Nearly 50 schools spread out at three different locations this weekend. Hundreds of track & field athletes from those schools, competing in 19 different events all with one common goal. To proudly represent their respective teams at this weekend’s RIIL Class Championships. For some it will be to achieve a PR and/or earn a qualifier or improve their seedings for the State Meet in two weeks. For others, an additional goal of helping their school win a team title is the main focus.
With all the being said, what are the events that we expect will generate the most excitement? Who are some of those athletes that were anticipating will be part of it?
Here’s what we consider the must-see events of the Class B Championships, to be held Saturday at Portsmouth, beginning at 10 a.m.
Class B Championships – Girls
Day/Time: Saturday, 10 a.m..
Site: Portsmouth
Teams: Barrington, North Providence, West Warwick,, Chariho, Tolman, Lincoln, Ponaganset, Johnston, Mount Hope, Central Falls, Portsmouth, Shea, East Greenwich, Smithfield, Juanita Sanchez, South Kingstown
Events to Watch: The 400m features state-leader Xenia Raye. The Georgia-bound senior raced to a season best of 56.21 at the Glenn B. Loucks Games a few weeks ago. She owns a best of 54.73 from her win at last year’s State Meet. After capturing the 400m at the Southern Division Championships last Saturday, Raye made it clear that she is aiming for the state record of 54.10 by former Moses Brown great Sophia Gorriaran in 2021. She have at least three of four meets to do that by the time she graduates. Just like the divisionals, she’s also entered in the 100m and the 200m at Saturday’s meet. is it possible she’s break it this weekend? She’s will be pushed with Barrington’s Kate Pearse on the line. One thing is clear, the meet record of 56.89 by Westerly alum Helena Hall Thompson in 2019…The sprints could look a little different on Saturday. In a freak accident while high jumping earlier in the week, Mount Hope’s Thea Jackson, the state’s No. 3 sprinter, suffered an ankle sprain and fibula fracture from coming off the mat and will be in a boot the next 4.5 weeks. The races could also be without multiple national champion and two-time defending state titlists Lisa Raye of West Warwick, who has been nursing a slight hamstring injury and it a question mark for Saturday’s meet. Without both on the line, fast times are still expected with Xenia Raye answering the gun. She has bests of 11.67 and 23.82…The pole vault should provide a preview of what to expect at the State Meet in two more weeks. It features the state’s 1-2 vaulters, Ellie Noonan of Barrington and Amber Shaw of Ponaganset, Noonan, the defending state champion, has a top leap and PR of 11-6. Shaw is fresh off her all-time best of 11-0 from the Northern Division Championships…It looks like it could be a battle of the Emilys in the 300m hurdles with Portsmouth’s Emily DeConto (46.04) and Chariho’s Emily Brown (46.70) the top two seeds. This could be a race where a clip of the hurdle could make a difference. We’re expecting this one to be determined in the final 50 meters, if not less. Brown is also entered in the 100m HH (15.39) and the long jump (17-5.25), where she is the top seed. In particular, the long jump could get interesting. That event includes Mount Hope’s Lola Silva. At last year’s meet, Silva soared to her all-time best of 18-8.25 to place third overall. Her best this season is 17-3. Will she regain the magic on Saturday?…Portsmouth’s Allie Kaull is entered in three events, the 1,500m, 800m and the 3K. Can she pull off the triple? It’s certainly possible. The 1,500m, where she owns a best and state No. 4 of 4:49.87, features two others with times under five minutes – Mount Hope’s Jessica Deal (4:53.44) and Ponaganset’s Ellie Jackson (4:56.12). In the 800m, she’s a three seed with her best of 2:22.29. South Kingstown’s Greta Dahl (2:20.87) and Jackson (2:20.96). Both races could be close. Kaull finishes her day in the 3,000m where her best of 10:20.25 is 40 seconds faster than the next closest seed…
Team Outlook: By the looks of it, Barrington is the favorite and should win its first team title since 2015. The Eagles have all the bases covered with the ability to score a number of points in the running, throwing and jumping events. Chariho, West Warwick and Ponaganset are among the other top teams.
***
Class B Championships – Boys
Day/Time: Saturday, 10 a.m.
Site: Portsmouth High
Teams: Barrington, North Providence, West Warwick,, Chariho, Tolman, Lincoln, Ponaganset, Johnston, Mount Hope, Central Falls, Portsmouth, Shea, East Greenwich, Smithfield, Juanita Sanchez, South Kingstown
Events to Watch: Could we have a state record in the 110m hurdles? A few weeks ago at Track Night NYC, Bobby Wind tied the state mark with a best of 13.98, a record that is still pending due to the wind. One thing that’s almost guaranteed, the meet record by former teammate Ethan Knight from 2023 is 14.86 should be erased with, at the very least, a time in the low 14-second range by Wind. He’ll have some strong competition to push him from the start. The Eagle senior is the top seed by a second over South Kingstown’s Kai Sorlien (14.99) with teammate Hazlen Grady at No. 3 (15.30). The trio will be back at it again in the 300m hurdles, a race we’re predicting will be closer. Wind hold the No. 1 seed there, too. He has a best of 39.70. Grady’s at 39.80 and Sorlein at 40.99…Don’t miss what’s going on at the hammer cage. Here we have our 3-4 finishers from the Classical Classic, who have best that are just an inch apart. Ponaganset’s Owen Allen holds the top spot with a PR of 222-1. At No. 2 is East Greenwich’s Ryan EVans at 222-0. Both their efforts were achieved at the Classical meet and rank fourth and fifth in the country, The event features two others that have gone more than 200 feet this season – Barrington’s Joe Adams (205-10) and South Kingstown’s Seamus Considine (203-0)…Looks like we could have a battle in the javelin with the Skippers’ Sorlien and Barrington’s Charly Potter VI. Sorlien overtook his Eagles’ rival for the No. 1 spot in the state with a 180-8 best from his win at the Southern Division Championships. Potter VI won the St. Germain Invitational at the beginning of the month with a PR of 171-7…The high jump should generate some excitement with West Warwick’s Zachary Morgan and Barrington’s Caleb Satisfield competing on Saturday. At last weekend’s Southern Division Championships, Morgan leaped 6-7, a best by more than three inches.
Team Outlook: Who’s battling for second? A week after its completely dominant performance at the Eastern Division Championships where it won the team title by more than 230 points, expect another runaway victory for Barrington on Saturday with its third straight crown. The Eagles’ depth will be prevalent, particularly in the distance events and the jumps where each could produce more than 50 points. Portsmouth, Smithfield and East Greenwich could be fighting for the next three spots. Satisfield, the indoor state titlist, matched his PR of 6-6 from that meet at the St. Germain Invite. The talented leapers rank two and three in the state behind leader Jakob Reyes’ 6-8 best from the Central Division Championships…We expecting some intense races in the 1,500m and 3K, two events where the 1-2 seeds are Barrington’s Myles Napolitano and Portsmouth’s Sean Gray. Napolitano ranks ahead of Gray in the 1,500m where both have seeds of 4:02.52 and 4:03.15, respectively. The Portsmouth standout holds the edge in the 3,000m with a seed time of 8:31.93 to his rival’s 8:53.70 best….
