The sprint events could steal the spotlight this winter. With nearly every top finisher returning, championship experience across the board, and multiple athletes capable of producing state-leading times – and a record, or two – the 55 meter dash, 300m and 55m hurdles could shape up to produce some exciting races this season.
55m
There could be a sense of déjà vu in this event this winter, with all nine finalists from last year’s State Meet returning. So who will emerge on top when championship time arrives?
If we had to make a pick, we’d go with East Providence junior Jack Pawlik—but only slightly. In an event like this, an athlete really has to separate himself from the pack to be considered a clear favorite, and the field is simply too tight for that. Pawlik enters the season as no more than a narrow favorite.
For starters, he’ll be challenged by defending champion Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo of La Salle Academy. So why give Pawlik the slight edge over Giroux-Pezzullo or any of the other fine sprinters coming back?
Our prediction is based largely on what we saw once the competition shifted outdoors. As a tenth-grader last winter, the Townies speedster showed the poise of a veteran, compiling an undefeated season against his Rhode Island rivals. He capped it off with a sweep of the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the State Meet, finishing the year with bests of 10.71 and 21.73, respectively.
The state record in this event is 6.34, set by East Providence standout Eric Osei back in 2006. Is there a chance that two-decade-old mark could fall this winter? We’ll have a better idea over the next month or so.
While the record may be a bit ambitious, we do expect a deep, fast field, with several athletes dipping under 6.50 and a few pushing into the low 6.4 range—or possibly faster.
Giroux-Pezzullo ran his best of 6.58 at last year’s State Meet, while Pawlik clocked a then-PR of 6.60 at the New England Championships. The EP star has already surpassed his best this season, opening with a 6.55 at last week’s Headley Division meet—a time matched by Barrington senior Patrick Trainor, another serious contender.
Also in the mix are Hendricken’s Jeremy Seidi and La Salle’s Jalen Moseley, who enter the season with the fastest returning times. Seidi blazed to a state-leading 6.49 at the Yale Track Classic, while Moseley ran 6.56 to capture the divisional title.
Rounding out a stacked field are La Salle’s Jackson Alves (6.61) and St. Raphael’s Brendan Cardoso (6.65), both of whom figure prominently in what shapes up to be one of the most competitive sprint events of the winter.
300m
La Salle’s Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo gets the nod here.
The speedy senior was the state titlist in this event last winter and returns as the clear favorite in 2025. Giroux-Pezzullo blazed to a lifetime best of 34.87 on the banked oval at Coxe Cage, site of the Yale Track Classic, where he placed second overall. On the flat track at the PCTA, he owns a best of 35.39, set at the State Meet.
With proven sub-49-second speed in the 400 meters—highlighted by his 48.75 victory at the outdoor State Meet—the Boston University-bound senior has the tools to do something special in this event this winter. The state record of 34.12, set by La Salle’s Steven Doss in 2020, is certainly within reach.
Giroux-Pezzullo opened his indoor season at BU’s Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener on Dec. 6, finishing fourth in the 400m with an indoor PR of 49.41. Based on that performance alone, it’s clear that a low-34-second effort is well within his capabilities this season.
Pawlik competed in the event just twice last season, but look for him to run it more frequently this winter. Based on his sub-22 performance in the 200 meters, he is certainly capable of breaking 35 seconds. He can’t be ignored when discussing contenders at championship time.
Other top runners in this event are Cranston West senior Ryan Stoloff, La Salle junior Jackson Alves and Moseley, who all went under 37 seconds last winter for the 1.5-lapper.
55m Hurdles
Moseley will have the target on his singlet this season. The multi-talented junior finished runner-up to now-graduated Bobby Wind of Barrington at last year’s State Meet with a best of 7.64. He later turned the tables outdoors, defeating Wind and the rest of the field to capture the 110-meter hurdles title.
Also returning this season are Hendricken junior Elijah Guertin (7.88), Rogers senior Jakan Medina (7.91), and La Salle senior Antonio Bearden (7.98). At the moment, Moseley appears to be the clear-cut favorite, though time will tell if that changes as the season progresses.
