We’ve talked about it often, and will continue to keep talking about it. Over the years, especially recently, Rhode Island track & field athletes have really made an impact nationally, both at the high school and collegiate level.
The New Balance Nationals and Nike Indoor Nationals had a host of All Americans and featured three individual champions from the Ocean State with West Warwick’s Lisa Raye claiming the 60-meter title at New Balance, Toll Gate’s Vanessa Jones capturing the weight throw at Nike and Woonsocket’s Shamrock Thoun sweeping the weight crowns at New Balance and Nike. By the way, he’s going for the three-peat on Saturday at the adidas Indoor Nationals.
How about some of our star alumni, who competed at last weekend’s NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach? We’ve already talked about the amazing gold-medal winning DMR squad from Virginia that featured former Classical standout Conor Murphy running the 800-meter leg. For the second straight year, Tarik Robinson O’Hagen won the shot. The decorated thrower from Woonsocket, now a junior at Mississippi, earned his title with a toss of 67 feet, 2.75, a mark he achieved on his very first throw. Robinson-O’Hagen was also fifth in the weight throw at 79-0.5. His win in the shot is his third consecutive crown when you factor in his victory from the outdoor nationals last spring.
Just like the year before, Darius Kipyego made it to the finals of the 800m. The onetime St. Raphael star, a senior at Iowa State, was seventh overall in 1:48.79. He was fourth in the prelims at 1:47.21. It was Kipyego’s second straight year earning first-team All American. He was sixth in last year’s finals.
In the women’s 800m, Harvard sophomore and Moses Brown alum Sophia Gorriaran was seventh overall at 2:02.57. She was fifth in her preliminary heat with a time of 2:01.43. Besides the 800m, Gorriaran also earned All American honors a member of the Crimson’s sixth-place 4x400m squad that clocked 3:30.49.
At the NCAA Div. 3 Nationals, held at the Nazareth-Golisano Training Facility in New York, former Chariho standout Erin vonHousen, a freshman at RPI, ran the 1,200m leg on the school’s fifth-place DMR squad that was timed in 11:47.80. During the season, vonHousen registered PRs of 4:54.12 for the mile, 2:13.80 for the 800m and 9:46.38 for the 3,000m.
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The outdoor season has arrived with the first statewide meet beginning on April 5 with the 57th annual Knights of Columbus Relays at Conley Stadium. This is an event that has typically kicked off the spring campaign and always seems to attract some quality competition. It’s sanctioned for teams from RI and bordering states, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
As usual, the K of C Relays are not just relay events. In addition to the signature 4xMile relays, the meet also includes the hammer throw and the freshmen mile. Another standard is a Special Olympics’ relay. Unlike years past, this year’s race will be a 4×200-meter event rather than a 4x400m.
Meet director Tom Kenwood encourages RI schools to compete in this worthwhile event, which donates a good portion of its proceeds to help fund many RITCA concerns, the Injury Fund, the Bob Gourley Fund and equipment for meets held at Conley Stadium. The Knights of Columbus contributes a substantial donation to help fund the state’s longest running meet. Marathon Sports is also a contributing sponsor. The deadline to register is April 2 at 6 p.m. Click HERE to signup for this great event.
Marathon Sports is also a contributing sponsor for the Classical Classic at Conley. This year’s meet will be held on May 10.
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While on the subject of Marathon Sports, the popular running specialty store is the primary sponsor of few other competitions throughout the season, including the 3rd annual Mid Distance Classic on Friday, April 25 and the 3rd annual BSR Elite Scholastic Mile on Friday night, May 2.
The BSR Mid Distance Classic will be held at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, MA, beginning at 3:30 p.m. You want a quick meet that attracts some great competition? You got it here. The meet includes just five events, the 400m, 800m, mile, shot and, new this year, the 200m dash. The meet is sanctioned for MA, RI, NH and CT. Registration is done on athletic.net.
The BSR Elite Scholastic Mile, which will take place at Souhegan High in N.H., has quickly grown into one of the top specialty races in the region. Last year the invite-only event had 12 runners go under 4:12 for the boys’ race and 10 under five minutes for the girls. In 2024, St. Raphael grad Rory Sullivan was second with an all-time best of 4:55.14. La Salle’s Marshall Vernon was eighth with an outdoor PR of 4:10.64. Vernon has committed to this year’s event as well as Cumberland’s Kylie Defusco, who recently raced to an all-time best of 4:55.91 for the mile at the New Balance Nationals.
