Yes folks, with the State Meet on Saturday, it’s preview week here at Ocean State Running. We’ll do our best to let you know what to expect this weekend when the best of the best compete at Brown Stadium. Here we feature the boys’ throwing events, which includes the hammer, shot, discus, and javelin.
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HAMMER THROW
Count it, eight of the top 10 hammer throwers in the country, will be competing in this event on Saturday. It doesn’t get any better than this, right? Among that talented crew, one stands alone as the favorite in this event – Exeter-West Greenwich’s Owen Spira. The Scarlet Knights gifted senior has been our No. 1 thrower all season long, both on the state- and nation-level. Spira owns a best of 237 feet, 8 inches from his victory at the Sgt. Brian St. Germain Invitational on May 3. He’s thrown in the 230s two other times and maintained his unbeaten streak this spring with recent victories at the Class C Championships and the Bishop Hendricken Invitational. As always, Spira will need to continue to be on his game this weekend as this field is loaded with talent. North Kingstown’s Jack Harmon and East Greenwich’s Ryan Evans are two athletes that come to mind when thinking of possible candidates to dethrone Spira. Harmon was been right behind the EWG standout in nearly every competition the faced each other, save for his third-place finish at the Hawk Invite. He has a best of 227-5 from his runner-up finish to Spira at the Southern Division Championships back on May 18. Evans is coming off the best throw of his career, a PR of 225-3 from Hendricken this past Saturday, an effort that placed him second overall. Can he continue the momentum with an even bigger toss this weekend? Other top throwers in this event are Ponaganset’s Owen Allen (222-1), Hendricken’s Dimitri Johnson (220-5), Woonsocket’s Shamrock Thoun (208-2) and a host of other 200-footers.
JAVELIN
The favorite in this event is last year’s state runner-up Kai Sorlien of South Kingstown. The Rebels junior was a victor at the Southern Division Championships and less than two weeks ago unleashed his all-time best of 183-1 to take home the Class B title. Sorlien’s best effort is more than 11 feet further than No. 2 seed, Barrington’s Charly Potter VI, who won the recent Hendricken Invitational and has a PR of 171-7 from the St. Germain Invite. Potter VI was third at last year’s states. These are the two throwers we expect to be battling for individual honors with Sorlein getting the nod to make it to the top of the podium. La Salle’s Domenic Corona (161-10) and Hendricken’s Vincent McAteer (159-11) are the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in this event and could also secure top podium spots.
SHOT
Take your pick. Will it be Rogers’ Kaden Thomas or Pilgrim’s Brandon Wolfenden? These two shot-putters are the class of the field and the two we expect have a chance to win on Saturday. Right now, we’re giving Thomas an edge over his rival. He has been unbeaten this season and has beaten his rival twice this spring in their only head-to-head competitions, the St. Germain Invite and the recent Hendricken Invitational where he let loose his all-time best and a near 60-footer of 59-9.5. Wolfenden has a PR of 58-4, which he did to capture his specialty at the Classical Classic on May 10. Could we see 60 feet on Saturday? It could happen. Smithfield’s Ben Cicchitelli is another 50-plus thrower in this field. He was third to Thomas and Wolfenden at St. Germain with a best of 52-8.5.
DISCUS
We’re expecting this event to be close with at least three athletes that have a legit chance to strike it rich on Saturday. That trio includes Barrington’s Joe Adams (164-10), the Avengers’ Evans (159-2) and Thomas (158-7, the top three seeds. Adams beat Thomas at the Eastern Division Championships a few weeks ago where he had his all-time best. Evans and Thomas finished 1-2 at the St. Germain Invite, a meet that Adams was third. Anything can happen in this one.
