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’ sprinting and hurdling events, which includes the 100-meter dash, 200m, 400m, 100 high hurdles and 300m intermediate hurdles
***
100m
Can anyone beat Jack Pawlik? So far this season, that has not been the case and we expect that trend will continue on Saturday when the East Providence speedy sophomore answers the gun in an event he has been simply dominant this spring. Pawlik is one of just two runners to break 11 seconds this season. It’s something he’s done thrice this spring, achieving the feat his last few meets leading up to Saturday’s competition, including a best and top seed of 10.71 seconds from the Class A Championships on May 24, a race he won by .31 over La Salle’s Garrett Giroux-Pezzulla. We anything can happen, we believe Pawlik will make it happen this weekend, and perhaps improve on his time even more, something he’s done regularly this season. Behind Pawlik is where the real race might begin. The Prout School’s Matthew Chofay is the No. 2 seed with a wind-aided 10.98. He’s followed by La Salle teammates Amari Monteiro (11.08) and Joshua Aceto (11.12), Cumberland’s Ben Goodrich (11.16) and Central’s Joseph Forbes (11.17). Take your pick. Anyone appears capable of snagging that next few podium spots.
200m
Pawlik again gets the favorite nod, but only slightly here. The Townie gifted underclassman has a PR of 21.73 from the Class A Championships. a race he again defeated Giroux Pezzulla, who was timed in a season best of 21.99. These are the two runners we expect will be battling for the title in a race that could come down to a lean at the finish. Look for the La Salle to pick up some big points here in an event that could be a breaking point for the Rams in their quest for their first outdoor crown since 2022. Behind Giroux-Pezzulla, the indoor state champions occupy the next two seeds with Aceto (22.34) and sophomore Jalen Moseley (22.39).
400m
We’re expecting an exciting race in the one-lapper, an event that features four runners that have seeds under 50 seconds and a couple more in the brink of doing the same. The sub-50 guys include the Rams’ Giroux-Pezzulla, the top seed with a best of 49.55 from his victory at the recent Hendricken Invitational, East Providence’s Justine Jardine (49.59), La Salle’s Thaden Leomensah (49.62) and Hendricken’s Andrew McCarthy (49.89). Jardine and Leomensah clocked their seeds in their down-to-the-wire 1-2 finish at the Class A meet. Leomensah also matched his PR with a victory at the Sgt. Brian St. Germain Invitational earlier in the season. McCarthy’s effort secured him third at the Central Division Championships, a race that could mirror what we see on Saturday where the top three were separated by six hundredths of a second. The next two seeds in this race are Barrington’s Will DiGiacomo (50.41) and the Prout School’s Eli Wood (50.45).
110m HH
The weather doesn’t appear favorable for this weekend’s competition with rain expect in the forecast. But if that changes, we could possibly see a state and/or meet record in this event on Saturday. The top seed and the hurdler we feel has a chance to do it is Barrington’s Bobby Wind. The Eagles senior, who was second in this race last year, has been unbeaten this season, including a wind-aided 13.98 to capture his specialty at Track Night NYC on May 2. In his last two races, Wind has been in the low 14-second range, winning the Eastern Division title in 14.15 on May 18 and the Class B crown in 14.20 two weeks ago. The meet record is 14.03 and the state mark is 13.98, both set by former Hope star Yudehweh Gbaa in 2004. If the weather turns favorable, keep an eye on the clock in this one. The Rams’ Moseley has the best chance to post any kind of upset over Wind. He comes in as the two seed with his best of 14.62 from his win at the Central Division Championships on May 17. South Kingstown’s Kai Sorlien (14.99), Hendricken’s Tristan Jordan (15.00), Rogers’ Jakarai Medina (15.09) and Westerly’s Marcos Uben (15.14) are among others that could fare well this weekend.
300m IH
This is an event that could certainly come down to the final few meters. It features the Rams’ Moseley, the recent state record-holder, and St. Raphael’s Devan Tavares, the only hurdlers in the field that have gone under 40 seconds. Moseley is coming a victory at the Hendricken Invitational where he broke an 11-year-old state mark in this event with a time of 38.0. Tavares won the Class C meet a week earlier with his best of 38.46. Both runners always put forth their best efforts whenever they race and we’re not expecting anything different when the two go head-to-head this weekend. We could have a battle for the next few spots on the podium. The next six seeds all have best in the 40-second range with the Bulldogs’ Uben (40.07) and the Rebels’ Sorlien (40.16) leading the way.
