We didn’t forget—we were just waiting for another week of competition to get a clearer picture.
For our final preview of the outdoor season, we feature the girls’ middle- and long-distance events, including the 800-meter run, mile and two-mile.
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800m
The 800m at last year’s State Meet turned into one of the best races the state has ever seen. The top three runners in the field broke 2:13, with individual winner Kiley DeFusco establishing a meet record of 2:09.30.
DeFusco has since graduated, but several familiar faces return. Of the top 15 finishers, only two are now competing at the collegiate level.
Without a doubt, the early-season favorite to take gold at the state meet is Moses Brown’s Skyler Maxwell. The Quakers’ gifted senior was second at last year’s meet with a nearly five-second personal best of 2:11.70. We believe Maxwell can chop several more seconds off that time based on her indoor performances. The Boston University-bound runner is coming off her best season as a high schooler, highlighted by her second straight 600m state title and a New England championship, where she clocked an eye-popping 1:31.79 – the third-fastest time in state history.
North Kingstown’s Abby O’Neil, who was second to Maxwell in the 600m at states, is another runner who can’t be ignored. Like Maxwell, O’Neil had a breakthrough race in the 800m at last year’s championship meet, earning bronze with a two-second personal best of 2:12.89. Her 600m times this past winter were five to six seconds faster than the previous year, and she appears poised to make another big jump in the two-lapper this season.
La Salle returns three sub-2:20 runners from last year in Layne Stevens (2:16.68), Carolina Terlato (2:17.06), and Alyssa Parenteau (2:19.42), giving the Rams strong depth in the event.
Others expected to make an impact include Ponaganset’s Ellie Jackson, North Kingstown’s Maura Whitney, and Cumberland’s Charli McCue. All were in the low 2:20 range last spring.
1,500m
Who says our athletes don’t shine brightest when the State Meet rolls around? Last year’s championship produced seven of the top eight times by season’s end. Just two have graduated – individual winner Kiley DeFusco and Portsmouth’s Allie Kaull.
Yes indeed, we’re expecting another competitive season in this event. While she is ranked No. 3 among the returnees, our pick as the early favorite is recent indoor titlist Alyssa Parenteau. The La Salle junior was laser-focused this past indoor season, saving her best for last. She closed it out with a state-leading personal best of 4:42.64. We’re expecting Parenteau to challenge the 4:40 barrier this spring.
Also returning are the second- and third-place finishers from last year’s state meet -Mount Hope’s Jessica Deal and North Kingstown’s Lucy Stowe. Both delivered breakthrough performances at the championship, with Deal dropping a 12-second PR of 4:38.88 and Stowe clocking a 4:38.47, also a significant best. After somewhat quieter indoor seasons that didn’t quite match their usual standards, it will be interesting to see how they respond this spring. At their best, both are certainly capable of being factors come championship time.
Other top runners to watch include St. Raphael’s Mackenzie Lickert, Chariho’s Meridan Alge, La Salle’s Carolina Terlato, North Kingstown’s Abby O’Neil, North Smithfield’s Julia Dowling, and Cumberland’s Charli McCue – all capable of running in the low 4:50 range or faster.
3,000m
The outlook for this event – and several others – could change a lot after this weekend’s Classical Classic, the first state qualifier of the season.
Right now, we have to give the favorite nod to Mackenzie Lickert. The Saints’ junior was our state’s top 3K runner during the indoor season but, unfortunately, caught the flu the week leading up to the big race and wasn’t able to compete at full strength, eventually finishing fourth overall. Lickert is the top returnee from 2025 after finishing third at the state meet with a best at the time of 10:22.75. She cruised to an all-time best this past winter at the Yale Track Classic, where she placed sixth in 10:13.43. If everything goes according to plan, Lickert believes she is capable of going under 10 minutes. She’s already indicated that training has been going well this spring, highlighted by her recent victory in the mile at the BSR Eagles Invite, where she ran a personal best of 5:09.26.
Keep an eye on Cumberland’s CC Ludwig. Like she did last year, the Clipper sophomore and state cross-country champion played basketball during the winter months. At last year’s state meet, she was seventh overall with a PR of 10:27.84. After she gets a few races under her belt, we’ll have a better picture of what she can do this season. Our guess is at least 10:15 with another year of experience, possibly faster given her competitive edge.
North Kingstown’s Abbie Tighe can’t be ignored based on what she’s done throughout her career. There’s also Cumberland’s Anna Bianchi, the surprise winner in the 3K during the indoor season. She ran a best of 10:36.63 in that race but has likely gained significant confidence after her victory at states.
