For the last 17 years, the Skee Carter Invitational (formerly the Bronco Invitational) has been a staple event during the cross-country season. While the late fall meet, usually held a week or two prior to the class championships, does get some quality competition, it’s not just that makes it so special.
Meet director and Burrillville High coach Samantha Stanton says it’s all about honoring the memory of a man that had been a positive influence on herself and so many young runners that competed on the town’s junior high and high school x-c programs – the late Wilfred “Skee” Carter, who passed away in 2013
“He was just a great mentor. He did middle school and high school. He was so caring to everyone at all levels, so encouraging,” Stanton said. “He had this great presence about him. It’s great to honor him. He worked for the school district. It’s our pleasure to host this every year. He would love to see this many people involved and out here running.”
More than 500 runners from 27 schools participated at Thursday’s meet, which was changed to the race’s namesake seven years ago. It was one of the biggest turnouts in the meet’s history.
“It’s all about getting as many kids out here as we can, getting them involved and getting them to love the sport of running, and really getting to hold on to those lifelong lessons,” Stanton said.
Mount Hope’s Jessica Deal and Moses Brown’s Eli Ziegler were the respective winners in the girls’ and boys’ varsity races. Deal earned gold with a time of 19 minutes, 6.77 seconds, while Ziegler posted a triumphant 16:13.76.
Deal finished a comfortable 40 seconds ahead of South Kingstown’s Sophia Caito, who was timed in 19:46.75 for second. Moses Brown teammates Jay Champlin (third, 19:58.31) and Rachel Williams (fourth, 20:25.88) took the next two positions. leading the Quakers to the team title.
The Huskies’ Deal, who was fourth at the State Meet in her initial year as a freshman in 2022, was satisfied with her effort. It follows a third-place finish at the Avenger XC Invitational last Thursday where she clocked 19:14.45.
“I like how the season is going right now. It was a little slow at the start,” she said. “The last two weeks I was back to where I was last year, which I am really happy with. I just want to keep building on that.”
Ziegler was engaged in tight battle with eventual runner-up Sean Gray of Portsmouth, who finished at 16:20.11. The host Broncos’ Arthur Ferris (third, 17:10.68) and Devin Richard (fourth, 17:20.63) were the next two to cross the line. Portsmouth won the team hardware.
Ziegler admitted his goal was to stick with Gray from the gun.
“That was my plan,” he said. “Stay with Sean the entire race and see if I had enough legs to kick at the end.”
Ziegler raced to a nearly 18 second best. After running alongside Gray through much of the race, the Quaker senior made his move as they exited the wooded section of the course for the last time, about 600 meters from the finish.
“Right when we got out of the woods I could see the finish line,” he said. “I was like, ‘I just have to kick it into gear, turn it on and do the best I can.’ I pulled away from him right when I pulled out of the woods.”
Ziegler is now focusing on next week’s class championships and the State Meet on Nov. 4.
“I’d like to do the best I can, maybe top five (at the Class C meet),” he said. “At the State Meet, just see how I feel, maybe first-team all state, maybe top 10. I don’t know. I’ll just see how I feel, stay consistent, listen to my coach and see what happens.”
In the mixed JV race, Aaron Smith of Portsmouth (first, 18:48.31) and South Kingstown’s Maeve Maldonis (47th, 23:19.75) were the boys’ and girls’ champions, respectively.
