Check Off Another Milestone for Marsella

Just as he's done all season long, Mike Marsella made his statement early at the RIIL Cross-Country Championships on Nov. 6.

The Chariho Regional senior built a sizable 40-meter lead by the first mile and won going away, touring the five-kilometer distance on Ponaganset's Covered Bridge Trail with a winning time of 15 minutes, 50.68 seconds.

Marsella was comfortably ahead of fellow classmate, Jake Kilcoyne, a second-place finisher at 16:02.87. The nationally-ranked harrier opened up his race with a 4:47 at the first mile.

“That was comfortable for me,” he said. “I eased up the last mile and cruised in. I did not want to expend my legs out too much. I have a lot of work to do this next week before I taper a little bit. I was training pretty well this week to peak at the right time of the season.”

For Marsella, a winner of the Varsity B race at the prestigious Manhattan College Invitational and last week's Class A titlist, the peak performances he's looking for are at the New England Championships this coming Saturday, Nov. 12, at Ponaganset and the northeast regionals for the Nike Cross-Country Nationals.

“Everything I wanted to accomplish, I've accomplished this season,” said Marsella, a fifth-place finisher to eventual winner and the nation's top runner, Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict's Prep, at the annual Brown Invitational last month. “It's still not over yet. I still got a few big milestones to do.”

After his quick, opening mile, Marsella never let up at the states, hitting the two-mile checkpoint at 9:40. With a convincing lead by the time he exited the wooded area of the course for the final half mile,  the long-legged Charger coasted to the win.

Marsella fell far short of the course record of 15:14.1, set by Westerly great Andrew Springer in 2008. That was never his intended goal, however.

“If it comes, it comes,” he said. “I wanted to go for the win. Every time you try and go for the record you are always one or two seconds off and it kind of ruins your race. I was definitely just going for the win and I'll be happy with that.”

Bishop Hendricken had six of its runners among the first 15 finishers to capture its fourth straight team title and its 19th crown overall with a narrow 47-55 win over runner-up Chariho. Junior  Tyler Henseler paced the Hawks by taking fifth overall with a time of 16:27.17.

There was no question on the outcome for the individual title in the girls' race, too. La Salle Academy senior Molly Keating cruised to her third consecutive crown with a winning time of 18:24.85. South Kingstown senior Paige Ethier was second at 18:59.27.

Keating blazed through an opening mile of 5:40.

“I wanted 5:44. It was a little too fast but I felt really good,” she said. “I felt really good during the second mile. The only time I got tired was around the bend over there (about a quarter mile from the finish). Besides that, I was feeling good.”

Keating, who missed last week's Class A meet to rest a sore leg,  was attempting an assault on the course mark of 18:14.1 by ex-La Salle standout Jeanne Mack in 2007. She didn't get the record, but she beat a talented field that also included last week's Class B winner Ethier and the one-two finishers at the Class A meet, Aisha McAdams (fourth, 19:07.92) and Abigail Livingston (third, 19:01.95).

“I knew who I had to watch out for and I was expecting them to be up there with me,” she said. “I was trying to get the record and my coaches were telling me to try and pick it up a little bit. My biggest fear is getting passed in the end so I just pushed it to make sure that didn't happen.”

The soccer player turned elite runner was overjoyed about winning her third straight title, a first for a R.I. schoolgirl.

“I am very excited,” she said. “I was thinking about it. My sophomore year when I won, my dad told me that nobody's ever done it three times. That has kind of been my goal ever since.”

Barrington placed three of its runners among the first seven finishers to end La Salle's three-year reign as the team champion with a slim 59-67 win over its rival. Eagles' sophomore Megan Verner-Crist was sixth with a time of 19:46.22. She was just a stride ahead of junior teammate Fiona Paige, who was seventh in 19:46.71.

La Salle junior Evie Jansen was fifth at 19:21.49.