On the bubble from qualifying for next weekend’s State Meet or perhaps improving on their seedings?
These are two important reasons our track & field athletes will be at the PCTA this Saturday (2:30 p.m.) for the RITCA Last Chance Meet. Glancing through the entries, below are a few events that caught our eye, a few we felt were the more intriguing of the rest giving the athletes that have entered.
***
BOYS – 3,000m
This race features 13 runners, including 1-2 seeds, North Kingstown’s Gavin Shipperley and La Salle’s Tristen McDonough, who come in with top times this year of 9:14.86 and 9:19.76, respectively. At the bottom of the list with the letters ‘NT’ near his name is Sean Gray of Portsmouth. Those two letters signify no time. That’s exactly why last year’s outdoor titlist in this event will be answering the gun. Gray experienced tendonitis this winter, an injury the derailed about three weeks of his season. We talked to him earlier this week, and he assured us that his injury is behind him, something he proved at the Class B meet last Saturday when he finished second to Barrington’s Myles Napolitano in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4 minutes, 10.09 seconds. Look for Gray to run a time in the low nine-minute range, or potentially faster this weekend to solidify a spot in the seeded section of the race. We believe he won’t venture off from his typical front-running style and will be right on the mark, providing a perfect confidence-booster for an expected duel with La Salle’s Marshall Vernon and Hendricken’s Colby Flynn, if the Hawks tenth-grader decides to enter.
GIRLS – SHOT
This event features are only athletes to exceed 40 feet this season with state-leader Gifty Bediako of Classical the No. 1 seed and Cumberland’s Payton Goulding at No. 2. Bediako, the defending state champion, has been in the 40-foot mode since early January, unleashing the metal ball seven straight meets over that mark, including an all-time best of 43 feet, 4.5 inches at the Class B meet. Goulding, a runner-up to Bediako at the outdoor states, unleashed an indoor best of 40-0.5 to win the Headley Division crown last month. This event could provide an preview of what to expect at next Saturday’s states.
BOYS – WEIGHT THROW
Our top thrower throughout the season has been Woonsocket’s Shamrock Thoun, who has a PR and nation best of 79-11.75. Last week at the Class A meet, Thoun earned the individual title, albeit barely. North Kingstown’s Jack Harmon, who ranks No. 2 in the country, went 79-1.5 for second at Class A, just eight inches behind the Villa Novan junior. On Thursday night at the Millrose Games, Exeter/West Greenwich’s Owen Spira defeated both his rivals to win the crown with a nearly three-foot best of 77-4.75, an effort that moves him to No. 3 in the country ahead of East Greenwich’s Ryan Evans. All four athletes are expected to compete on Saturday as well as another 70-footer, Barrington’s Joe Adams (70-11.75). This will certainly be a must-see event on Saturday, and perhaps one of the more exciting to watch seven days later at the states.
GIRLS – LONG JUMP
A few weeks ago. West Warwick’s Lisa Raye broke a four-decade state mark with a leap of 19-7.75. She became only the fourth athlete in the state to go further than 19 feet. There a slight chance we could have two more added to that illustrious list this weekend. The top two seeds are Mount Hope teammates Thea Jackson and Lola Silva, who went 2-3 behind Raye at the Class B meet with bests of 18-9.75 and 18-8.25, respectively. A few more inches will put both in that elite company.’
BOYS – 300m
Barrington’s Bobby Wind has been chasing the state record in the 55m hurdles all season, an event he’s been unbeatable against his rivals. This weekend, the Eagles senior will be taking a break from his specialty and concentrating solely on the 300m. Right now he ranks No. 5 in the state with a best of 36.52. The top five times get into the seeded heat. With no other race to concentrate on, look for Wind to be try and secure that spot this weekend.
***
SCHEDULE
4 x 800 Relay
4 x 200 Relay
3000 Meters
Hurdle Trials
Dash Trials
1500 meters
Hurdle Finals
Dash Finals
600 meters
300 meters
1,000 meters
4×400 Relay
Field at 2:30 p.m.
Weight Throw (boys, then girls)
High Jump (boys 5’4”, then girls-4’4”)
Long Jump (girls, then boys)
Shot Put (girls, then boys)
