It’s Preview Time!
With the outdoor track & field season licking off, it’s time to spotlight the top athletes who could dominate this spring. We’ve based our projections on performances from the 2025 outdoor season, results from this past winter campaign, and some inside knowldege.
Here we feature the throwing events, which include the shot, hammer, javelin and discus.
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SHOT
Unless a new star emerges this spring, the real question in this event by championship time is who will be battling for second.
Just like she did during the winter months, state and New England champion Tayla Schneider should dominate her specialty during the outdoor season. The North Kingstown junior was consistently over 40 feet indoors, surpassing that mark nine times, including each of her final eight meets. She achieved her all-time best of 43-6.75 at the New England Championships.
There are a few things to watch with Schneider this spring. Can she repeat her state and New England sweep? There’s also the state record of 43-7, set by former Classical standout Victoria Flowers in 2008. And then there’s the possibility of earning All-American honors with a top-six finish at New Balance Nationals. Last year, a throw of 45-10.75 was needed to secure the final spot on the podium. There’s little doubt that a mark in the 45-foot range will be required again this year. Schneider has certainly proven she’s capable of reaching that level, especially outdoors, where most athletes show improvement over their indoor performances.
Who are some of the others that should be among our top shot-putters? Falling between the 34-35-foot range this winter were Smithfield’s Tyalor McGinness (35-2), Classical’s Nelmarix Santos Mojica (34-5.5), Woonsocket’s Avaree Caron (34-4.75), the Prout School’s Julia Smith (34-1.75) and North Providence’s Jaida Dellamorte-Pitts (34-0).
HAMMER
The competition should be much tighter in this event, with Classical’s Nelmarix Santos Mojica (171-2) and Toll Gate’s Vanessa Jones (169-11) leading the list of returning athletes.
Jones was the more consistent of the two, finishing third at both the State Meet and New Englands while regularly throwing in the 165–169-foot range throughout the spring. She recorded her personal best to win the Central Division title. Jones should carry plenty of confidence into the outdoor season after an outstanding indoor campaign, where she captured individual titles in the weight throw at both Nike Indoor Nationals and adidas Indoor Nationals.
Santos Mojica achieved her personal best at New Englands, where she placed second to Classical’s Mia Hoskins. The mark represented an improvement of nearly seven feet and highlighted the Classical standout’s resilience after finishing 15th at the State Meet.
Several other top returners sit in the 160-foot range, including the Prout School’s Julia Smith (162-0), North Kingstown’s Tayla Schneider (160-7), and Ponaganset’s Cece Bizon (160-0).
We should get an early preview of how this season may unfold at Saturday’s Knights of Columbus Relays.
JAVELIN
The state’s No. 1 thrower from last year, Burrillville’s Mackenzie Cleary, has graduated, but several familiar faces return. Six of the top eight finishers from last year’s State Meet are back, setting up what should be a competitive season.
Pilgrim’s Lia Wasilewski enters as the early favorite. As a sophomore last year, she placed second at the State Meet to Cleary with a personal best of 124-0, an improvement of nearly eight feet. She also captured the Class B title with a previous best of 116-5.
La Salle sophomore Dylan Wolf, who finished third at states, recorded a season-best throw of 119-7 at the St. Germain Invitational. She also reached 119-4 to win the Central Division title as a freshman. With natural progression, she should be poised to surpass the 120-foot mark this season.
North Kingstown’s Olivia Hesford, Ponaganset’s Alyssa Lupo, and Barrington teammates Maddie Varone and Catie Wilbur, who all made the podium last year and are among several that went more than 90 feet last year.
DISCUS
Defending champion Vanessa Jones has a chance to become a multiple winner at the State Meet with potential titles in both the hammer and discus. In this event, she unleashed a personal best of 133-4 at last year’s championship, an improvement of 10 feet.
Her biggest challenger appears to be Classical’s Nelmarix Santos Mojica, the only returning athlete to defeat her last season. She earned victories at the Mount Pleasant Invitational and the Classical Classic, where she recorded her current best of 124-11.
Other top returnees include The Prout School’s Julia Smith (118-9) and Barrington’s Kitty Wang (113-9).
