Yes folks, with the State Meet on Saturday, it’s preview week here at Ocean State Running. We’ll do our best to let you know what to expect this weekend when the best of the best compete at Brown Stadium. Here we feature the girls’ jumping events, which includes the long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault.
***
LONG JUMP
The boot is off! Ocean State Running has learned that the state’s No. 1 long-jumper this spring will be competing on Saturday with Mount Hope’s Thea Jackson getting the green flag from her doctor that the ankle sprain and fibula fracture she suffered during practice a few week ago has healed enough for her to contend with the state’s best.. With a healthy Jackson back in the lineup, you no doubt have to list her as one of the favorites to win on Saturday. Since the class meet during the indoor season, the talented junior has consistently been over 18 feet with a PR of 18-9.75 from her victory at the Class B meet. Her top competition will come from the 2-3 seeds Exeter-West Greenwich’s Nini Olawuyi and North Kingstown freshman Reagan Farrell. Other than to Jackson at the Sgt. Brian St. Germain Invitational and the Classical Classic at the beginning of the season, Olawuyi has been unbeaten against her RI rivals and has a best of 18-9 from her victory at the Southern Division Championships in mid May. The versatile junior was also the Class C winner at 18-8.75 and recently took top honors at the Mount Pleasant Invitational where she went 18-1.25. Olawuyi was second in the meet last year and matched that placement during the indoor season. She’s certainly due for a win. The Skippers’ Farrell nearly hit the 18-foot mark at the Southern Division Championships where he was second overall with a PR of 17-11.25. One big jump here could put her on the victory stand. Other top jumpers in this field are Moses Brown’s Kendra Saline (17-3) and Mount Hope’s Lola Silva (17-1.25). Don’t ignore Silva. While her seed is in the low 17-foot range, the Huskies’ senior did more than 18 feet twice during the indoor season, including a best of 18-8.25 from her third-place finish at the Class C meet.
TRIPLE JUMP
Olawuyi is the favorite here, an event she has a state-leading 38-5 from her win at the Southern Division Championships in mid May. She also won the Classical Classic at 38-feet even. Cranston West’s Reece Vitale (36-10) and the Skippers’ Farrell (17-11.25) appear to be the two biggest threats to Olawuyi, who was a bronze medalist in this event last year.
HIGH JUMP
You could say this event is wide open. The top three leapers for Saturday’s meet all have identical seeds with bests of 5-3. This trio includes Chariho’s Lillian Baxter, East Providence’s Nazarae Phillip and, yes, Olaquyi. The Scarlet Knights standout will be looking to pull off the triple on Saturday as well as a sweep of the high jump this year. She was the indoor titlist, too. Keep an eye on South Kingstown’s Jasmine Thompson. The NK junior has a best of 5-1 this season, but has gone higher. During the indoor season, she soared to a height of 5-4 during a league competition. The Huskies’ Jackson could also be a factor. She cleared a best of 5-2 at the St. Germain Invite.
POLE VAULT
The meet record of 11-1.25 could certainly be challenged this weekend with one of our most talented fields we’ve seen in quite some time. The top seven in this event have gone 10 feet or higher this season. At the top of the list are the two we believe might be able to erase former Toll Gate star Noelle Battista’s record from the 2022 state championships. With identical PRs of 11-0, Barrington’s Ellie Noonan and Amber Shaw lead the entries. This will be the rubber match for these two vaulters. Shaw beat her rival at the Class B Championships and the recent Mount Pleasant Invitational, while Noonan was a runner-up to Shaw at the St. Germain Invitational and the Classical Classic. Don’t forget the three seed, La Salle’s Sydney Brightman. The Ram senior won the Class A meet with a best of 10-9.5. She could be a factor, too.
