He won his heat by nearly seven seconds with a PR performance.
Despite a strong effort, Marshall Vernon wasn’t happy. The La Salle Academy sophomore knows he can run faster. He knows he has plenty more in the tank.
On the banked oval at the TRACK at New Balance, Vernon placed second overall in the Open Mile at Wednesday’s MSTCA Boston Holiday Challenge with a time of 4 minutes, 24.89. In the seeded section of the race, Maxwell Hoffman captured the individual title with a time of 4:23.96 in a heat that had five runners under 4:30.
(Top Photo by STERLING VERNON. For more great shots by Sterling, go to his website by clicking HERE)
For Vernon, his effort was solo from most of the eight-lap race.
“I was hoping to get under that sub 4:20 barrier, but doing it on your own is hard,” he said. “Everyone told me it was going to be a hard feat. I thought I was feeing it. I came through a little slow at the halfway mark. I tried kicking it in at the end. It just wasn’t enough.”
Vernon is off to a great start this season, one that includes a state-leading 8:49.18 from the RITCA Invitational on Dec. 16. For the mile, he looking for a qualifier to the New Balance Nationals in mid March.
“It’s going to be harder this year because they got rid of the Rising Stars (division),” he said. “Four twenty (4:20) is what we need, I think, to get into the Championship heat. I definitely want to try and get in there this year. To do that, I am going to have to run a lot faster, actually. Hopefully I can get into a lot more races with a lot more guys that can help me get there.”
In the girls’ Open Mile, Chariho’s Erin vonHousen was second with a best of 5:07.70.
West Warwick’s Lisa and Xenia Raye went home with plenty of hardware in the eight-hour meet. Lisa won the 60-meter dash (7.71 seconds) and 300m (39.94) and was third in the 60m hurdles (9.01). Xenia was fifth in both the Championship 400m (58.21) and the 60m (7.91).
In the short dash, Lisa Raye was involved in a tight battle with Jillian Strynar of Norton. The Wizard sophomore edge the Lancers’ senior at the finish by six hundredths of a second with Strynar timed in 7.78. Cranston West senior Ailani Sutherland was fourth in the race with a time of 7.85.
“I feel like my block start was really off. I have been having trouble with it,” Lisa Raye said. “I think that was part of the reason it was a close race. I was still able to run fast and win.”
The 300m was the second time that the multiple all-stater and All American was able to dip under 40 seconds. She owns a best of 39.50 from her victory at last year’s New England Championship.
“I’m really happy,” she said. “I was really focused on maintaining my speed; just keep running and getting to the finish line.”
Xenia Raye was content with her performance against the talented field she faced.
“I feel like I can definitely get better. This is my second time ever running the 400m indoors,” she said. “I’m really proud of myself for getting 58 (seconds).”
The Classical girls improved on their state-leader in the 4x200m relay with the quartet of Jazmin Berganza, Zaida Depina, Morricia Bryant and Shakeyri Arroyo placing second overall with a time of 1:46.86. Cranston West’s foursome of Sutherland, Quiana Pezza, Julia Saccoccio, and Stallia Biosse took third with a state No. 2 of 1:48.14. La Salle was seventh in 1:50.42.
“I think we really proved ourselves, especially because a lot of people always expect Cranston West and La Salle to come out on top,” Arroyo said. “We really made a stance at where we are. We got so much space to improve. I’m proud of what we did.”
La Salle senior Nathan Ainabe captured the 25-pound weight throw with a distance of 58 feet, 7 inches. That effort ranks Ainable No. 10 in the state and 27th in the nation.
In the triple jump, Smithfield’s Konny Ezeama took runner-up honors with a leap of 45-feet even. Cranston West’s Quiana Pezza was third in the girls’ triple jump with a leap of 35-10.5. La Salle’s Ephrain Abhulime was tenth in the long jump at 19-11.5.
The La Salle boys ran a state best in the 4x200m (1:31.67) and the 4x400m (3:29.61). Thaden Leomensah Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo, Joshua Aceto, and Antonio Bearden comprised the 4x200m squad, while Leomensah, Giroux-Pezzullo, Leomensah and Amari Monteiro were part of the 4x400m team.
Portsmouth’s Sean Gray ran a consistent pace in the two mile, an event he finished fifth overall with a time of 9:38.42. Cranston West’s Alonzo Parker-Sharpe was ninth in the 300m at 36.11.
Rhode Island swept the Freshmen Mile races with Barrington’s Brooks Mello and La Salle’s Alyssa Parenteau capturing the boys’ and girls’ titles, respectively. In just his first year of track, Mello, a soccer player during the fall, clocked an impressive 4:45.66. La Salle’s Will Souza was third at 4:51.59. The Rams’ Parenteau did most of the pace-setting in the girls’ race en route to a triumphant 5:20.61.
For photos of the meet, click HERE.
