The entries are all in for Saturday’s East Coast Invitational at the PCTA field house. Sponsored by Marathon Sports and HOKA, this weekend’s competition has potential to be a record-setting one with a number of meet records in jeopardy.
Below we preview the boys’ varsity events. The action kicks off a 9 a.m.
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WEIGHT THROW (Meet record, 79-5 – Barrington’s Bobby Colantonio, 2016)
Could we have a meet record? Could we have the first 80-footer of the season in the country? Both might happen this weekend with top seed and nation-leader Shamrock Thoun in the field. The Woonsocket junior won last week’s World Trophy Invitational in dramatic fashion, pulling ahead of eventual second-place finisher Jack Harmon of North Kingstown on his final throw with a PR of 79-11.75. That’s right, Thoun was just a quarter of an inch from the milestone. He’s been consistent all season long and certainly proved last Saturday that he can respond to pressure. Harmon, who threw a six-foot best of 78-4.5 at World Trophy, is not listed among the entries. But the quality of talent is still there with three others that have exceeded 70 feet this season – Exeter/West Greenwich’s Owen Spira (74-6.5), East Greenwich’s Ryan Evans (72-2) and Connecticut’s Marshall Porter of Simsbury (70-3.5).
SHOT (Meet record, 67-4.5 – Bishop Stang’s Jacob Cookinham, 2023)
The meet record should be safe in this event, but there’s potential for an intense battle for that No. 1 spot. The field includes two 60-footers with Connecticut entries Chris Amy of Norwich Free Academy (63-3.75) and East Lyme’s Thomas Matlock (60-4). There’s also the Nutmeg State’s Porter (59-3.25) and Pilgrim’s Brandon Wolfenden, who had a nearly two-foot best of 58-4.5 to take the crown at World Trophy. No doubt that effort gave him a little extra confidence for Saturday’s meet.
LONG JUMP (Meet record, 23-10 – Moses Brown’s Salter Arms, 2023)
Ten athletes in this field have seeds have 21 feet or further. At the top of the list are a trio of 22-footers with East Lyme’s Patrick Lynch (22-8), Barrington’s Patrick Trainor (22-5.25) and Connecticut’s Elijah Fraser of Windsor (22-2). This event has the potential to get very interesting.
POLE VAULT (Meet record, 14-0 – Mount Mansfield’s Raf Campanile. 2024)
Based on the seeds, the MR could be in jeopardy. New Hampshire’s Colby Nyhan is the No. 1 with a best of 14-6. Holding the sixth seed is defending champion Raf Campanile of Mount Mansfield (VT) with a season best of 12-6 from last month’s Beantown Winter Classic. Campanile has done 14 feet multiple times in his career. He won the 2024 event with record leap and soared to his all-time best of 14-11.25 at the Vermont HS Decathlon Championships last spring. Connecticut’s Justin Blezard of East Lyme (CT) comes in as the two seed at 13-6.
HIGH JUMP (Meet record, 6-6 – multiple athletes)
Connecticut has the top three seeds in this event with Windsor’s Jayden Compton (6-6), Waterford’s Brodie Scott (6-4) an d Norwich Free Academy’s Joal Barros (6-4). Four more in this field have done 6-2 this season, including RI entries Shea Parrish of Barrington and Devon Mukuna of Smithfield. Mukuna is coming off a big win at the World Trophy where he leaped six-inch best.
4x55m Shuttle Hurdle Relay (Meet record, 30.73 – Old Rochester, 2017)
A clip or two of the hurdle could make a difference in this one. The class of the field are our top three seeds – Bishop Hendricken, Old Rochester (MA) and Barrington with seeds ranging from 32.71 to 33.30. Ledyard (CT) is at No. 4 with a seed of 36.26.
4x200m (Meet record, 1:31.56 – Bloomfield, 2018)
The Nutmeg State traditionally has strong squads in this race and it will be no different on Saturday. Windsor owns the No. 1 seed with a best of 1:30.42. Hillhouse is at No. 2 with a time of 1:32.58. RI’s top entry is Barrington, holder of the third seed with a best of 1:34.50.
