New York cross-country represented well at Saturday’s Brown Invitational at Goddard State Park in Warwick, R.I. The Sachem East girls followed up on their seventh-place showing at the Eastern States Championship by winning the girls’ championship race with 75 points, narrowly defeating Long Island running mate Northport (82 points).
“Last year we were up there watching the championship race and we set a goal,” said Sachem East coach Pete McNeill.
Senior Rachel Paul led the way with a second-place finish in 17:39.9 on a menacingly muddy course. She was followed by teammates Shannon O’Hehir, Melanie Notarstefano, and Danielle Vazquez in 14th, 15th, and 16th.
New Yorkers claimed the top three spots individually in the race, which was won by Friends Academy’s Kelsey Margey in 17:28.4. Cardozo’s Alexis Panisse finished in third in 17:46.2.
“Alexis led the race for about the first mile and a half,” said Cardozo assistant coach Ray James, who said that the top girls came through the two-mile mark at 11:30. “Then Kelsey took over.”
Sophomore Brigid Brennan was Northport’s top finisher in seventh in 18:29.1. She was followed by senior Anna Corrigan in 17th.
Cardozo junior Sabrina Southerland set a personal record with her 10th place finish in 18:39.7.
In the Varsity 1 Race, Miller Place sisters Talia and Tiana Guevara finished in first and second in 18:19.9 and 18:36.5. Miller Place finished in third overall with 154 points.
Ward Melville led a wave of New York finishers in the Varsity 2 Race, winning the team title with 70 points. Ward Melville senior Caroline O’Hea won the race in 18:08.3, followed by senior teammate Juliana Marcucci in 18:47.8.
St. Anthony’s, led by fourth-place finisher Kerri Flynn, finished third overall.
Port Richmond’s Jaclyn Panepinto finished in third in 18:55.6.
Boys:
In the boys’ championship race, St. Anthony’s was narrowly defeated by Pembroke (Mass.), 131-133. The Friars used an impressive 14-second spread from runners one through five. Junior Jake Hensler led the effort with a 22nd place finish in 16:13.9, as St. Anthony’s grabbed spots 24,26,27, and 34.
Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict’s won the race in a course-record 14:34.6.
Happauge senior Ryan Colabella was the top New York finisher, taking seventh in 15:26.9.
Warwick Valley, led by Paddy Grandinali’s ninth-place finish in 15:37.3, finished in fifth.
“We were looking for small improvements from different guys and we got that,” said Warwick Valley coach Michael Potter, whose team ran three freshman in their top seven for the first time ever. “(The young runners) stepped up, and they might be with us for the long run.”
John Lee’s 16:03.5 winner led Shoreham-Wading River to a first-place finish in the Varsity 1 Race with 53 points. The Collegiate School grabbed second with 67 points.
Northport led a New York sweep in the Varsity 2 Race, as James Dickinson and Michael Brannigan finished 7th and 8th as the team totaled 74 points. Smithtown followed with 98 points, while St. John the Baptist finished in third with 108 points.