It has been really mind-blogging lately how much talent has been produced in the state over the years by our high school track & field stars, particularly the last decade. We’ve had a multitude of athletes excel as collegians and some even further at the professional level. It’s a testament to not only their hard work and commitment, but the quality of guidance they’ve been given by their coaches. Kudos to all for a job well done.
And additional praise to the athletes who were about to recognize with Rhode Island roots at this week’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore., a 10-day competition that starts on Friday and concludes on Sunday, June 30 at the famed Hayward Field.
Here’s our list…
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Sophia Gorriaran, 800m (Friday, 7:17 p.m.)
This will be the former Moses Brown standout and current Harvard freshman’s second Trials before the age of 20. She celebrated her 19th birthday on Thursday. After a stellar high school career where she earned a plethora of accolades, including several state and national titles and even a world junior record as part of an all-star 4x800m squad, Gorriaran continued her excellence on the track at the collegiate level. She ran a season best of 2 minutes, 0.65 seconds for the 800m at the NCAA Division 1 East Regionals on May 25 and advanced to the finals of the NCAA Championships after finishing third in her heat with a 2:00.87 clocking. Just a week ago, Gorriaran won her specialty at the USATF U20 Championships at Hayward Field with a time of 2:01.90.
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Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan, Shot (Friday, 9:15 p.m.) and Hammer (6/28, 7:30 p.m.)
In his first appearance at the Trials, we’re expecting some big results from the former Woonsocket star and University of Mississippi sophomore. Robinson-O’Hagan has not missed a beat after a high school career that included a multitude of state and national crowns in the throwing events as well as a World U20 title in the shot in 2022. The ultra-confident thrower is coming off a sophomore campaign at Ole Miss where he swept the shot at the NCAA Division I Championships, earning a spot on the top of the podium for both indoor and outdoor with his best efforts of each season. At the indoor meet, he had an all-time best of 69 feet, 0.75 inches and won the outdoor crown at 69-0.75. He knows how to compete at high-pressured meets like the Trials. In the hammer, Robinson-O’Hagan has a PR of 238-10.5. For both events, he ranks among the top 15. He’s ninth on the list in the shot and No. 14 in the hammer.
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Jack Salisbury, 1,500m (Friday, 8:22 p.m.)
The former La Salle and Georgetown standout just learned on Monday that he earned a spot at the Trials. This will be Salisbury’s second straight appearance. He qualified for the 2021 meet after running his all-time best of 3:37.18 at the NCAA East Regionals at the University of North Florida in late May. The 26-year-old Salisbury, who has broken four minutes for the mile four times, including a best of 3:55.53, has a season best of 3:38.14 for the 1,500m. He did that at the recent Adrian Martinez Classic in Concord, Mass., where he placed fourth overall at the June 8 meet. He also went sub 3:40 a little more than a week earlier, taking ninth at the HBCU Prop Classic in 3:38.42.
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Maddy Berkson, 1,500m (6/27, 8:23 p.m.)
The Stanford grad and former Classical star will be making her first appearance at the Trials. Berkson is enjoying her best year as a post-collegiate runner, particularly the last few months where she has thrice run under 4:10 since April 20. Berkson, who compete for the Battle Roads TC, comes in with an all-time best of 4:08.50 from the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix on May 17. In a conversation with the 28-year-old runner for a feature we will be posting soon, she’s hoping for a prime showing at next week’s race with a goal of advancing past the first round.
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Darius Kipyego, 800m (6/27, 7:30 p.m.)
Kipyego is coming off his most successful year as a collegian since a stellar high school career at Saint Raphael Academy. The Iowa State junior earned qualifying spots in the 800m at the NCAA Division I Championships for both the indoor and outdoor season. During the winter, he solidified a spot on the podium by taking sixth overall. Kipyego, who will be making his first trip to the Trials, lowered his best in the 800m three times this spring with a PR of 1:45.76 at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational in Coral Springs, Fla., on April 6.
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Margot Appleton, 1,500m (6/27, 8:23 p.m.)
Appleton does not reside in RI, but she did compete in our small state as a star runner at Portsmouth Abbey so we’ve adopted the Mattapoisett native as one of our own. The University of Virginia junior is a holder of several school records for the Cavaliers from the mile to the 5,000m. She earned All-American honors during the indoor season by finishing fifth in the mile with an indoor best of 4:29.07. On the outdoor surface, she ran bests of 4:28.31 for the mile and 4:09.56 for the 1,500m.
