The seventh annual Catholic High School Invitational on Sunday attracted two of the state’s premier runners to the Bishop Feehan athletic fields – the Shamrocks’ own Abbie McNulty and Notre Dame Academy’s Isabella DiMare.
Predictably, the gifted duo each coasted to victory in their respective events.
In just her second race of the outdoor season, McNulty captured the two-mile run with a time of 10 minutes, 52.88 seconds. The Feehan senior was far ahead of the field after just two laps and was a fast 5:18 at the mile mark.
McNulty had to battle a tough head wind on the home stretch of the track.
“The wind was pretty horrendous,” she said. “It was very hard on the (home) stretch so I went out a little fast. I just wanted to try and treat this like a pace run. I knew it was really windy so I didn’t want to kill myself.”
McNulty will be heading to New York City next weekend where she’ll compete at the prestigious Glenn D. Loucks Games. She’s entered in the 3,200m and the 1,600m. Last year she was second in the longer race with her current PR of 10:28.05.
“I really want to break 10:20 and hopefully win,” she said. “In the mile, I just want to get a good time.”
DiMare, a top sprinter and hurdler for NDA, earned her medal in the 200m dash with an impressive time of 25.59, considering the wind level. That time was just .71 of a second from her all-time best of 24.70, which she ran to finish second at last year’s All-State Meet.
“I am very happy,” she said. “My coach is so proud. He wasn’t expecting that.”
Like McNulty, this was DiMare’s first big meet of the outdoor campaign.
“I am happy to be on the track,” said the Notre Dame standout, a state runner-up in the 200m last spring and the indoor 55m hurdle champion. “It feels great.”
Bishop Guertin senior Molly McCabe nabbed the 800 title with a time of 2:18.12. McCabe, who finished 13th at the New Balance Nationals in March and owns a best of 2:12.65, won by nearly four seconds. Bishop Feehan junior Elizabeth Hannon was second at 2:22.10.
In the boys’ meet, Bishop Feehan senior Ian Kelly was an easy victor in the 800m with a time of 2:03.64. St. Mary-Lynn senior Andrew DiMaiti dipped under a minute in the 400m hurdles with a 58.01 clocking.