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.
***
In his final season as a high-schooler, Sean Gray had several races we would consider memorable. During a well-calculated spring campaign, the Portsmouth standout produced numerous national-caliber performances – and a few state records – in events ranging from the mile to the 5,000-meter run.
The question here is which one do we single out as his best? Looking through his results this season, four races in particular caught our attention.
Back on May 8, Gray nearly pulled off a victory in the 3,200m at the always-competitive Glenn B. Loucks Games in New York, clocking a state-record 8 minutes, 50.76 seconds. Just about a month later, he ran away with his third state title in the 3,000m, winning the June 6 race by 15 seconds while lowering the Rhode Island record to 8:18.90.
The record-setting barrage continued at the Battle Roads Twilight Series at Regis College on June 13, where he finished second in the 5K against top collegians and open runners with an outstanding time of 14:20.93.
Lastly, there was New Balance Nationals, where Gray matched the state record of 8:53.94 in the two-mile, earning All-American honors with a fifth-place finish against the nation’s elite.
While the decision was difficult, our choice for the most memorable was his dominant victory at the state championships. Not only did he win his third consecutive title, but he also set a state record while running much of the race on his own.
