When a young Tiger Woods was in the prime of his career, legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus was once asked his thoughts on the world’s No. 1 player at the time. Using the same quote that the great Bobby Jones once said about him during the early stages of his hall-of-fame career, Nicklaus responded by saying – “He’s playing a game with which I am not familiar with.”
To paraphrase that quote when talking about sophomore phenom Lisa Raye’s already record-breaking high-school career in the sprints and hurdles, “She’s competing on the track in a way we’re not familiar with.”
The West Warwick standout made that clear once again at Saturday’s RIIL State Outdoor Track & Field Championships. On a hot and sunny afternoon, Raye not only matched her four victories from last year’s meet, but did it in astonishing, eye-popping and simply ridiculous fashion inside Conley Stadium. Counting her preliminary heats in the 100-meter dash and hurdles, Raye broke the state and meet records nearly every time she stepped foot on the track. If not for wind that wasn’t considered legal, she would have made it six-for-six with her final race of the day, the 200m dash, and event she clocked 22.73 seconds!
Raye finished with PRs of 11.37 in the 100m, 14.06 in the 100m HH and 42.53 in the 300m IH. Her effort in the 100m currently ranks No. 6 in the country, while her winded-aided 200m is at No. 1. Prior to the states, the only record that Raye didn’t own was the 100m HH. She smashed the 14-year-old mark of 14.44 by South Kingstown alum Molly Reilly by nearly four tenths of a second!
“I was really locked in,” she said. “I knew what I had to do. I knew I had to win my races so my team could win another state championship.”
“I don’t know what to say,” said West Warwick coach Jeff Parenteau, whose team captured its second straight outdoor crown. “We put the training in. I think at these meets, (Lisa) just steps it up another notch. I’ve explained this before, she’s got this gear that I don’t even think she knows she has. She found it today, and had an amazing day.”
While the records were repeatedly being rewritten by her sister, it was a banner day for Xenia Raye, too. The West Warwick junior defended her crown in the 400m with a meet record of 54.73 and had PR performances in finishing second in the 100m (11.97) and 200m (23.89). Xenia also ran a leg on the Wizards’ 4x100m. The quartet of Raye, Jailynn Huffman, Emily Santere and Tatianna Baldnelli were fourth overall in 49.83.
Xenia’s effort in the 400m came shortly after her sub-12 in the 100m finals.
West Warwick also collected a sixth in the 100m HH (16.09) from Huffman and a pair of eighth-place finishes from Baldenelli in the high jump (5 feet) and the javelin (98-3). The Wizards claimed their title with a 76-59 win over second-place Cranston West. Cumberland (third, 56 points), Classical (fourth, 55 points) and Chariho Regional (fifth, 53 points) took the next three spots.
“I’ve said this before, I probably sound like a broken record, but they amaze me every single day,” said Parenteau, about the Raye sisters. “We’ve been putting the work in. I knew they were going to do well. To set four state records, and then for Xenia to run 54 (seconds for the 400m), break 12 (seconds in the 100m) and all the contributions from other people, Tatiana Baldenelli, Jailynn Huffman, our relay. It’s just amazing. Everyone came together, put in a great effort. It was just an amazing day.”
It was also an amazing day for several others on the biggest day of the season.
The meet featured double-winning performances from Chariho’s Erin vonHousen and Cumberland’s Grace Bleyer. The Chargers’ vonHousen won the 1,500m (4:39.08) and the 800m (2:13.54). She also ran a leg on her team’s sixth-place 4x400m relay (4:08.97).
In the 1,500m, vonHousen held off a challenge from Pilgrim’s Keaney Bayha (second, 4:41.68) late in the race. She came back later to claim the two-lapper over a gritty Emmy Belvin. The Mount St. Charles’ senior, who was timed in a PR of 2:14.44. led for most of the race before her rival was able to come on strong with about 100m remaining. Both runners clocked PRs in the 800m by two seconds or more.
“I tried to make a move on the back straight(away) of the second lap, but she was moving too quick. I couldn’t do anything then,” said vonHousen, about Belvin. “It wasn’t until the last 100 (meters) I was able to get on her shoulder and run around her. She ran an amazing race. I give her huge respect.”
In the 1,500m, an expected duel with St. Ray’s Rory Sullivan never materialized. The Furman-bound senior and No. 2 seed was unable to compete in the race or the 3K, due to a sickness. VonHousen did most of the pace-setting in the race.
“It was decent,” she said. “The race didn’t play out quite the way I expected it to. I didn’t expect to end up being out front. It was funny. I didn’t really know what I was doing a lot of the time in that (race). I wanted to keep the pace somewhat honest but also not kill myself because I knew I had the 800 left. Keaney surprised me on the last 200m. I just had to bring it home. I really just turned it on the last 200 and finished it quick.”
The Clippers’ Bleyer earned victories in the long and triple jumps. In the long jump, she leaped a PR of 18-4 to beat a field that had three others go 17-10 or further – Exeter/West Greenwich’s Nini Olawuyi (second, 17-11.5), South Kingstown’s Sierra Thompson (third, 17-10.25) and indoor titlist Quiana Pezza of Cranston West (17-10). Bleyer came back and took the triple jump by three inches over Piazza with a nearly three-foot best of 36-11.5.
In the long jump, Bleyer continued the upward progression she began since winning the event at the Sgt. Brian St. Germain Invitational on May 11 with a distance of 17-7.75, her first 17-footer.
Bleyer’s top effort came on her first attempt and all but one other jump was over 18 feet. A little change in her approach is what she credits to her recent success.
“Honestly, it was all about the approach and getting to the board and popping,” Bleyer said. “I figured out how to pop off correctly and bring a lot of speed to the board. It was definitely a factor. We did improve the amount of steps I was taking to the board, instead of eight it was nine, I want to say. That definitely gave me more speed and more pop.”
Cumberland also had a win from Kiley DeFusco in the 3K. The Clipper junior went gun-to-wire for the 7.5 lapper and clocked an all-time best of 10:06.63. North Kingstown freshman Abbie Tighe was second at 10:18.04.
Woonsocket has two of its’ athletes earn gold at Saturday’s meet. Top seed and nation-leader Adelaide Caron continued her dominance in the hammer by matching her PR with a distance of 176-8. Coventry’s Mia Hoskins was second with a toss of 162-11. Fellow classmate, junior Bella PIette, won the discus with a more than two-foot best of 116-1. Piette was also fourth in the hammer at 156-7. Caron collected a sixth in the javelin (99-5) and a seventh in the discus (108-0).
Classical shot-putter Gifty Bediako had a big PR in winning her specialty. The talented junior unleashed her the 40-footer of her career with a distance of 42-2. Cumberland’s Payton Goulding also went 40-plus, securing the runner-up spot at 42-2.
Competing in the last meet for longtime coach Bob Palazzo, who announced his retirement during a well-deserved ceremony at the beginning of the meet honoring his outstanding three-decade career, Classical also had victories by its 4x400m (3:59.79). and 4x200m (48.35) squads. Both relays consisted of the foursome of Shakeyri Arroyo, Jasmin Berganza, Morrica Bryant, Ziada Depina. The Purple placed fourth overall in the meet with 55 points.
