(Above photo by Sterling Vernon at @rhodeandtrack)
Throughout the next few weeks, Ocean State Running will be putting the spotlight on some of the top performances of the outdoor track and field season. While we’ve had our share of showstoppers over the past few months, these are the performances we feel stood out the most.
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Obviously, any state championship is a memorable achievement. But when a school finally breaks through after several near misses and more than 50 years of waiting, it’s different. It means a little more.
On June 6, the North Kingstown girls put an end to a 54-year drought at the RI State Track & Field Championships by capturing the school’s first-ever team title with a 108-80 victory over La Salle Academy. The Skippers earned the championship the way most successful teams do—through a combination of depth and talent.
In more than half of the meet’s 19 events, North Kingstown had one or more athletes earn podium finishes. In five events, the Skippers claimed individual or relay titles. They opened the meet by winning the 4×800-meter relay in 9:18.32. Additional gold medals came from Abby O’Neil in the 800m (2:14.11), Reagan Farrell in the 300m hurdles (45.84), and Tayla Schneider in both the hammer (180-6) and the shot put (39-6).
Interesting fact: North Kingstown became the 17th school to win a girls team title at the State Meet and just the second school since 2009 to capture its first championship. West Warwick earned the first of its back-to-back titles in 2023.
