It was a banner day for the Sentinel Striders at Sunday’s USATF-NE Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships at Deerfield Park. The Smithfield-based youth running club had 101 of its athletes qualify for this weekend’s Region I meet in New York.
Seventh-grader Sam Toolin, of Wickford Middle School, defeated Striders’ teammate Max DiMuccio by 11 seconds in the 11-12 boys’ 3K event, running a fast time of 10:11. The Striders had three other victors in the boys’ competition with Matt Vinacco taking the age 13-14 category with time of 13:39 for the 4K distance, Adam Petti winning the 15-16 division with a 17:07 clocking for 5K and Mike Dampier running 17:06 to break the tape in the 17-18 race.
The Striders’ Ellie Lawler was third in the 13-14 division for girls where she was timed in 14:59. In the 17-18 category, Exeter/West Greenwich’s Katie Millar was second with a big-time personal best of 18:54. Entering the race, Millar’s best was a 19:47 effort at the R.I. state meet on Nov. 3.
The New England meet attracted teams and athletes from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. A record 900 runners competed at Deerfield Park. The top five teams and other individuals among the first 30 advance to Sunday’s Region I meet at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, N.Y., the same site for the Northeast Regionals of the Nike Cross-Country Nationals on Nov. 30. The nationals will be held in San Antonio, Texas on Dec. 14.
For results of meet, click here.
