as the top five runners cracked 19 minutes on the tough 5K terrain. Finishing second was Barrington sophomore and last year’s winner Emma McMillan at 18:04.84. Classical senior Maddy Berkson was third (18:18.32), La Salle sophomore Karina Tavares was fourth (18:26.32) and placing fifth (18:42.71) with perhaps one of the more impressive performances of the day was La Salle junior Sheridan Wilbur.

Wilbur, a runner-up at last year’s class and state meets, was running her first race of the season after being sidelined by a hip injury.

“For a person that hasn’t run all season, Sheridan Wilbur is unbelievable,” Martin said. “We asked her to stick around at 19:10, 19:20 pace and stay nice and relaxed. She ran 18:40 and she just looked great the last mile. I told her there was no one behind her the last mile so stay relaxed, and she did. She picked it up the last mile.”

Wilbur, who remained fit the last two months through pool workouts, weight lifting and light running, enjoyed every step in her comeback race.

“I feel great. I was like smiling all the time,’” she said. “I was just so happy to be back and racing. I felt so good. It has been hard this season not to run.”

The race for individual honors was decided early. After running side-by-side with McMillan the opening mile, Rego broke away and was never seriously challenged the final two miles.

“Coach Martin told me to just take it easy the first mile so that I would have more energy the last two and could be strong,” she said. “I felt great. I was nervous before the race, but it all went away.”

Rego’s victory on Saturday was just a continuation of what she has done all season long in her first season of cross country. She is undefeated against R.I. competition and has held her own out of state against national-caliber runners, too.

“I have been saying it all year, she is just at another level,” Martin said. “For a sophomore, she is tough, she is unbelievable, she is gutsy and she is motivated. She just has an attitude she doesn’t want to lose. I think she did great today. She went out in the first mile, relaxed and stayed at the pace we asked her to hit and let loose for the last two miles.”

Comprising the remaining scoring runners for La Salle was sophomore Elise Papazian (eighth, 19:21.98) and senior Rachel Renzi (tenth, 19:26.54). Senior Caroline Falvey (11th, 19:29.02) and sophomore Audrey O’Neil (12th, 19:41.25) also ran well for the Rams.

Cumberland sophomore Amy Laverty (sixth, 19:20.40) and Coventry junior Allison Bellows (ninth, 19:25.28) rounded out the top 10.

Toll Gate junior Erika Pena captured the first varsity race of the meet by taking the Class B title with a time of 20:24.17. South Kingstown senior Kelly Reiss was second at 20:47.15.

Pena was around fourth midway into the race. At that point, she utilized one of the downhill portions of the course to bolt into the lead, which she never relinquished to the finish line.

“Using the downhill, I just flew down it,” she said. “I don’t feel pain going down hills, just work the up hills and get a good lead and hold onto it.”

Westerly junior Maddy McLaughlin was third in 21:03.40, South Kingstown senior Julie Munkelwitz was fourth at 21:08.29 and Sarah Garvey, a junior from Westerly, was fifth with a time of 21:16.97.

With five of its runners among the top 12, South Kingstown coasted to the team title with 33 points.  Bay View Academy was second with 79 points, just ahead of Toll Gate’s 80 points for third.

In a tight race in Class C, Narragansett sophomore Marissa McPhillips broke the tape with a solid 19:44.71 clocking. Just 8.49 seconds separated the next three runners to cross the line. Taking second was Burrillville junior Betsy Dumais in 19:51.12. East Greenwich junior Margaret McCaffrey was third at 19:53.61 and Smithfield junior Rebecca Meinertz was fourth with a time of 19:59.61. Ponaganset sophomore Fiona Beltram placed fifth, running 20:06.98.

After the first mile, there was a big pack of at least eight runners.

“I was like, ‘Please, just let me break away from this,’” McPhillips said. “It would be a crazy finish if all of us came in near the same time.”

The Narragansett harrier made her move just past two miles

“The first mile it was back and forth,” McPhilllips said. “The second mile Fiona went ahead of us and some other girl. I feel bad. I don’t know her name. She’s very talented. She ran very strong on those hills and that’s what pushed me to run faster. “

For the third straight year. Smithfield claimed the team crown. The Sentinels defeated second-place East Greenwich, 40-102. Meinertz, junior Stephanie Mattson (sixth, 20:07.90), freshman Stephanie Bagus (tenth, 20:45.23), junior Madison Saliba (11th, 20:45.89) and sophomore Cassidy Bissitt (12th, 20:57.76) made up the scoring.

Girls Highlights