Laverty, Nunnery first R.I. finishers at Ocean State Invite

Quinn Cooney of Chelmsford (Mass.) and Gabriele Richichi of New Fairfield (Conn.) won their respective Championship Races at Saturday's eighth annual Ocean State X-C Invitational.

Cooney, a senior, held off fellow Bay-Stater Dan Romano of Mansfield with a time of 15 minutes, 45.95 seconds for the five-kilometer course at Goddard State Memorial Park. Romano was second in 15:56.17. In the team competition it was Robbinsville that earned the plaque. Highlighted by a fourth-place finish from Zach Michon, the New Jersey-based squad defeated St. John’s (Mass.), 50-111. Cumberland’s Sean Laverty was the fastest R.I. finisher, placing sixth in 16:27.03.

Richichi was a comfortable 23-seconds ahead of her closest pursuer to take the girls’ elite race with a time of 18:23.02. Finishing second was Rachael Ludwikowski of Suffern in 18:44.72. With four of its runners among the top 12, Connecticut state champion Tolland claimed the team prize with a 49-77 decision over New Jersey’s Red Bank Catholic. North Kingstown’s Bethany Nunnery was the first R.I. runner to cross the line, taking third in 18:56.07. Barrington’s Emma McMillan placed fourth at 19:02.29.

Nearly 5,000 runners competed in the two-day meet, which featured six middle school and 14 high school races.

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