Class C Championships – Boys
Site/Time: Exeter/West Greenwich at 10 a.m.
Schools: Juanita Sanchez, Burrillville, Westerly, Rogers, North Smithfield, Middletown, Achievement First, Exeter/West Greenwich, Tiverton, Prout School, St. Raphael Academy, Moses Brown, Scituate, Narragansett, Paul Cuffee, Providence Country Day, St. Patrick’s Block Island (individuals)
Top Events To Watch: St. Raphael Academy will be looking to win their fifth team title in the last six years. The 1,500m could be one of the races that makes a difference in the outcome in an event that could come down to the final 200 meters. The top seeds are Saints teammates Arthur Ferris and Joseph McFarland, who have identical seeds listed at 4:07.0. Look for both to work together in a race that could be tactical. Moses Brown sophomore Ben Glew is the No. 3 seed with a big PR of 4:10.55 from his strong fourth-place finish at the Central Division Championships. With some added confidence from his recent performance, Glew may try and break up the potential party up front if it does turn tactical, making this race one that could come down to the final 200m...Take your pick who will win the title in the shot. The top three athletes all have a chance. Westerly’s Jack Speranza is the No. 1 seed at 48 feet, 7.5 inches. Not too far behind are North Smithfield teammates Nicholas Tremblay and Chris Lagasse at 47-8.5 and 47-0, respectively...The high jump could be determined by a jump off with no clear-cut favorite. It also could be a potential difference-maker for Rogers in its bid for a team title. The top six athletes in their field have seeds between 5-10 and six feet, three of which belong to the Vikings with freshman Jajuan Taylor (6-0), Aidan Barry (6-0) and Derek Lloyd (5-10). Tiverton’s Christian Swain (6-0) and Scituate’s Judah Machado (5-10) and Christopher D’Lorio (5-10) are also part of that group.
Team Outlook: On paper, St. Ray’s could win this meet by at least 20 points, possibly more. But don’t ignore Rogers and Moses Brown. Rogers holds the edge in the jumps and Moses Brown has it in the throws. The Saints will be relying on their strength at the track with significantly more depth than their rivals.
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Class C Championships – Girls
Site/Time: Exeter/West Greenwich at 10 a.m.
Schools: Juanita Sanchez, Burrillville, Westerly, Rogers, North Smithfield, Middletown, Achievement First, Exeter/West Greenwich, Tiverton, Prout School, St. Raphael Academy, Moses Brown, Scituate, Narragansett, Paul Cuffee, Providence Country Day, Bay View, St. Patrick’s Block Island (individuals)
Top Events To Watch: As always, Skyler Maxwell will play a major role in Moses Brown’s quest for its seventh straight team title. She is entered in four events – the 400m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay – and holds the top seed in all four heading into Saturday’s meet. The 200m could prove to be the Quaker senior’s toughest challenge. Maxwell enters with a top time of 25.23 seconds, just 0.02 ahead of Francesca Justin of St. Raphael Academy. Three other athletes in the field have also broken 26 seconds, including Maxwell’s teammates Kendra Saline (25.61) and Rose Coutu, along with Kate Hebert of Exeter/West Greenwich (25.71). Maxwell has also posted a season-best 55.89 in the 400m, where only two other competitors have dipped under a minute – Hebert (57.54) and Coutu (59.41). Meanwhile, the Quakers’ relay teams appear heavily favored based on seed times, entering the 4x100m at 48.57 and the 4x400m at 4:04.81…Another multi-talented athlete to watch is Nini Olawuyi of Exeter/West Greenwich. She owns the top seed in the triple jump (38-6), high jump (5-4), 100m hurdles (14.77), and long jump (18-9). Of those events, the long jump may present the biggest challenge, as Moses Brown’s Saline enters with a seed mark of 17-3…St. Ray’s MacKenzie Lickert is the top seed in the 1,500m (4:47.0) and the 3K (10:22.75) . The 1,500m should be a tight battle with solid contenders Julia Dowling of North Smithfield and Bay View’s Jackie Mattos in the field. The tandem has seeds of 4:47.11 and 4:47.44, respectively. Lickert has a seed of 10:22.75 for the 3K and an all-time best of 10:13. She is also entered in the 800m, and is the No. 2 seed there with a 2:21.16 best there.
Team Outlook: Of all six class meets (boy & girls) this one could have the most drama. There teams could be in contention in this one with six-time defending champion Moses Brown hold a slight edge over St. Ray’s and Exeter/West Greenwich.
