From one busy weekend to the next.
The divisional championships have come and gone, and now it’s on to the class championships, with all three meets – Class A, Class B and Class C – taking place on Saturday.
Before previewing what’s in store for those competitions, here’s a quick recap of the four divisional meets, which featured 13 state leaders. After all, it’s championship time. What did you expect?
Congratulations to all our team champions. Cumberland (Northern Division), Barrington (Eastern Division) and North Kingstown (Southern Division) all swept the team titles in their respective meets, while the La Salle girls and Hendricken boys came out on top in the Central Division.
Now, here’s a look at who took the top spots — or improved upon their existing No. 1 rankings — this past weekend.
In the Central Division meet at Cranston West, La Salle gifted junior Jalen Moseley moved into familiar territory in the 100-meter dash, where he clocked an all-time best of 10.69 seconds. Moseley, who is also perched atop the rankings in the long jump (24-3.5), 110m hurdles (14.29), 300m hurdles (37.82), 4x100m relay (42.22) and 4x400m relay (3:20.38), collected 28 individual points on the day. He also won the 200m with a PR of 22.11 and was second in the high jump at 6 feet, 2 inches.
Hendricken’s Alexander Prado strengthened his hold on the state lead in the shot put with a heave of 53-7.5. He also earned gold in the discus with a throw of 146-7.
In the girls’ 1,500m, indoor champion Alyssa Parenteau of La Salle ran a state-best 4:46.6. Moses Brown in the 4x100m (48.57) and Cranston West’s Reece Vitale in the triple jump (38-3.5) also produced state-leading performances with victories in their events.
At the Northern Division meet at Ponaganset, the host school now has a firm hold on the No. 1 spot in the pole vault. The Chieftains’ Adam McEntee soared to a height of 12-9 to move into the top position, joining current girls’ leader Amber Shaw, who broke the state record at the Classical Classic with a clearance of 12-1.25. Shaw won Saturday’s competition as well, clearing 11 feet even.
St Raphael’s Francesca Justin is tied at No. 1 in the 100m dash after blazing to a best of 12.24.
East Providence’s Justin Jardine took over the No. 1 spot in the 400m with a fast 48.25 at the Eastern Division Championships. It was Jardine’s first time under the 49-second mark. His best last year was 49.24 from his third-place finish at the states.
Barrington’s Joe Adams kept a firm hold of his top position in the discus with a PR of 164-2, 14 inches farther than his previous best of 163-0 from the Sgt. Brian St. Germain Invitational.
The Eagles’ Helena Hyde leaped a triumphant 5-4 in the high jump to share the state lead.
The Southern Division Championships had a state best performances from Exeter/West Greenwich’s Nini Olawuyi in the long jump (18-6) and the 100m hurdles (14.77). The Scarlet Knights senior also captured the triple jump (37-3).
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Other highlights of the Division Championships…
CENTRAL DIVISION
- Less than 24 hours after competing in the mile at the BSR Elite Meet, Hendricken teammates Colby Flynn (9:03.67)and David Hayes (9:03.84) led a 1-2-3-4-5 finish by Hendricken in the 3,000m
- Recent state leader Dimitri Johnson continued the momentum in the hammer with a winning toss of 225-5
- Hope’s Zariyah Brown, ranked No. 3 in all three sprinting events – 100m, 200m and 400m – was a double victor in her specialties. She captured the 100m in a near-PR of 12.34 and the 400m with a PR of 56.94.
- Last year’s state 800m runner-up Skyler Maxwell ran her first two-lapper of the season, easily earned a qualifier with a time of 2:18.37.
NORTHERN DIVISION
- Cumberland’s Matt Fontaine was a big scorer for the Clippers in their dominating win. He took care of business in the 200m (22.77), 110m hurdles (14.50) and the 300m hurdles (40.32).
- Smithfield’s Kaeden Manni, one of our state’s top shot-putters and discus throwers, earned gold in both events with distances of 51-3 and 155-1, respectively.
- Woonsocket’s Shamrock Thoun, one of five hammer throwers that have exceeded 200 feet this spring, continued his consistency with a first-place effort of 218-6.
EASTERN DIVISION
- A day after moving to No. 3 in the rankings for the mile with his PR performance at the BSR Elite Meet, Barrington’s Brooks Mello was strides away from his best in the 1,500, winning that event by four seconds over Portsmouth’s Patrick Orbon with a time of 4:01.60. He ranks fifth in the state in the event with his current best of 4:01.48 from the St. Germain Invitational.
- The 4x400m always seems to provide the perfect closer to the State Meet. It could be extra special this season. East Providence certainly proved it could push defending champion La Salle in a few more weeks, taking the event with an impressive 3:23.30, a three-plus seconds ahead of Barrington at 3:26.88. The Townies also finished ahead of the Eagles in the 4x100m with a state No. 3 of 42.92 to their rival’s 43.42.
- Defending state titlist Caleb Satisfield of Barrington, who achieved the seven-foot mark last season in the high jump, moved to No. 2 in the rankings with a leap of 6-6. It was only his second meet of the season. Satisfield also took the long jump with a season best of 21-10.
- Mount Hope’s Thea Jackson was a triple victor, claiming titles in the 100m (12.33), 200m (25.57) and the triple jump (35-6.5). She was also second in the long jump (17-6.5).
SOUTHERN DIVISION
- South Kingstown’s Kai Sorlien, last year’s champion in the javelin, maintained his mastery in the event with his second 180-footer of the spring campaign. Sorlien won Saturday’s meet with a heave of 183-4, just under three feet short of his state-leader and PR of 186-8 from the Classical Classic. He was also a winner in the 110m hurdles (14.79) and 300m hurdles (40.82) and second in the shot (42-3).
- West Warwick’s Zachary Morgan, the state-leader in the high jump, took his specialty with a height of 6-6. He was also first in the long jump at 21-3.75.
- Chariho’s Reagan Farrell continued her dominance in the 400m hurdles with a solid 47.01 clocking. She leads the state with a PR of 45.91 from the Classical Classic.
- East Greenwich’s Ryan Evans achieved gold twice by claiming the discus (164-2) and the hammer (225-0).
Check out some great photos from this meet by Kyler Lott. Just click HERE.
