We’re ready for another exciting season on the indoor track & field season. To get you pumped up for the winter campaign, Ocean State Running will preview some of the top athletes that we expect will make an impact over the next few months.
Here we preview with the boys’ hurdles & sprinting events.
55m
For the last three years, La Salle Jared Gibbons has occupied the No. 1 position at the State Meet. The Rams’ three-time champion has since graduated, leaving this event wide open for a worthy successor. Who will be? Right now it’s hard to tell. Besides Gibbon, the next four runners behind him at the states have also graduated. The top returnee is Adonis Medina of Central. The speedy senior, a star player for the Knights’ baseball team, boast a best of 6.62 from the Division Championships. He came close to that effort at the Class A Championships where he clocked 6.66 and the states where he had a 6.67 effort in the prelimins. He was unable to run the finals. Also coming back are Westerly’s Christian Dejour and Central’s Elijah Gardea, who were sixth and seventh, respectively, at the State Meet. Gardea has a best of 6.69 from the divisionals and Dejour PR’d at the Last Chance Invitational with a time of 6.71. Among others are Hendricken teammates Joel Felix (6.71) and Nathan Rivas (6.77). Don’t ignore Cranston West’s Alonzo Parker-Sharpe, too. The Falcons’ versatile senior recently won the 400m at the BU Mini Meet with a best of 51.09. He also has low 22-second speed for the 200m and last year ran a best of 6.79 for the 55m. Will he be focusing on the 300m or perhaps even the 600m? If the short sprint is one those events he’s keying on this winter, you can’t count him out based on what he’s done.
300m
Oh boy, there’s a bunch that could reign supreme in this event come championship time. From last year’s State Meet, six of the top 10 will be back on the oval, including state runner-up Jacob Coates of Bishop Hendricken and third-place finisher Lain DeBoth of Barrington. Five returnees this season broke 37 seconds last year with DeBoth at the top with his PR of 36.33 from the divisional championships. Hendricken’s Xavier Wilkens (36.44), Coates (36.59), Barrington’s Ethan Knight (36.82) and Parker-Sharpe (36.86) are the other four that make us think the individual title will be up for grabs this season. We’ll give Wilkens the slight nod, especially after his outdoor season where he captured the 200m and was the only runner under 22 seconds with a best of 21.96 from the Hendricken Invitational. By the looks of it, Hendricken and Barrington could be among a few teams battling for the title at the states. This could be one of those events that might make a difference. Both have strong runners in this event. The Hawks have Wilkens and Coates, while the Eagles have DeBoth and Knight.
55m HH
Speaking of events that could make an impact. How about this one for Barrington? The Eagles have the top two returnees with Knight, the defending state titlist, and Bobby Wind, who was fourth at the championship meet last year. The two hurdlers matched up this past weekend at the RITCA Invitational with Wind edging Knight with a state-leading and PR of 7.63 to his teammate’s 7.67 effort. Don’t ignore North Smithfield’s Aidan Bienvenue, who was third in that race at 7.83. The Northmen have been very strong in this event the last few years and Beinvenue has the potential to continue the tradition. This will be his first year on the indoor surface. He finished second to Knight in the 110m hurdles during the outdoor state meet last spring and has the proven talent to challenge the leaders. Among other hurdlers to keep an eye on are Portsmouth’s Landon Rodrigues and Classical’s Teddy Wallace.
