They took the top two spots at the Class A meet two weeks ago and then again last Sunday at the State meet.

And yesterday, Jean Christensen and Jeanne Mack established themselves as the top two Rhode Island girls in the region.

Mack, a junior and winner of the individual Class A title with a time of 18:43.88, was the first runner from the Ocean State in the girls race of the 72nd New England Interscholastic Cross Country Championships, held at Ponaganset High School, placing fourth overall in 18:42.

Christensen, who swapped places with Mack after finishing behind her at the class meet to win the individual State crown in 18:44.45, placed 11th yesterday in 18:59.

"What they did today was one of the greatest things I have ever seen as a coach,’’ said La Salle coach Kelly Martin. ``They gave 100 percent. They put their hearts into the race and they looked great. I’m so proud of them. I couldn’t be more proud of them.’’

Combined with senior Sydney Lopes’ 27th-place overall finish (19:27) and the performance of junior Meghan Pinksaw (105th in 20:43) and sophomore Morgan Finnegan (156th in 21:20), La Salle finished fourth in the team standings.

"This is the best season that La Salle has ever seen for a girls team,’’ Martin said. "They are the best bunch of girls, and I am so happy that I’m their coach. They make it worthwhile.’’

After winning the Class A race, Mack admits she was disappointed to place second at last Sunday’s state meet, even if it was to her teammate.

That provided extra incentive to do well on the same course yesterday, she said, and she managed to position herself among the leaders from the beginning.

"I definitely didn’t have as good of a day as I wanted to last week, so today I just kind of came into it hoping to do better,’’ said Mack. Erica Jessemen, of Scarborough, Me., ``was out ahead and had a good distance on everybody else, but then the race came back to her. I felt pretty good while I was running. The last mile was kind of tiring. I was just trying to run with the group. I was more concentrating on staying with them than on my pace exactly. Then towards the end, one girl started to pull away and it kind of evened out more and I just tried to finish hard.’’