This past week certainly proved one thing.
Even though it’s still early, it’s already starting to heat up here in the Ocean State.
In dual meet competition and a few out-of-state meets, more than a dozen state-leading performances were produced by our R.I. track & field athletes.
The biggest noise came on Saturday where West Warwick’s Lisa Raye broke another state record. This time it was not one of the multiple other marks that she already holds; rather it was one that has stood for 40 years! In a Bayha Division meet, the Wizards’ gifted junior leaped to a PR of nearly a foot in the long jump with a nation No. 8 of 19 feet, 7.75 inches. That exceptional effort broke the longstanding mark of 19-3, set by former Hope great Pam Hughes in 1985.
Raye also improved on her state No. 1 in the 55-meter hurdles where she clocked a winning 8.34 and ran a leg on the Wizards’ triumphant 4x200m and 4x400m squads that also ran times that occupy the top of the rankings. Along with sister Xenia Raye, Jailynn Huffman and Tatianna Baldinelli, the 4×2 combined for a time of 1:46.06. The 4×4 team of the Raye sisters, Gina Mattera and Maiya Robert were timed in 4:10.63, a relay that was highlighted by a 57-second leg from Lisa and a 58-second leg from Xenia.
Also at the meet, Classical’s Gifty Bediako improved on her state-leader in the shot by more than two feet with her first 40-footer on the indoor surface, a mammoth toss of 41-2.25. Bediako, who also holds the top spot in the weight at 53-3, won that event as well at with her fifth straight 50-plus effort. She took her specialty by more than four feet with a distance of 50-10.
While he did run faster at last week’s MSTCA Boston Holiday Classic, La Salle’s Marshall Vernon made it official that he’ll be competing in the elite high school mile at the Millrose Games on Feb. 8. Vernon earned his spot by finishing second in the Invitational Mile at Saturday’s Armory Hispanic Games in NYC where he was timed in 4:14.76. He was just strides behind individual winner Tsedeke Jakovics of Old Mill (MD), who broke the tape in 4:14.19. The top two finishers earned an automatic berth to next month’s race. Hendricken sophomore Colby Flynn was tenth in the race with a PR of 4:19.66.
Vernon’s current best is 4:10.88 from last weekend’s Boston Holiday Challenge where he was third overall in the New Balance Invitational Mile at the TRACK at New Balance.
Also at the Hispanic Games, La Salle’s Jalen Moseley became our state’s first long-jumper to exceed 22 feet, attaining gold in the event with a leap of 22-3.5. Hendricken’s Jeremy Seidi ran the state’s fastest time for 55m by blazing to a 6.62 effort in his preliminary heat at the meet.
While he just missed a spot on the podium, La Salle’s Alexander Campbell soared to a PR of 14-3 in the pole vault, an effort that placed him seventh overall. Campbell’s performance ties him for No. 5 all-time in the state for indoor.
