What a day!
The RIIL State Outdoor Track & Field Championships simply delivered at Brown Stadium.
It was a historic afternoon for North Kingstown. For the first time in school history, the Skippers captured the girls team title, rolling to a 108-80 victory over La Salle Academy. Barrington finished third with 61 points.
Meanwhile, on the boys’ side, La Salle successfully defended its championship, scoring 128 points to hold off Barrington (115). Bishop Hendricken placed third with 95 points.
Among the highlights:
North Kingstown’s Tayla Schneider claimed two titles, winning the hammer throw with a toss of 180 feet, 6 inches, and the shot put at 39-6.
Portsmouth’s Sean Gray shattered the state record in the 3,000 meters. Running virtually alone from the outset, Gray clocked an incredible 8:18.90, eclipsing the previous mark of 8:20.52 set by former St. Raphael great Devan Kipyego in 2017. Barrington’s Brooks Mello finished second in 8:33.58.
In the pole vault, Ponaganset’s Amber Shaw broke her own state record by clearing 12-9, six inches higher than her previous best.
Moses Brown’s Skyler Maxwell enjoyed a spectacular day as a triple winner. She captured the 400 meters in a personal-best and meet-record 54.68 seconds, won the 200m in a PR of 24.77, and anchored the Quakers’ victorious 4×400-meter relay squad to a time of 3:55.52. Maxwell split 55 seconds on the anchor leg.
Exeter-West Greenwich’s Nini Olawuyi was a double champion, taking the 100m hurdles in 15.08 and the triple jump with a leap of 39-2.
Barrington’s Caleb Satisfield made it back-to-back titles in the high jump by clearing 6-6. Satisfield also upset pre-meet favorite Jalen Moseley in the long jump with a winning leap of 23-4, edging the La Salle junior’s runner-up effort of 23-1.
Moseley didn’t go home empty-handed. The Rams’ standout swept the hurdle events, winning the 110m hurdles in 14.09 and the 300m hurdles at 37.90. He also added a fourth-place finish in the 200m, where he was timed in 22.34.
La Salle’s Garrett Giroux-Pezullo was one of the stars of the boys meet, sweeping the 400m (48.64) and 200m (21.88) while also running legs on the Rams’ victorious 4x100m relay (41.86) and 4x400m relay (3:21.64).
There were countless other memorable performances throughout the day, but these were among the standouts from a championship meet that lived up to the hype.
Check out more than 4,000 photos from the weekend’s meet. Just click HERE. We talked with more than 20 athletes and coaches at Saturday’s meet. Videos are being posted on Instagram.
Ocean State Running will have full stories on both meets coming soon.
