The meet’s different. The venue’s different.
But the results are the same for La Salle Academy’s talented relay squads.
Less than a week after breaking a nine-year-old mark in the 4×400-meter relay at the New England Championships, the Rams added two more state records during Day 2 of the New Balance Nationals on Friday.
Coming a mere nine hundredths of a second from making the podium against the nation’s best at historic Franklin Field, the Rams were seventh overall in the 4x200m relay with a record-setting 1 minute, 26.38 seconds. The quartet of Joshua Aceto, Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo, Thaden Leomensah and Amari Monteiro combined their efforts to break the old state mark of 1:27.53, held by Central from 2016.
Two hours prior to that performance, the foursome of Aceto, Pezzullo, Leomensah and Eamon O’Brien placed ninth in the Sprint Medley Relay with an outstanding 3:26.64 clocking, smashing the previous record of 3:28.59 by East Greenwich in 2010.
West Warwick’s Lisa Raye came just short of her second straight title in the 100m dash. The Wizards’ gifted junior, whose season has been somewhat hampered by a hamstring injury, took the silver medal with a time of 11.38. Raye was just strides behind top seed Sianni Wynn of Pennsauken (NJ), who broke the tape in 11.29.
A day after breaking the state 5K mark, Portsmouth Sean Gray had a strong effort in the two mile where he finished with a time of 9:10.64, an effort that placed him 26th among the 108 competitors.
Recent state champion North Kingstown improved on its state-leader and school record in the girls’ 4x800m relay. The Skippers were eighth in the unseeded section and 17th overall with a time of 9:17.08. Junior Abby Nicolopoulos anchored the squad with a 2:11.08 leg.
State runner-up Gifty Bediako of Classical was just short of 40 feet in the shot, finishing 28th overall with a toss of 39 feet, 7.25 inches.
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What’s on the slate for Day 3 on Saturday?
It will be hammer time for the Ocean State as the boys’ and girls’ events will be held on this day. Rhode Island has a good chance to earn gold in both competitions with Exeter/West Greenwich’s Owen Spira the No. 1 seed for boys (10 a.m.) and Coventry’s Mia Hoskins holding the top spot for girls (2 p.m.). Keep an eye on Hoskins, whose PR of 188-0 is less than three feet from the current state record of 190-8 by Barrington’s Annika Kelly in 2019. We’re expecting the podiums to be filled with a few familiar faces. At least four throwers are capable of a top-six finish in both events.
State champion Jalen Moseley of La Salle is in entered in the 110m hurdles where he brings his best of 14.18 to the line. Will the competition and the atmosphere of the meet spur the Rams’ talented junior to a sub 14-second clocking? The state mark is 13.98 by Hope’s Yudehweh “Pete” Gbaa, a time that was also achieved by Barrington’s Bobby Wind this season in a wind-aided performance in New York.
Could we have state record No. 4 by La Salle’s relay team. The Rams’ foursome of Aceto, Pezzullo, Alves and Monteiro will be competing in the first round of 4x100m (2:05 p.m.). The record is 41.86 by Central in 2016. The Rams are the only other team in state history to go under 42 seconds, achieving a best of 41.94 at last year’s states.
West Warwick’s Xenia Raye will take a stab at the state record in the 400m (5:47 p.m.) one more time. The Georgia-bound senior is in heat 11 of 14. The current state mark is 54.10 by former Moses Brown great Sophia Gorriaran from 2021. Raye’s PR is 54.73 from last year’s states. She has a season best of 54.93 from the State Meet a few weeks ago.
Cumberland’s Kiley Defusco is in the sixth of nine heats of the mile (7:25 p.m.). Defusco brings a best of 4:52.48 to the line from her fourth-place finish at the BSR Elite Scholastic Mile. She clocked a PR of 4:29.03 with her win in the 1,500m at the State Meet. That’s a time that computes to a sub 4:50 for the mile.
