Paul VI senior Shaelan McNally won her 3rd individual title at the Bob Kiessling Invitational Saturday morning.
McNally ran 18:26 over 5,000 meters at DREAM Park in Logan Township, finishing 125 meters ahead of Laura Sallade of the Wilberforce School in Princeton. Sallade was 2nd in 18:55. Sallade’s father Chris was the 1990 state Group 4 champ at 1,600 meters for Shawnee.
McNally won the race in 19:54 as a freshman and then finished 2nd as a sophomore to Anna MacDonald (now at Texas) as a sophomore with an 18:45.30. She won last year in 18:50.57.
She’s the 3rd three-time winner, joining Kari Vigerstol of Holy Cross, who won from 1992 through 1994, and Holly Bischof of Bishop Eustace, who won in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Paul VI placed five scorers in the top 12, winning the team title 31-38 over Wilberforce. Last year, Wilberforce outscored Paul VI 41-43 to win the championship. Paul VI’s last Kiessling title came in 2020.
Sophomore Giovanna Mantuano was 3rd in 19:02, sophomore Macy Huber 6th in 19:56, freshman Grace Gutowski 11th in 21:02 and senior Madison Pedicelli 12th in 21:06.
Other South Jersey runners in the top 10 were Bishop Eustace senior Anya Kazemi [4th in 19:03], Camden Catholic junior Nilaa Ponnappan [5th in 19:30] and Holy Cross sophomore Julia Flanagan [7th in 20:27].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 