The state’s best will collide at the PCTA Field House on Saturday for the RIIL Indoor Track & Field Championships. Who are some of the top athletes that will be competing this weekend? Here we feature the boys’ jumping events, which includes the long jump, high jump and pole vault.
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LONG JUMP
Who’s battling for second place? Everyone else. La Salle’s Jalen Moseley has made it clear over the last two meets that his chances of losing on Saturday are about as likely as the sun not rising in the morning. The Rams’ gifted junior leaped into the history books at last weekend’s Last Chance Qualifier, breaking a 16-year-old state record with a personal-best jump of 24 feet, 2.75 inches.
That gargantuan effort came just one week after he captured the Class A title with a then-PR of 23-10.5. In his two other competitions this season, Moseley won a league meet on Jan. 19 with a leap of 23-1.5 and opened his winter campaign with a solid 22-7.5 at the RITCA Invitational on Jan. 3.
Moseley appears untouchable in this event and could very well secure the gold on his first attempt, much like he did with his record-breaking jump at Last Chance. Don’t be surprised if the Rams’ versatile leaper limits his work to the preliminaries should he pop a 23-footer (or better) in his first few attempts. The long jump is one of four events in which Moseley will be looking to score big points as La Salle seeks its second straight team title.
Barrington’s Patrick Trainor enters as the No. 2 seed with a best of 22-6.75, recorded in his runner-up finish to Moseley at the RITCA Invitational. He’ll also have motivation on his side, with the Eagles emerging as a legitimate team title contender. Cumberland’s Matt Fontaine is the No. 3 seed thanks to a personal best of 22-2 at the Last Chance Qualifier—a silver-medal performance that was nearly a foot better than his previous best. Can you say confidence booster?
The field includes six others that have exceeded 21 feet, including Rogers’ Derek Lloyd (22-10.5), Classical’s Emmanuel Adelakun (21-9.25) and La Salle’s Antonio Bearden (21-6.5).
HIGH JUMP
The high jump could certainly get interesting.
Once again, Moseley is the No. 1 seed with a state-leading 6-6, a mark he cleared at a league meet early last month. The Rams junior thrives in championship settings like this, and we expect he’ll be one of the last athletes standing in the title hunt.
West Warwick’s Zachary Morgan should also be in the mix. He cleared an indoor-best 6-4 at the start of the season and has added a pair of 6-2 efforts this winter. Morgan has an all-time best of 6-7 from outdoor. Toll Gate’s Kevin Baker, North Kingstown’s Cole Shotwell and Wilson Bouzaid, and La Salle’s Bearden have all cleared 6-2 this season, giving this event solid depth at the top.
And then there’s the wildcard – Barrington’s Caleb Satisfield, listed No. 16 on the seed sheet. The gifted multi-sport athlete, a standout on the basketball court during the winter months, has competed just once this season due to his hardwood commitments. He qualified at a league meet on Jan. 19 by clearing 5-10.
But unless your memory is short, we all know what Satisfield is capable of at his best. At the Class B outdoor championships last spring, the Barrington star joined an elite group by soaring to a height of seven-feet even. While the odds of another seven-footer with limited preparation are slim, the outdoor state titlist is a proven big-meet performer with rare athleticism — a combination that can be lethal in a competition like this.
You never know.
POLE VAULT
For the first time ever, the pole vault will be added to the scoring at the State Meet. Saturday’s competition has at least four athletes that could steal the show. The No. 1 seed is La Salle’s Judah Mullings, who cleared a state-leading 12-6 at the Class A Championships. Barrington’s Kelly Hill is two seed at 12-feet even. Smithfield’s Michael Farland and North Kingstown’s Cole Shotwell should also be in the conversation. Both are tied at No. 3 in the state with identical 11-6 performances. Mullings does have consistency on his side, having done 12 feet four other times this season.
