The featured Championship race at Saturday’s Hoka Ocean State Invitational will be much the same as it’s been in the meet’s 16-year history with a talented contingent of harriers from Rhode Island and beyond. Judging by our list of entries this year, we could see a number of runners blazing the open trails at Goddard State Memorial Park in Warwick in under 16 minutes with the possibility of a new five-kilometer course record by our winner.
In no particular order, here’s a look at our top entries for this weekend’s race, which starts at 12:15 p.m.
As usual, there will be plenty of talent in this race and without a doubt Kipyego is one of them. In his first major meet of the season, we’re giving the St. Ray’s star the favorite nod at Ocean State. In a conversation with him last week, Kipyego indicated he’s eyeing the course record of 14:58.7, set just last year by Conard (CT) grad Gavin Sherry. At the 2021 meet, Kipyego captured the Varsity Div. 1 race with a time of 15:57.83. Since that performance, a lot has changed for Kipyego, which makes us believe that the Saints’ harrier can accomplish his goal with a minute improvement from Ocean State and sub 15-minute effort. Just a month after that race, Kipyego copped the cross-country state title and tore up the track during the winter and spring seasons, earning multiple state titles and clocking a plethora of national-level times in events ranging from the 800m to the 3,000m. Among those efforts was a near sub four-minute mile at the Brooks PR Invitational and an 800m best of 1:51.32 at the State Meet. Where Kipyego excels the most is his ability to dig down deep in the late stages of a race when most of his competitors are tiring. Rarely does he lose if he’s still in the hunt with the race winding down. If the pack is still tight with a half- or quarter-mile remaining, chances are it will be the Saints’ runner breaking the tape at the end.
The Eagles’ senior has the talent to contend with the front-runners. Lopez, who was sixth in this race last year, is coming off a spring track season where he won his second straight two-mile title at the All State Meet with an impressive 9:09.11 effort. He was a third-place finisher in the Div. 1 race at All State in cross country with a best of 15:23.09 and ran 15:37.78 at Ocean State in 2021.
This will be Ross’s debut at Ocean State and it could be one that earns him gold at the finish. The Spartan senior was unbeatable against his MA rivals last year on the trails and raced to a course record of 14:47.11 at the All State Meet, the fastest 5K of all our entries this weekend. Ross faced Kipyego twice last year on the track, placing second to the SRA star in the mile at the CT Distance Festival and sixth to his rival about a month later at the Trials Of Miles: TrackNight NYC where he ran his PR of 4:10.69 to Kipyego’s winning 4:05.51.
Ryan Sarney, Oliver Ames (MA)
This is a race that could see a plethora of runners under 16 minutes and Sarney is certainly one of them. After a solid cross-country season where he ran a 5K best of 16:08 at All States , the Tigers senior had some strong performances on the track with a runner-up finish in the two mile at the indoor states and an all-time best of 9:21.17 for the deuce at the New Balance Nationals in the spring.
Martin is coming off a convincing triumph at the Highland Park Invitational this past Saturday in Attleboro. At the race, the EG senior became the state’s third runner under 16 minutes this fall, posting a time of 15:59.5 at Highland Park, nearly a minute ahead of runner-up, John Garvey of Catholic Memorial’ (MA). Martin also struck gold at the season-opening Injury Fund Carnival where he was timed 16:03.0.
Evans was 22nd in the Div. 1 race at last year’s Ocean State Invitational with a time of 17:21.18, It should be vastly different this time around. The Lions’ senior would place 11th at the State Meet less than a month later where he clocked 16:04.04. So far this early season, Evans has the fastest 5K time in the state based on his winning 15:57.44 from the Injury Fund Carnival a few weeks ago.
Borge was the third fastest Rhode islander at last year’s race, placing tenth overall in 16:03.61. The Skipper senior, a sub 8:50 3K runner, ran 15:59.22 to win his race at Injury Fund and less than two weeks ago placed second overall at the Burlington X-C Invitational where he was timed in 16:12.8 for the hilly terrain.
Here’s another harrier we should see running significantly faster than the last time he traversed the trails of Goddard Park. In 2021, Piedade was 19th in the Div. 2 race where he clocked 17:22.66. This season, the Eagles junior captured individual honors at Injury Fund in 16:03.0. He followed that effort with another victory at the Martha’s Vineyard Invitational with a solid time of 16:17.40. On the fast terrain of Ocean State, he should be one of several under 16 minutes this weekend.
The last of the talented RI contingent that should fare well this Saturday at Ocean State. Principe placed third in the Gourley Race at Injury Fund where he crossed the line with a PR of 16:12.10. He was fourth in the 1,500-meter run at the State Meet this past spring where he ran a PR of 4:03.46.
