Masciarelli Switches Gears, Puts Up Big Numbers On Court for Marianapolis Prep Girls Basketball Team

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

There's no slowing down for Marianapolis Prep CT sophomore Sydney Mascarelli.

Less than a week after winning the Foot Locker national cross country title, Masciarelli hit the hardwood this weekend. 

In her first varsity game of the season Friday evening, she poured in a team-high 16 points in a 62-54 loss against the defending New England 8 Champions, Northfield Mount Hermon MA. Saturday, Masciarelli netted 18 points against in a 67-57 loss to Worcester MA, then followed that up with 22 points in a 67-57 overtime victory against St. Andrew’s School RI.

It's safe to say Masciarelli has made a seamless transition from one sport to another.

“The great thing about her is because she works so hard, when she comes into practice, it’s like she doesn’t really miss a beat,” Marianapolis' first-year girls varsity basketball coach Kirsty Leedham said. “She’s come right into practice and fits right in."

Over the last three months, Masciarelli, a sophomore from Northbridge, Mass., burst onto the national high school cross country scene and went undefeated in the New England Preparatory races for Marianapolis (Thompson, Conn.).

She went on to win the Foot Locker Northeast crown in 17:12.6, the fastest time on the Van Cortlandt Park course in the last 34 years, then capped off her season Dec. 8 by winning the Foot Locker national title in dramatic fashion, edging out Katelynne Hart of Glenbard West IL in the last 100 meters, crossing the line in 17:00.3.

"She just works so hard," explained Leedham, who is also Masciarelli's advisor at school. "She's just a phenomenal athlete and a phenomenal person and student."

Since winning the Foot Locker Championship, Masciarelli took three days off and was back to running this past Wednesday with her twin brother, Salvatore, according to their mom, Loanny.

Sydney will continue to run in between basketball practices, school work and games, Loanny said.

Sydney, a 5-foot-10 combo guard, comes from a family of basketball players. Her older brother, Stefan, is a junior at Lasell College in Newton, Mass., where he is currently averaging 22.3 points per game, and Salvatore plays on the boys varsity team at Marianapolis.

In the Rivers Girls Holiday Tournament this weekend, Sydney led the Golden Knights averaging 18.7 points per game, as the team finished 1-2. 

As multi-sport athlete -- cross country, basketball, and track -- Leedham said the discussion of focusing on just one activity for Sydney hasn't come up.

"I want her to enjoy both playing basketball and running," she said. "Whatever she wants to do, it’s Sydney’s life."