Watching more than 600 high school athletes race across trails and open fields for more than six hours.
Sound like torture?
Not in the least. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
For us here at Ocean State Running, it’s one of the best days of the fall.
Yes, indeed, the RIIL Class Championships are here! Once again, Ponaganset High will serve as our gracious host this Saturday, when six teams will be crowned champions in their respective classes and 12 athletes will claim individual titles. Along the way, we’ll also get a glimpse of some of the sport’s rising stars at the Junior Varsity State Meet.
Throughout the week, we’ll get you pumped up for what’s in store at this weekend’s competition, which begins with Class C at 10 a.m., followed by Class A and then Class B.
Who are the top contenders heading into Saturday’s meet, both in the team and individual races? Who has the best shot at claiming gold at one of the biggest meets of the season? We’ll give you our take on what we expect to unfold once the starter’s gun fires.
Two things we can promise – it’ll be fun, and it’ll be competitive. The past two months have given us plenty of evidence of that.
Below is the race schedule, along with the teams competing in each class.
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SCHEDULE
10 a.m. – Boys’ Class C (St. Raphael Academy, Narragansett, Burrillville, Juanita Sanchez, Rogers, Moses Brown, North Smithfield, Scituate, Exeter/West Greenwich, Prout, Westerly, Blackstone Valley Prep, Tiverton, Providence Country Day)
10:30 a.m. – Girls’ Class C (Burrillville, Prout, Scituate, St. Mary’s Bay View, Narragansett, PCD/St. Raphael’s Coop, North Smithfield, Exeter/West Greenwich, Rogers, Juanita Sanchez, Block Island (Individuals), Moses Brown, Blackstone Valley Prep, Westerly)
11 a.m. – Boys’ Class A (North Kingstown, Coventry, Cranston West, Bishop Hendricken, Pawtucket Coop, East Providence, Cranston East, Classical, Mount Pleasant, Cumberland, Woonsocket, Pilgrim, La Salle Academy, Toll Gate)
11:30 a.m. – Girls’ Class A (Cranston West, Classical, Toll Gate, Mount Pleasant, La Salle Academy, Coventry, Pilgrim, Cumberland, Cranston East, Woonsocket, Pawtucket Coop, East Providence, North Kingstown)
12 p.m. – Boys’ Junior Varsity State Championship
12:45 p.m. – Girls’ Junior Varsity State Championship
1:30 p.m. – Boys’ Class B (East Greenwich, Ponaganset, Johnston, Barrington, Chariho Regional, West Warwick, South Kingstown, Central Falls, Portsmouth, North Providence, Davies Tech, Mount Hope, Smithfield, Lincoln)
2 p.m. – Girls’ Class B (Chariho Regional, West Warwick, Portsmouth, Ponaganset, Johnston, Mount Hope, Davies Tech, Barrington, East Greenwich, Lincoln, Smithfield, Central Falls, South Kingstown, North Providence)
