We’re now onto this weekend’s adidas Indoor Nationals, the final stop in a stretch of three national meets over the past two weeks.
But before we turn the page, let’s not overlook a major meet closer to home. This past weekend’s New Balance Nationals Indoor featured many of Rhode Island’s top track & field athletes competing against the nation’s best inside The TRACK at New Balance.
In a meet that produced three national records and more than 10 meet records, our Ocean Staters delivered standout performances on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Here’s a photo montage of some of Rhode Island’s best at New Balance – and a few other notable athletes – thanks to photographers and brothers, Kyler and Caden Lott.
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THURSDAY
Portsmouth’s Sean Gray provided a glimpse of what was in store on Day 1 of the four-day meet, earning All American for the third time in his career by breaking his own state mark with a time of 14 minutes, 27.60 seconds, good for fourth overall.
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Chariho’s Isaac Graham and Gus Freelove and the rest of their teammate raced to a solid 8:13.62 in the 4×800-meter relay.
Alyssa Parenteau runs the leadoff leg for La Salle’s 4x800m relay that finished 11th among 58 schools with a time of 9:20.14.
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FRIDAY
Running the 800m leg, Hendricken’s Fred Russell hands off to 1,600m anchor Colby Flynn in the Distance Medley Relay. With additional legs by leadoff David Hayes (1,200m) and Andrew McCarthy (400m), the Hawks were an outstanding fourth in the race with a state and school record of 10:08.13.
In the Sprint Medley Relay, La Salle’s Antonio Bearden gains on the field with his 200m leg on the Rams’ third-place squad that broke the state record with a time of 3:26.40.
La Salle’s Jalen Moseley is high in the air as he leaps to the individual title in the long jump. While the state produced several All Americans, Moseley was the lone competitor from the Ocean State to bring home a national title.
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SATURDAY
With head coach Marc Piette, left, watching behind the cage, Woonsocket’s Shamrock Thoun gets ready to unleash the 25-pound weight. The defending champion came short of the title, but still finished second against the nation’s best to add to his long list of All-American performances.
Bullis star and US Olympian Quincy Wilson takes a much-deserved rest after winning the 400m in a down-to-the-wire battle with fellow Maryland rival Jayden Deleon. Both went under the meet and national record with Wilson edging Deleon at the line by 0.01 seconds with a time of 45.37.
Ponaganset’s Amber Shaw has the look of determination as she awaits her turn in the pole vault. The state record-holder and champion continued her consistency this season by clearing 11-10.75.
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SUNDAY
Eamon O’Brien gets ready to run the leadoff leg for the La Salle’s 4x400m squad. The Rams clocked came close to their state record with a season best of 3:20.68.
Showing the emotion of a champion, breakout star Katy Zang of Ohio captures the second of two titles at New Balance with a meet record of 4:35.02 in the mile . Zang won the two mile two days earlier in a national record of 9:37.15.
La Salle’s Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo looks up at the video screen after running a near sub 47-second anchor leg for the Rams’ 4x400m team.
