With so many variables, it’s never easy. But we’ll give it our best shot predicting who we feel will be some of our top track & field athletes this outdoor season. Here we feature the boys’ jumping events, which includes the high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole vault.
HIGH JUMP
Could three be the charm for Demetrius Outland? After winning the outdoor title last spring and the recent indoor crown, the Central senior will be looking to complete the triad in his final season as a high-schooler. Outland lost just once this past winter against his R.I., rivals, finishing second to Portsmouth’s Aidan Chen at the Class B Championships. Chen and Outland both finished with PRs of 6 feet, 6 inches with the Portsmouth leaper attaining his mark at the class meet and the Knights’ standout winning the East Coast Invitational with his top performance. Of the two, Outland was the more consistent with jumps between 6-2 to 6-4 all season long. He’s also someone that is always up for the challenge where he regularly competes at his best when the competition’s at his toughest. Based on his history, Outland is our favorite in this event, but it won’t be easy. Any of a number of top athletes are capable of ending his streak at two at the State Meet. Among them are Chen, Middletown’s Cam Miller, North Smithfield’s NIck Lamoureux, Barrington’s Chucky Potter, East Providence’s Cameron Evora, Hendricken’s Jakob Reyes, and Moses Brown’s Shea Parish. Miller may have the best shot. He finished second to Outland at the indoor states and went 6-5 or higher three times, including a career best of 6-5.25 at the New Balance Nationals in early March. Lamoureux had a PR of 6-4 to win the Class C title. The remainder of the group cleared 6-2 this past season.
LONG JUMP
La Salle’s Ephrain Abhulime had a day to remember at the states this past winter, leaping to a winning 22-6.5 to take top honors, a best by nearly a foot! Can he repeat the magic this spring? One of the only disadvantages Abhulime may have is lack of training and competing time in the spring. Last outdoor season, Abhulime only competed thrice in the long jump due to his commitments as a star volleyball player for the Rams, a sport he earned a Division 1 scholarship to Merrimack College in the fall. Like indoor, this event should be very competitive. The Quakers’ Lane (22-1.75) and Classical’s Joshua Dabanka (22-0.5) both went 22-plus this winter. A few others like Hendricken teammates Cooper Maher (21-11), Jude Monti (21-9.75), the Eagles’ Potter (21-8) and Pilgrim’s Hunter Schobel (21-7.25) were on the brink of doing the same.
TRIPLE JUMP
In this event, we could see a lot of familiar faces occupying the top spots on the podium at the championship meet. Seven of the top eight from last year’s states are all expected to come back this spring, including our 1-2-3-4 finishers. Smithfield’s Konny Ezeama captured individual honors in 2023 with a PR of 43-3.25. Taking the next three positions were Mount Pleasant’s David Rodriguez (42-4.75), the Knights’ Outland (42-4.25) and Schobel (41-8).
POLE VAULT
Much like the triple jump, we have several top returnees in this event, too. As a sophomore last year, Hendricken’s Carson Dean won last year’s title by clearing 12-feet even. Twice during the season, he matched his PR of 12-6, achieving the mark at the St. Brian St. Germain Invitational and the New England’s. The next four finisher from the State Meet are also expected to come back with La Salle’s Alexander Campbell (second, 11-6), Potter (third, 11-6), Portsmouth’s Tristan Thomas (fourth, 11-6) and North Kingstown’s Quinn O’Connell (fifth, 11-0). While the event is not competed as an official event at the states during the winter, Campbell went 12 feet or higher at selected meets three times this winter with an all-time best of 12-1 at the World Trophy Invitational. Dean was second to his rival at the RITCA Invitational where he went 11-6 to Campbell’s winning 12-0 effort.
