This past Friday, Americans paused to remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. One month after that fateful day, Bryant University began a tradition of its own — one that has endured for more than two decades. Over the weekend, the Bulldogs honored the memory of one of their own at the 25th annual Shawn M. Nassaney XC Invitational.
Along with his girlfriend and fellow Bryant alumna, Lyn Goodchild, Nassaney was aboard United Airlines Flight 175, the second plane to strike the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
But Bryant isn’t the only community with a deep connection to the annual event. The Nassaney Invitational also holds special meaning for Rhode Island’s high school track and cross-country communities. Nassaney was a 1993 graduate of Saint Raphael Academy, where he was a talented member of a dominant Saints program that was coached by legendary Bishop Hendricken coach Jim Doyle.
Twenty-five years after the inaugural invitational, the next generation of runners took to the Bryant campus Saturday, competing in separate high school and collegiate races — carrying on a tradition created to ensure Nassaney’s memory would never fade.
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In the high school races, Cranston West’s Aidan Gosselin captured the boys’ race, covering the 5K course in 17 minutes, 45.5 seconds. Prout’s Sean Wood finished second overall in 18:07.7.
Cranston West sophomore Molly Slinko-Gosetti won the girls’ race, crossing the finish line in 20:54.6. Prout’s Ella Procaccianti secured runner-up honors with a time of 21:24.5.
The men’s college race came down to the wire, with just 1.6 seconds separating the top four finishers. Stonehill’s Brendan Wilbur earned the victory in 15:20.1, edging the University of Rhode Island’s Ryan Kaiser by just 0.8 seconds.
The Rams featured several runners with Rhode Island ties. Former Ponaganset standout and current URI junior Jeremy Roe finished 10th overall in 15:40.1, while West Warwick alum and fellow junior Jesse Principe placed 11th in 15:41.2. URI sophomore Ethan Fadden, a Mount St. Charles graduate, finished 12th in 15:44.1. Stonehill junior Connor Magill, a Cumberland product, was 13th in 15:49.4.
Thanks to photographer Bryan Raposa, we have more than a 1,000 photos from this past weekend’s race. Click on the links below with photos and complete results.
