The weather cooperated and, yes, for the most part so did the wind on Saturday for the annual Classical Classic.
What did it all add up to? You guessed it, a bunch of outstanding performances at Conley Stadium for the first state qualifier of the outdoor track & field season.
Alexis Caggiano of La Salle Academy was one of several multiple winners in the six-plus hour meet. The Rams’ senior captured the 400-meter run with an all-time best of 58.42 seconds. Just a few hour later, Caggiano was back in the winner’s circle again with a victory in the 200m dash where she was timed in 25.29.
For the 400m, Caggiano earned a satisfying victory in an event she led from the start. She was just two days removed from a 58-second anchor leg for on on a Rams’ 4x400m squad that clocked 4:07 at the Penn Relays Carnival.
“I’m extremely happy with the race,” she said. “I wanted to do what I did at the Penn Relays two days ago. I went 58.3 something there and I just wanted to feel the same way in an open race.”
Exeter/West Greenwich’s Nini Olawuyi was a double-winner in the jumping events, placing first in the long jump (17 feet, 8.5 inches) and triple jump (36-9). Reece Vitale of Cranston West was dominant in the hurdle events. The Falcons’ sophomore had a pair of PR efforts with victories in the 100m hurdles (15.64) and the 300m IH (47.80), For the former, it was her first time under 16 seconds.
Vitale realized right from the beginning that she might be onto something special.
I thought I’d run 15.90. I really didn’t expect 15.6,” she said. “At the start, I definitely had a way faster start than what I usually do. I think that’s where it came from.”
Barrington’s Bobby Wind out-raced teammate and defending state champion Ethan Knight to take the boys’ 110m hurdles Wind was timed in a stellar 14.22, a PR and the fourth fastest effort all-time in the history of the state. Knight (second, 14.48) and Portsmouth’s Landon Rodrigues (third, 14.96) were also under 15 seconds. The reigning 300m hurdle state titlist Aidan Beinvenue won his specialty with a fast 38.90. The NS senior held off Knight, who was timed in 39.25 for second. Wind was third at 41.37. With his performance, Bienvenue proved the 10-year-old state mark of 38.13 is well within his grasp this spring.
The Northmen also had a big day from senior Nick Lamoureux. Lamoureux leaped 6-4 to take the high jump and was mere strides from breaking 50 seconds in the 400m where he finished second to Classical’s Thomas Breen with a time of 50.04. Breen broke the tape in 49.15.
In the high jump, Lamoureux matched his PR to beat a talented field that included 2-3 finishers Chucky Potter of Barrington and recent indoor champion and defending outdoor titlist Demetrius Outland of Central, who also cleared 6-4.
“I had never beaten Demetrius Outland, the state leader, until this point today,” Lamoureux said. “That meant a lot to me. He’s always great competition for me. To finally get over that hump and beat a few guys I have never gotten to beat before, it meant a lot.”
The Wheeler School’s Scott Sloan had a more than eight-foot best in the javelin with a winning toss of 194-6. Sloan credit the surface and competition for his big-time PR.
“This was the first time I was able to compete with all the best schools, like La Salle, Hendricken and Barrington,” he said. “It was the first time this season I was able to throw off a runway, too, instead of grass. It was like perfect conditions I kind of sped it up, gave it my all and it went out pretty nicely.”
La Salle’s Marshall Vernon beat a talented field to win the 1,500m. Vernon was among the lead pack from the beginning and held off Cumberland’s Will O’Shea down the stretch to take the crown in 4:03.87 O’Shea was second at 4:04.76. Finishing third was Ponaganset’s Jeremy Roe in 4:05.41.
With Vernon holding a slight lead, the top pack went though the opening 800m in 2:12. The La Salle junior was hoping for a time about four seconds faster at the midway point.
“I think I went through the first 400 like 64-65 seconds and I kind of just slowed down and didn’t concentrate on the pace. I was too busy listening to people behind me and listen to their steps,” he said. “We came through the halfway point at 2:12. I had to pick it up at that point. I knew that. I just got right back to 64 (seconds) and I did like 62 (seconds) the last lap. It wasn’t fast enough to get the whole thing done. It was a good wake-up call.”
Pilgrim’s Keaney Bayha (10:02.0) and Narragansett’s Cole Francis (8:44.47) were the respective girls’ and boys’ 3K winners. Bayha was engaged in a close battle with Cumberland’s Kylie DeFusco, who did most of the pace-setting. The Patriots’ senior took over lead with a little more than a lap remaining to pull away from his rival. DeFusco finished with a seven-second best of 10:07.20.
“(For the most part) the race worked the way I wanted it to,” Bayha said. “I knew i didn’t want to lead because that doesn’t always work out for me. I didn’t know how the wind would be, and stuff like that. Kiley is so talented. If I could go with her I knew we could both PR. That’s what my goal was to do.”
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