55m HH ( Meet record, 7.49 – Barrington’s Ethan Knight, 2024)
We could have a record-breaker in this event. The No. 1 seed and last year’s runner-up is Barrington’s Bobby Wind, a winner at this past weekend’s Yale Track Classic. In his prelims at that meet, Wind ran his current best of 7.48. The Eagle senior is chasing the current state record of 7.41 by Hope’s Yudehweh Gbaa’s in 2004. Could it happen this weekend? Maybe, maybe not. Wind will not have it easy. The next three seeds have gone under 7.6 with East Hartford’s Davia Johnson (7.57). Bloomfield’s Delante Senior (7.57) and Windsor’s Marvin Escalera (7.58).
55m (Meet record, 6.44 – Greater New Bedford’s Dejury Amado, 2018)
CT entry Sheldon Simpson ll of Windsor is scheduled for an unusual double this weekend where is competing in the short sprint and the 400m. Will he pull it off? It all starts here where he is the top seed with a best of 6.51. His biggest threat appears to be Bridgewater Raynham’s Marqui Galvin, who comes in with a best of 6.59.
Mile (Meet record – 4:20.66 – Saratoga Springs’ Jay Navi, 2014)
Barrington’s Myles Napolitano is the class of the field in this race. The Eagles’ talented senior has a seed of 4:24.50. That’s seven second faster than his closest rival. He’s coming off a 3K best of 8:51.45 from last weekend’s Yale Track Classic. Will he be ready for another PR effort this weekend in a race that he could be running solo in the closing laps.
400m (Meet record, 50.25 – Central’s Donatien Djero, 2017)
With two runners coming in with seeds under 50 seconds and another on the cusp of the milestone, the eight-year-old meet record could certainly go down in this one. Windsor’s Simpson (49.50) and Barrington’s Will DiGiacomo (49.70) are the sub-50 guys. Connecticut’s Hagen Drake of Stonington is at No. 3 with a seed of 50.50.
200m (Meet record, 22.92 – Keene’s Chris Stevens, 2024)
There appears to be no breathing room between our top six seeds in this event, who have all broken 23 seconds. New Hampshire’s Thomas Meek of Essex is the No. 1 seed with a best of 22.67. The next five guys all have seeds under the current MR – Ledyard’s Roan Fothergill (22.70). Windsor’s Jaden Langford (22.75), Westbury’s Apollo Simmons (22.80), East Hartford’s Emmanuel Frimpong (22.87) and East Lyme’s Jacob Scott (22.90).
800m (Meet record, 1:59.23 – St. Johnsbury’s Andrew Thornton-Sherman, 2023)
It’s anybody’s guess who will come out on top in this event as we have a dozen with seeds listed between 1:59-2:01. Take your pick. There’s really know clear-cut favorite. Holding the 1-2 seeds are East Hampton’s Evan LoPresti and Barrington sophomore Brooks Mello, who both have broken two minutes. As a frosh last year, Mello ran a best of 1:58.62, an effort that placed him eighth at the State Meet last June.
2 Mile (Meet record, 9:24.12 – Saratoga Springs’ Aidan Tooker, 2015)
We could see a tight lead pack of at least four runner still in contention late in the race. CT entry Tycen La Belle of Griswold, who boasts a best of 9:34.86 from last June’s New Balance Nationals, is the No. 1 seed. New York’s Anderson Krasner of New Rochelle (9:38), Norwich Free Academy’s Patrick Croughwell (9:42.0) and East Lyme’s Sam Leone (9:45) are the next three seeds and the only other runners that have gone under 10 minutes.\
4x400m Relay (Meet record, 3:29.71 – Hillhouse, 2018)
This is an event that always seems to generate some excitement in a meet like East Coast, and it should be no different this weekend. New Rochelle and Bloomfield (CT) have both broken 3:30. Stonington is close with a seed of 3:31.59. We could have a record here.
4x800m Relay (Meet record, 8:12.89 – Hendricken, 2017)
It’s New Rochelle again that has a chance to come out on top with a possible record-breaking performance. The New York-based squad has a seed of 8:05. Toll Gate, which has a seed of 8:15.23, is among a few others that could prosper this weekend.
