(Above photo by Sterling Vernon of @rhodeandtrack. For more great shots, click HERE.)
This is the last of our six previews (boys & girls) for Sunday’s Class Championships. Here we feature the boys’ Class A meet.
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Class A Championships – Boys
Day/Time: Saturday/12 p.m.
Site: Coventry High
Teams: Bishop Hendricken, Cranston West, Central, Woonsocket, East Providence, Cranston East, La Salle Academy, Mount Pleasant, Cumberland, North Kingstown, Coventry, Classical, Toll Gate, North Providence, Pilgrim, Hope, Tolman
Last year’s results: Hendricken won its 44th consecutive title last year by defeating second-place La Salle Academy, 153-123.
Events To Watch: It will be a rematch of last week’s 400m from the St. Germain Invitational where Tolman’s Youton Doe and Hendricken’s Jacob Coates both broke 50 seconds with Doe winning the race in a state-leading 49.62 and Coates not too far behind at 49.78. Among others, Cumberland’s Ryan Bourke is entered in this event. He has a best of 50.90. This could be another classic race…The 1,500m has the potential to be a close affair. Cumberland’s Cole McCue is the top seed with his best of 4:04.03 with junior teammate William O’Shea at No. 2 at 4:07.28. Hendricken’s Troy Silvestri (4:08.03). North Kingstown’s Jackson Borge (4:08.13) and Hendricken’s Brayton Gazerro (4:08.53) could also be in that lead pack. This one could come down to the last stretch with a multitude of runners still in the contention…Keep an eye on La Salle’s Brady Fisher. The talented senior could score 20-plus points this weekend in his team’s quest for prosperity. He’s the top seed in the 110m hurdles (15.29) and long jump (21-4.75) and will also be running a leg on the Rams’ top-ranked 4x100m squad…Speaking of the 4x100m, talk about a great way to start the meet. The second event of the day could be the most electrifying. La Salle comes in with a seed of 42.16. Hendricken is at No. 2 with a time of 42.45. The state record is 41.86. Is it a bit out of reach or not with these two quartets on the line?…Look for a similar down-to-the-wire battle in the 4x400m where Hendricken (3:27.61) and La Salle (3:27.85) are the only seeds under 3:30…You might want to head over to the hammer cage where a pair of 200-footers are trying to earn gold – North Kingstown’s Ethan Wordell (204-11) and Henricken’s Keith Daigneau…Don’t ignore the shot, too. Cumberland’s Patrick Conserve is the top seed and current state leader with a best of 52-3.5. Hendricken’s Alex Morin is at No. 2 with a best of 51-3.
Team Outlook: Bishop Hendricken and La Salle appear to be the two teams that will be battling for the team title with the Hawks getting the edge based on the points it will score beyond the oval as opposed to the Rams. Cumberland looks to be solid for that third spot.
