We’re expecting the competition to get intense when team’s battle from bragging rights at this respective divisional championship meets this weekend. It’s championship time. What else would you expect? Here’s a few intriguing matchups that could get interesting, very interesting.
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Southern Division Championships: Boys’ Hammer Throw – Exeter/West Greenwich’s Owen Spira versus North Kingstown’s Jack Harmon and East Greenwich’s Ryan Evans
One thing is certain in this matchup, the meet record of 214 feet, 7 inches by South Kingstown alum Travis Wringler in 1998 will be broken. Perhaps by all three of the athletes we have listed. The No. 1 seed and the favorite in this event is Spira, who has been the state-leader since Day 1. The Scarlet Knight senior has a nation best and PR of 237-8 from his win over Harmon at the St. Germain Invitational back on May 3. Harmon has his best from that meet of 225-7. Evans went 222-0 last week at the Classical Classic. While Spira has been consistent all season long and has gone 12 feet further than Harmon in this event, it should be a battle. The Skipper senior always appears to come up big in meets like these. He won the weight throw at the divisionals this past winter and was second at the Class A Championships and the State Meet.
Southern Division Championships: Girls’ Sprints: West Warwick’s Lisa Raye versus West Warwick’s Xenia Raye
This matchup is intriguing to us for a few reasons. First of all, it involves our state’s 1-2 sprinters in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, who will be competing in their first state qualifier of the spring campaign. Secondly, a state record is possible. Last, but not least, the winning times could also be the fastest of the day, boys or girls. Multiple national champion and all-stater Lisa Raye is the favorite in both events. For the 100m, she has a best this season of 11.30 seconds from her victory at the Arcadia Invitational on April 11. Her state mark is 11.26, which she did to earn gold at the New Balance Nationals last June. In the 200m, she clocked a season best of 23.30 at Arcadia and owns the RI record of 22.77 from her win at NBN in 2024. Both of the Wizard junior’s bests are quicker than the top-seeded times in the boys’ 100m and 200m. By the way, Xenia Raye also has some impressive times in these races with PRs of 11.67 and 23.82. She could certainly push her younger to the limit.
Central Division Championships: Boys’ Pole Vault – Hendricken’s Carson Dean versus La Salle’s Alexander Campbell
This is an event that could provide a preview of what to expect at the State Meet in a few more weeks. It’s pits our state’s top two vaulters with Dean and Campbell squaring off. Dean, who is the defending state titlist, is coming off a big win at the Classical Classic where he soared to a school record and state best of 15-0. Campbell has a best of 14-7 from a league meet. He was second to Dean at the Classical meet as well as last year’s states.
Central Division Championships: Boys’ 400m – La Salle’s Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo versus La Salle’s Thaden Leomensah and Hendricken’s Andrew McCarthy
If the weather cooperates, this could turn out to a battle royale down the final straightaway with the possibility of at least two, maybe more, under 50 seconds and the meet record of 50.58 by former East Providence standout Nick Morrison in 2022. The favorite is Giroux-Pezzullo with a best of 48.50. Not too far behind is teammate Leomensah, who grinded out a PR of 49.62 to take this event at the St. Germain Invite. McCarthy nearly went sub-50 with his victory at the Classical Classic where he broke the tape in 50.06.
Northern Division Championships: Girls’ 3,000m – Cumberland’s Kiley DeFusco versus St. Raphael’s Mackenzie Lickert
This event could get interesting. DeFusco, the defending state champion, is entered in the 4x800m and the 1,500m prior to the 3K. The Clippers are the No. 1 seed in the relay and DeFusco is the favorite in the 1,500m by more than 20 seconds with her best of 4:31.84, a time she ran en route to a 4:52.74 mile at the Glenn B. Loucks Games last weekend. DeFusco will be facing a fresh-legged Lickert, who’s having a strong season this year. The SRA sophomore ran 10:24.54 best for the 3K on her way to an 11:02.68 for 3,200m at Loucks.
Eastern Division Championships: Boys’ 3,000m – Portsmouth’s Sean Gray versus Barrington’s Myles Napolitano
Their all-time bests in this event are close to 20 seconds apart, but somehow we think this race will be a lot closer. Gray is a week removed from a very successful weekend at the Glenn B. Loucks Games in New York where he ran PRs of 9:04.27 for 3,200m and 9:47.31 for the 3K steeplechase. In the 3,200m, Gray went through the 3K mark in a best of 8:31.93. Napolitano has a PR of 8:49.71 from his fourth-place finish at the State Meet this past winter and last Saturday won the 1,500m at the Classical Classic here he outkicked a talented field to take the gold in 4:02.52. Both runners are entered solely in the 3K and both runners are never afraid to make a race honest, which we can guarantee this one will be.
Central Division Championships: Girls’ 400m – Moses Brown’s Skyler Maxwell versus Classical’s Morricia Bryant and Hope’s Zarriyah Brown
Less than a half a dozen runners have broke a minute in the 400 this year. Three of them will be in this event. Maxwell, the indoor 600m state titlist, has a seed of 58.0. In their respective runner-up finishes at the St. Germain Invite and the Classical Classic, Bryant has a PR of 59.49 and Brown has a best of 59.71. This should be a good one, one that could come down to the final few meters.
