Historic Van Cortlandt Park and the prestigious Manhattan University Invitational awaits a few of our Rhode Island teams in the last big weekend before the championship season kicks into gear.
The 53rd annual event, an elite competition drawing top high school teams from across the region, will feature multiple varsity, junior varsity and freshmen races highlighted by the Eastern States Championships. Capping off a demanding three-week stretch that included a victory at the Bowdoin Classic (NY) on Sept. 27 and a third-place finish at the Shore Coaches Invitational (NJ) this past weekend, Bishop Hendricken is expected to be in the mix once again for a top finish in the Eastern States race. The Hawks are ranked No. 2 in the race behind New Jersey powerhouse, Christian Brothers Academy. CBA, ranked No. 2 nationally, won the Shore Coaches Invite with just 40 points, 80 more than the Hawks.
For the Ocean State, the most intriguing match-up in the race will be between La Salle’s Marshall Vernon and Bishop Hendricken’s Colby Flynn, both of whom are expected to contend among the leaders in the elite field. The pair are coming off impressive performances at the Shore Coaches Invitational, a meet won by Portsmouth’s Sean Gray, who will not compete this weekend. Vernon placed third in New Jersey with a time of 15:42, just six seconds ahead of Flynn, who finished fourth overall.
Both talented harriers have a strong history at Manhattan. Vernon, in particular, has excelled on the famed 2.5-mile VCP course, winning the Letter D race last year in a personal-best 12:24.70—a time that would have earned him a runner-up finish in the Eastern States race. He also finished second in the Letter B race as a sophomore (2023) and won the Freshman race the year prior. Flynn, meanwhile, was the third-fastest sophomore and 25th overall in last year’s Eastern States race, clocking 13:10.90.
Expect both runners to be among the lead pack on Saturday. According to speed rankings that adjust performances for course difficulty and conditions, Vernon currently ranks No. 7, while Flynn sits at No. 9 among the elite field—just behind the top seed, Ryan Sykes of Greely (NY), who finished second at last week’s Great American XC Festival in North Carolina.
Chariho, which concluded the league season by finishing second in the Southern Division, is the lone RI school in the girls’ Eastern Division Championships. The Chargers are led by freshman Meridan Alge, who won the Frosh race at the Injury Fund Carnival in 15:36.3 for the 2.4-mile course. For the 5K distance, Alge owns a PR of 20:16.0.
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La Salle is among the top schools competing in the girls’ Varsity C race. The Rams are a week removed from a solid performance at the Shore Invite where they placed eighth overall. La Salle finished second in the Varsity B race last year, thanks to a gap of just 30 seconds between its five scoring runners. They also did it without one of their top runners, Alyssa Parenteau, who was out due to an injury, Parenteau will be on the line this weekend for the Rams, who won the Metropolitan Division with a perfect 11-0 mark. She ranks No. 9 in the state with her season best of 19:16.11 from her victory at the Injury Fund Carnival.
Saint Raphael Academy and star harrier, Mackenzie Lickert, are in the Varsity B race. Lickert was seventh in the Varsity E race last year where she was timed in 16:08.60.
Arthur Ferris and the Saints are among the entries in the Varsity B race. Based on the power rankings, the SRA senior should be in the mix. He ranks fifth, according to the stats. This will be Ferris’s first trip to Manhattan, and his biggest competition to date. He was the top Rhode Island finisher at last month’s Ocean State Invitational where he was timed in 16:35.70, an effort that placed him 20th overall. He’s certainly capable of going sub-13 for the 4K course.
(Above photo by Sterling Vernon @rhodeandtrack)
