Nicole Vanasse, the defending Non-Public A State Champion, opened her season on Saturday winning the Division 1 race at the Ocean State Invitational in East Greenwich, RI.
The Pingry star won with a 32 second lead at 18:25, she had finished third in the meet's Championship division a year ago with an 18:24. Her Pingry squad ran to a third place finish in the Division 1 race averaging 21:12 with 210 points. Vanasse's 18:25 ranks third in the meet merge including the Championship race's 1-2 finishers Ella Kurto (NY) 18:12 and Caroline Fischer (NH) 18:20.
This is a great opening performance for the multi-time state champ who is coming off a stress fracture that ended her outdoor track season early last spring.
Also running well in the Division 1 race was St. Rose freshman Tilly O'Connor coming through fourth at 19:33.
The Red Bank Catholic girls finished sixth in the Championship division with 174 points averaging 20:22. Once again their attack was led by senior Maddy Kopec, in 24th at 19:41, and freshman Cate DeSousa, 26th 19:50. In the merge they hold on for seventh overall.
Red Bank Catholic Team Performance Report
| 19:40.21 | Maddy Kopec | 24th | |
| 19:49.40 | Cate DeSousa | 26th | |
| 20:40.05 | Kate DeFilippis | 45th | |
| 20:48.86 | Gioanna Curci | 54th | |
| 20:55.84 | Elena Dimitri | 61st | |
| 21:30.86 | Anna Wingerter | 6th | |
| 21:39.16 | Danielle Hayes | 83rd | |
| 21:50.27 | Kase Torchia | 87th | |
| 22:06.18 | Grace Anderson | 13th | |
| 22:28.65 | Molly Devine | 23rd | |
| 22:34.00 | SB | Claudia Satzke | 26th |
| 22:39.26 | SB | Emily Wheeler | 29th |
| 25:10.57 | SB | Mary Huntley | 7th |