The first day of the New Balance National got off to a great start on Thursday.
In the final event on the track, Portsmouth’s Sean Gray established a new state record in the 5,000-meter run. The Patriots’ junior finished second in his heat and tenth overall in 14 minutes, 43.48 seconds. His effort broke the two-year-old mark of 14:53.71 by Troy Silvestri at NBN in 2023. It was also a PR by more than 30 seconds.
(Above photo by Sterling Vernon @rhodeandtrack)
Gray admitted that from the beginning, breaking the state mark was his intended goal.
“I was hoping for a time under 14:45 for the 5K record and was thinking about under 14:35 possibly, but only if I knew I could kick for it,” said the Patriots’ standout whose previous best was 15:16 from last year’s meet. “I definitely feet that I could kick for it. I definitely feel that I could have run faster then I end up finishing though.”
Gray ran consistent splits throughout the race. He hit his 1,600m at 4:40 and passed through 3,200m in 9:25. His final 200m was his fastest split at 32.08.
“I feel I had a good amount left at the end of it,” he said. “IF I had pushed harder in some parts and turn 36 (seconds) into 35 (seconds). I could have turned it into sub 14:40 effort easily”
Gray, who was third in the 3K at the State Meet, realized around the 1K mark (2:52.96) that he was onto something special.
“I felt I was smooth and comfortable at that pace, and could easily go under the old record of 14:53,” he said.
In other action on Thursday…
Hendricken’s Shepherd Butler finished 19th out of 78 competitors in the Freshmen Mile. Shepherd has a seven-second PR of 4:32.19. After running relatively even splits throughout the eight-lapper, Shepherd finished strong, covering his final 400m in 65 seconds. The Hawks’ Aaron Stockford also went under 4:40, placing 42nd with a best of 4:38.57. North Kingstown’s Camden Florio was 51st (4:40.20), while Hendricken’s Oliver Redmond placed 65th (4:46.32).
In the girls’ Frosh Mile, La Salle’s Stella Pelagio was 51st in 5:25.49.
Warwick’s Kingston Bayha, younger brother of Pilgrim’s Keaney Bayha, raced to a PR of 4:54.90 in the Middle School Mile. It was his second straight 4:54 effort. Just three weeks earlier, the young Bayha clocked his all-time best pf 4:54.89 at The CIRCUIT Boston.
Barrington was 45th in the boys’ 4x900m relay. The quartet of Fritz Muehlbauer, Marius Bonard, Michael Chun and Daniel Chun combined for a time of 8:07.14
New England titlist North Kingstown was 25th in the girls’ race. The foursome of Abbie Tighe, Lucy Stowe, Abby Nicolopoulos and Maura Whitney were timed in 9:35.02.
Brad LaForest of La Salle was 39th in the 400m with a time of 53.02.
