The biggest and most competitive invitational meet of the season is on the docket this weekend when the Rhode Island Track Coaches Association (RITCA) host its annual East Coast Invitational, which is sponsored by HOKA and Marathon Sports. More than 1,400 athletes will invade the PCTA Fieldhouse for Saturday’s meet with an abundance of talent vying for podium placements in the 17 different events expected to be contested.
Here we features a preview of some of the top girls’ events.
(Ocean State Running will provide complete coverage of the meet from start to finish, including a free LIVE stream with commentary. Our State Running Team will also be out in the lobby, selling T-shirts and other great merchandise.)
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55m DASH
It’s the shortest race of the meet and it could also prove to be the most exciting. The No. 1 seed is sophomore phenom Lisa Raye of West Warwick, who earlier this week tied her state mark with a time of 7.06 seconds. Another ninth-grader Jahnlya Barclay of Bloomington is at No. 2 with a seed of 7.19. Raye always comes to race in meets like these. While it’s still somewhat early in the season, we believe she has a chance to challenge sub-7 this weekend. Other top sprinters in this race are Bloomington’s Sianna Lloyd (7.21), West Warwick’s Xenia Raye I7.22), CT’s Serena Mazzi of East Lyme (7.30), to name a few. Cranston West’s Ailani Sutherland (7.39) ad La Salle’s Alexis Caggiano (7.45) are also in this field.
The 200m could prove just as exciting the Raye sisters leading the way. Both went under 25 seconds last week by taking the top two spots at the Marathon Sports Winter Classic. LIsa was timed in a winning 24.35, while Xenia crossed the line at 24..94.
WEIGHT THROW
This could undoubtedly be a preview of next month’s State Meet. All the players will be there. Classical’s Suzanne Adekunle (49 feet, 11.0 inches) and Woonsocket’s Adelaide Caron (49-1.5) are the 1-2 seeds. Right behind are Coventry’s Mia Hskins (48-2) Classical’s Gifty Bedalko (48-0), Ponaganset’s Giana DeCesare (47-8.5) and Woonsocket’s Isabella PIette (47-0.25). Looks like we could have our first 50-footer of the season with this crew inside the cage. Perhaps even more. Rhode Island should dominate this event as the top 11 in the field call the Ocean State their home.
HIGH JUMP
This event should be competitive. Middletown’s Katelin Cruikshank holds the No. 1 seed with her PR of 5-5 from the RITCA Invitational at the beginning of the season. Cruiskshank is coming off a victory from the URI Track Classic last Saturday and should be ready to contend and challenge her best this weekend. She’ll have some strong competition behind her with Jillian Edward of Woodstock (CT) and Ella Goulas of Concord (NH) in the field. Both come in with seeds of 5-4.
400m
Here’s a race that is of the must-see variety. West Warwick’s Xenia Raye enters the meet as the No. 1 seed with a 57.5 seed from a BU Mini Meet last month. She’s among six that have broken a minute, including MA’s Morgan Hayward of Apponquet (57.54), South Kingstown’s Sierra Thompson (57.89), CT’s Kiylah Williams (58.32) and RI entries Zaida Depina of Classical (58.50) and the Rams’ Caggiano (59.48), the recent 400m winner of the Marathon Sports Winter Classic.
4x200m
Talk about starting the meet off with a bang. One of the first HS races of the day features a lot of speedy quartets vying for that No. 1 spot. Right now, it looks as though Merrimack (NH) and Bloomfield (CT) are the squads to keep an eye on with lightning-fast seeds of 1:41.79 and 1:43.98. But watch out for some of our top RI squads such as Classical (1:46.0). Cranston West (1:48.0) and Mount Hope (1:49.67).
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EVENT SCHEDULE
(Girls followed by Boys unless noted) (Fastest Heats will run First)
- Youth Mile 9:00 a.m.
- Shuttle Hurdle Relay
- 4 x 200m 10:00 a.m.
- 55H
- 55m
- High School Mile
- 55H Finals (Boys followed by Girls)
- 55 m Finals
- 400m (Athlete may enter either 200 or 400, not both)
- 200m
- 800m
- 2 Mile
- 4 x 400
- 4 x 800
Saturday Field Events - Championship Weight Throw Top 24 10 a.m. (Girls followed by Boys)
- Emerging Weight Throw Unlimited (Boys followed by Girls)
- Championship Shot Put Top 24 10 a.m. (Boys Followed by Girls)
- Emerging Shot Put Unlimited (Girls Followed by Boys)
- Long Jump Top 48 10 a.m. (Boys Followed by Girls)
- Pole Vault Top 18 10 a.m. (Girls Followed by Boys)
- High Jump Top 30 10 a.m. (Girls followed by Boys)
