Yes, it’s early and, as we all know, a lot can occur over the next three-plus months. Still, what happened during the indoor season last year and the subsequent outdoor campaign, and even cross country this past fall for our distance runners, can provide us enough background to make some good ole’ fashion predictions. So what will happen this season by our talented athletes?
Here we feature the girls’ sprinting events.
55m
The state is full of talented sprinters. There’s no denying that. But when it comes to the girls’ competition, there are two questions that are often asked. The same two that were asked last year. First, can anyone beat the Raye sisters? Second, and without any disrespect to the other fine sprinters competing this winter, who will be battling for third at the State Meet? Recent Georgia commits, Lisa and Xenia Raye, there are none better this year or have been in any other year when it comes to the 55m. The chances are extremely high it will be another memorable season for the Raye sisters, who were the only speedsters that broke seven seconds in the 55m and 40 seconds in the 300m. Lisa Raye, the outdoor 100m and 200m national titlist, is the nation’s No. 2 returnee in the short sprint where she blazed to a state record of 6.82 at the New England Championships. Xenia, a senior, is coming off her best year as a high schooler, one that included a sub-7 effort in the 55m with her best of 6.95, a time that’s tied for No. 11 among returnees nationwide. Who are some of the other top sprinters in this event? Mount Hope junior Thea Jackson and East Providence’s Nazarae Phillip are two that come to mind. Both made the podium at last year’s states with Jackson taking third and Phillip placing fourth. Jackson finished with a best of 7.25. Phillip’s PR was 7.39. Look for Jackson to get close to that low seven-second mark. Keep an eye on freshman newcomer Francesca Justin of Saint Raphael Academy. In her first meet of the season on Saturday, the SRA frosh ran an impressive 7.57. It will be interesting to see how her season develops the next few months.
300m
Yep, you guessed it. Lisa and Xenia Raye are the top two in this event and will remain that way this season. In 2024, the gifted sister duo had bests of 38.74 and 39.63, respectively, from their 1-4 finish at the New England Championships, held on the banked oval of the Reggie Lewis Center. The next fastest among returnees was turned in by La Salle’s then ninth-grader Mia Flacone, who was sixth at the State Meet with a best of 42.52 at the PCTA fieldhouse. We talked to Xenia at her college commitment ceremony a little more than a week ago and she indicated a goal of running in the 38-second range, possibly faster. She’s certainly capable as well as Lisa, who has the state mark from the New England’s. Both siblings will be heading to the VA Showcase in Virginia Beach the weekend of Jan. 12-14 where the nation’s fastest time of 36.97 was set last year by Adaejah Hodge of Montverde Academy (FL). Lisa Raye upset the U20 world 200m record-holder at the New Balance Nationals last June in the 100m and 200m. It will be interesting to see what the West Warwick phenom does on the lightning-fast oval next month. Hodge’s effort at 2024 VA showcase was No. 3 on the all-time list. The current HS record is 36.95. In state, some of the other top runners are Falcone, Classical’s Morrica Bryant, Ponaganset’s Meghan Pierre, and Moses Brown’s Skylar Maxwell, to name a few. All four have run in the mid 42-43 second range.
600m
This has been an interesting event at the states over the last few years where there really hasn’t been a clear-cut favorite. We expect it could be the same this time around. In 2024, Mount St. Charles’ Emmy Belvin, a runner-up in the 1K and a bronze medalist in the 1,500m a year earlier, earned the title. She made the decision to concentrate on the 600m for her initial race and won with a nearly four-second best of 1:36.57. Belvin has since graduated, making the Quakers’ Maxwell our top returnee after her second-place finish last year. She has a PR of 1:37.92 from her podium placement at the New England’s the following weekend where she was sixth overall. Narragansett’s Karuna Lohmann, who was fourth at the states with a best of 1:39.35, is also returning.. The remaining 14 qualifiers from last year’s meet are also coming back. We’ll have a better idea who will be our leaders and possible 600m threats as the season develops.
55m hurdles
It’s back to Lisa Raye in this event. In events ranging from the 55m to the 300m, she currently holds all the state indoor and outdoor records, except two – the indoor 200m and the 55m hurdles. We can guarantee that both will be broken this season. For the 55m hurdles, the Wizards’ standout came just three hundredths of a second from the 2002 mark of 8:21, set by former Chariho great Mary Serdokowski. Emily Brown of Chariho, who was third at the states last year at 8.84, is the only other returning hurdler that broke nine seconds last year. Cranston West’s Reece Vitale and the Huskies’ Jackson, who were fifth and sixth, respectively, at the State Meet, are among others that should be in the mix.
