From New York to Boston, it proved to be a productive (and successful) weekend for our local high school athletes.
At the Armory Track & Field Center in NYC on Saturday, West Warwick’s Lisa and Xenia Raye along with several weight-throwers were among the top entries at the annual U.S. Marine Corp Holiday Classic. Competing in the seeded section of the 55-meter dash, Lisa came a hundredth of a second from her own state record with a nation-leading and meet mark of 6.83 seconds. The Wizards’ gifted junior beat a talented field that saw four runners break seven seconds and the top three under the meet record.
In the 300m dash, Xenia raced to a season best of 39.60, an effort the secured her third overall.
In the boys’ weight throw, Woonsocket’s Shamrock Thoun improved on his nation-leader with a PR and meet record of 79 feet, 4.25 inches. Exeter/West Greenwich’s Owen Spira was second at 69-10.75. Pilgrim’s Brandon Wolfenden placed third with a distance of 65-4.75. For the girls, Woonsocket teammates Adelaide Caron (50-7) and Isabella Piette (47-0.75) finished second and third, respectively.
***
The TRACK at New Balance was the site of the three competitions this weekend, beginning with the MSTCA Boston Holiday Challenge on Saturday and the Marathon Sports Winter Warrior HS Invitational and Winter Classic on Sunday.
At the Holiday Challenge, La Salle’s Marshall Vernon clocked the nation’s No. 3 time and an indoor best of 4:10.88 to take the bronze in the featured New Balance Championship Mile. Vernon was in the race from the beginning, battling with the front-runners throughout the eight laps. The Rams junior forged to the front with 1,000m left, only to be passed by eventual 1-2 finishers, Connecticut’s Soheib Dissa of Newtown (4:06.64) and Virginia’s Cole Boone of Pulaski County (4:08.40), on the closing lap.
The race was Vernon’s second of the season, since competing at the Nike Cross Nationals on Dec. 7. His prior competition to Saturday was a 3K race on Dec. 22 where he coasted to a time of 8:45 in a league meet.
“I came in with an open mind. I ran 4:10 last year (during outdoor track). The goal was to hopefully get under that,” he said. “I did my thing. I got to the 1,000 meter mark. The kid in first, Cole Boone, slowed up on that lap. I just thought if I wanted to go for that sub 4:10 it was now or never. I took the lead and made it an honest race. I knew as soon as I took that lead, I had to go for it. I started going, (but) I just don’t have the speed yet. Hopefully more speed workouts this season will help me get through that. I just didn’t have the speed, and the other guys did.”
A week after her victory in the mile at the Beantown Winter Classic at the TRACK at New Balance, Cumberland’s Kiley DeFusco was the fastest for 800m at the same venue. Just like her previous victory, DeFusco led from the onset. She passed through her opening 400m under 67 seconds and was never seriously challenged the remainder of the race.
Finishing 2-3-4-5 in the race was La Salle’s Alyssa Parenteau (second, 2:25.20), Olivia Wahlberg (third, 2:26.17 and Carolina Terlato (fourth, 2:26.17) and Cumberland’s Emily Bourke (fifth, 2:29.37).
Cumberland got a big win from Rose Tuomisto in the 1,000m. Tuomisto led throughout the race and crossed the line in a near school record and state No. 2 of 3:01.87. La Salle freshman Stella Pelagio was seventh overall with a best of 3:11.64.
“Going in I was seeded 11th, so it was a little intimidating to be in the waterfall (start),” Tuomisto said. “Once I did the first waterfall loop I was already in front and I was like, ;You know what? I’m going to go for it.'”
Classical earned two victories at the meet. In the weight throw, the Purple’s Gifty Bediako unleashed a winning throw of 52-3.75. Smithfield’s Taylor McGinness (second, 48-0.25) and Classical’s Chibuzo Ihenacho (third, 46-4) made it a 1-2-3 finish by the Ocean State.
The Purple’s other first-place finish came in the sprint medley relay. The quartet of Morrica Bryant, Shakeyri Arroyo, Naiben Noreiga and Orla Howlett combined for a time of 4:24.2.
Portsmouth’s Allie Kaull was a winner in the two mile. Kaull led for most of the race and finished more than 70m ahead of her closest rival with a time of 11:15.85.
As expected, top-seeded La Salle won the boys’ 4x400m relay. The foursome of Amari Monteiro, Thaden Leomensah, Antonio Bearden and Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo combined for a time of 3:26.12. Giroux-Pezzullo was also third in the 300m with a best of 35.20. LSA sophomore Jackson Alves was sixth at 36.28.
In the girls’ mile, the Rams’ Parenteau was second overall in 5:13.07. Cumberland’s Charli McCue was fifth at 5:19.09. Also placing among the top 10 was La Salle’s Carolina Terlato (eighth, 5:22.32) and Walhberg (ninth, 5:22.81).
Other top finishes in the meet included a pair of runner-up finishes from La Salle’s Alexander Campbell in the pole vault (12-6) and Reese Vitale in the girls’ triple jump (35-7.25). Vitale was also sixth in the 55m hurdles (9.13). St Ray’s Jayla Grimes was third in the 400m (1:00.88), Pelagio was fifth in the girls’ frosh mile (5:37.47), Classical’s Noah Johnson was fourth in the boys’ frosh mile (4:58.33), and the Saints’ Francesca Justin was fourth in the 200m (26.55).
COMPLETE RESULTS
***
Pilgrim’s Keaney Bayha was a double winner in the Winter Warrior Invitational, achieving gold in the two mile (11:15.42) and the 1,000m (3:02.11).
Cole Francis of Narragansett was second in the mile at the Winter Classic, clocking a solid 4:21.39. In the 3K, North Kingstown’s Gavin Shipperly was fourth at 9:33.87.
The Prout School’s Eli Wood captured the 300m in a state No. 2 of 35.69.