A time around 3:55 — maybe even 3:50.
It’s not unrealistic. It certainly could happen.
The State Meet is still six weeks away, but Saturday’s Classical Classic could carry a championship-like feel. And with the field assembled in the boys’ 1,500-meter run, it might rival what we see on the track in June.
So who will be answering the gun this weekend?
The lineup includes Sean Gray of Portsmouth, La Salle teammates Marshall Vernon and Eamon O’Brien, and Bishop Hendricken’s loaded quartet of Colby Flynn, David Hayes, Fred Russell, and Brayden Seraichyk.
On paper, in no particular order, this group owns seed times over the last two years ranging from 3:57.07 to 4:04.20—marks that already suggest a fast, competitive race. But in this case, the numbers lie. This is an all-star field capable of running faster—much faster.
If the pace is honest—as it almost certainly will be—and the conditions cooperate, don’t be surprised if this turns into something special, an instant classic.
Good luck picking a favorite in this one.
In straight-up 1,500m races, Vernon (3:57.07) and Flynn (3:57.71) own the two fastest marks in the field. Hayes isn’t far behind, bringing in a PR of 3:58.39. The Hendricken senior showed he may have another gear after ripping an opening 1,200m split of 3:03.58 on the Hawks’ ninth-place DMR squad at last weekend’s Penn Relays Carnival.
Don’t expect this one to turn tactical. Not with this group.
Unlike the State Meet, there’s no team title on the line, and with plenty of time to recover, there’s little reason to hold back. Add in someone like Gray – who never hesitate to push the pace if it lags even slightly – and this race has all the ingredients to go fast from the gun.
A time between 3:50 to 3:55?
It’s quite possible.
***
The 1,500m isn’t the only event expected to generate excitement at the season’s first state qualifier. A glance at the seed sheet shows that nearly every event should offer a strong preview of the top athletes who will compete at Brown Stadium for the season-ending championships.
The boys’ 400m features an exceptionally strong field, highlighted by last year’s first-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-place finishers at the State Meet. That group includes Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo of La Salle Academy, Justin Jardin of East Providence, Andrew McCarthy of Bishop Hendricken, and Abrahim Ghamrawi of La Salle.
The depth doesn’t stop there, with additional contenders like James Eastman of Central, Jackson Alves of La Salle, and Finley Stebienne of Lincoln all entered. In total, seven runners in the field have seed times under 51 seconds.
Giroux-Pezzullo, Jardin, and McCarthy have all gone under the 50-second barrier, with the La Salle senior and pre-race favorite, Giroux-Pezzullo, leading the group with a personal best of 48.75.
The girls’ 100m could come down to the final few meters, with a lean at the finish deciding the winner.
Thea Jackson of Mount Hope, who placed third at last year’s State Meet behind West Warwick’s Lisa Raye and Xenia Raye – now freshmen at University of Georgia – enters as the top seed at 12.07. Close behind are Zariyah Brown (12.18), Francesca Justin (12.20), and Kendra Saline (12.21).
Jackson made it clear on numerous occasions last spring that her goal is to break 12 seconds. It may still be early in the season, but with this kind of speed in the field – and if the weather cooperates – that barrier might not be out of reach this Saturday.
The boys’ 800m features a strong head-to-head matchup between the top two finishers from the 600m at this past winter’s indoor state championships -Henry Stockwell of Barrington and Eamon O’Brien of La Salle. O’Brien enters with the top seed at 1:53.50, while Stockwell checks in at 1:57.20. Don’t expect that four-second gap to hold in this race. We’re predicting a much closer finish.
And don’t count out St. Raphael’s gutsy senior Arthur Ferris, who owns a seed time of 1:58.10.
Never forget what happens behind the cage. Both the girls’ and boys’ hammer throw competitions are shaping up to be just as compelling as anything on the track.
On the girls’ side, three of the nation’s top 10 are set to clash, led by Classical’s Nelmrix Santos (No. 5, 175-2), Ponaganset’s CeCe Bizon (No. 7, 172-8), and North Kingstown’s Tayla Schneider (No. 9, 168-0).
Just outside that top-10 ranking—but hardly out of contention—are Woonsocket’s Avaree Caron, who owns a 173-9 best, and Toll Gate’s Vanessa Jones at 169-11, both marks coming from the 2025 season. With that kind of depth, this competition could swing in multiple directions.
On the boys’ side, the spotlight starts with national leader Ryan Evans of East Greenwoich, who brings in a massive PR of 227-0. Chasing him are Hendricken’s Dimitri Johnson (No. 6, 213-7) and Woonsocket’s Shamrock Thoun (No. 9, 207-6).
Both Johnson and Thoun have proven they can go even farther, boasting all-time bests of 224-9 and 222-2.25, respectively – marks that suggest Evans won’t be alone if this turns into a big-measure day.
