So far, so good.
Rhode Island athletes have wasted little time this week making their presence felt at the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia.
Through the first two days of competition at historic Franklin Field, the Ocean State has earned three All-American finishes, highlighted by two state records and another performance that came within striking distance of a third.
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THURSDAY – DAY 1
Runner-Up Honors For Hawks’ 4xMile
Hendricken got things started on Day 1 by earning All-American honors with a runner-up finish in the 4xMile Relay. The Hawks’ quartet of Colby Flynn, Fred Russell, Brayden Seraichyk, and David Hayes combined for a time of 17 minutes, 22.86 seconds, just 1.27 seconds shy of the state record of 17:21.59 that another Hendricken squad established in 2010.
The Hawks were in contention from the outset, with Flynn leading off in 4:16. Russell followed with a strong 4:21.09 split that moved Hendricken into the lead at the halfway point.
Eventual champion Herriman of Utah seized control on the third leg and held on for the victory in 17:20.80. Seraichyk responded with a personal-best 4:25.72 split for the Hawks before Hayes closed in 4:19.15 to secure second place.
FRIDAY – DAY 2
First Time’s A Charm For Sorlien
The grueling two days of the decathlon proved well worth it for South Kingstown’s Kai Sorlien.
Competing in the decathlon for the first time, the Rebels senior earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish and a state-record total of 6,550 points. That total broke the eight-year-old mark of 6,341 points by former East Greenwich standout Connor Sheridan from New Balance in 2018.
Sorlien scored more than 700 points in four of the 10 events with PRs in the javelin (197-01.75), 110-meter hurdles (14.70), 100m dash (11.31) and 1,500m (4:49.58). His highest total (886 points) came in the hurdles where he was third overall. Sorlien’s near 200-footer in the javelin was the best among the 14 competitors.
Patriots’ Gray Ties State 2M Record
For the second time in less than a week, Sean Gray produced a state record with his performance on the track. This time, however, he wasn’t alone.
The Patriots senior, who his own 5K record at the Battle Road Track Series last weekend, placed fifth in the Championship Two Mile with a time of 8:53.94. That effort matched the state record of 8:53.94 set by former La Salle standout Matt Bouthillette at the 2016 Brooks PR Invitational.
Gray was among the lead pack throughout the race. He briefly took over the lead after passing the mile in 4:31.05. From there, he ran negative splits. He hit the 3K mark in 8:20.77 and blazed the final 400m in 61 seconds.
“I’m happy with the race,” Gray said. “The race went well. I leaned at the line to try and get that state record (by myself), but I’m still very happy with it.”
Season Best For Rams’ 4x200m
La Salle had its best effort of the season in the 4x200m relay. The foursome of Jalen Moseley, Jackson Alves, Brad Laforest, and Garrett Giroux-Pezzullo combined for a time of 1:27.64. The Rams were second in their heat and 14th overall, and finished less than a second shy of All-American honors.
