With our athletes now leaving the dirt trails of cross country behind, it’s time to shift our focus to a different kind of competition—one where running, throwing, and jumping take center stage. The indoor track & field season has arrived.
As always, we have several talented returnees set to make an impact, a group of notable newcomers ready to challenge the field, and—without question—a few surprises waiting in the wings. Expect plenty of new faces atop the podium this winter, with only six state champions from the 2024–25 season returning.
Over the next few weeks, Ocean State Running will preview the upcoming winter campaign. We’ll take our best shot at predicting the top performers in each event.
We’ll kick things off with a look at the boys’ throwing events, which includes the 25-pound weight and the shot.
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WEIGHT THROW
Woonsocket’s Shamrock Thoun was dominant in this event last year, not only winning a state title but also sweeping all three national meets—Nike, New Balance, and adidas. He gets the favorite label here and could threaten the state record of 85 feet, 2 inches, held by former Villa Novan great Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan.
Thoun demonstrated uncanny consistency inside the circle last winter, delivering multiple 78-plus throws, including a pair over 80 feet. He tossed an even 80 feet at adidas Nationals and hit a PR of 82-6.25 at Nike Indoor Nationals.
East Greenwich’s Ryan Evans appears to be the top challenger for Thoun. The Avenger senior was fourth at the State Meet last year and had a PR of 74-11 from his third-place finish at the RITCA Invitational. Evans should have plenty of confidence heading into the indoor campaign, considering how he performed during the outdoor season where he thrice exceeded 220 feet and was third overall at the states. Other top returnees from last year are Barrington senior Joe Adams and Hendricken junior Dimitri Johnson of Hendricken, who went fifth and sixth, respectively at the State Meet. Like Evans, Adams and Johnson are coming off strong outdoor seasons where they were fifth and fourth at the championship meet.
SHOT
With the graduation of the top three finishers from both the indoor and outdoor state meets—Rogers’ Kayden Thomas, Pilgrim’s Brandon Wolfenden, and Toll Gate’s Ben Cicchitelli—this event appears to be wide open. Two throwers who exceeded 50 feet return this season, but the competition is tight with several athletes sitting in the high-40-foot range.
Hendricken benefits the most, bringing back both 50-plus throwers: senior Benjamin Taglianetti (52-11.75) and junior Alexzander Prado (50-5.25). The Eagles also return Adams, who placed fourth at last year’s indoor states and owns an all-time best of 49-8.25 from his fifth-place finish at the outdoor championships.
(Above photo by Sterling Vernon @rhodeandtrack)
