Classical takes down La Salle for girls' state crown

Photos courtesy of Jerry Silberman of risportsphoto.com

PROVIDENCE – Sharing is always nice, but sometimes having something all to yourself is a little better.

Classical High experienced that feeling on a hot Saturday afternoon. The Purple, predicted as one of the possible contenders to  end La Salle Academy’s three-year reign as team champion, earned the top prize at the R.I. Track and Field Outdoor Championship with a 104-66.4 victory over the Rams at Brown University Stadium.

“It’s really unreal,” said Classical girls’ coach Mike Green, who saw his team tie La Salle for the indoor state crown this past winter. “It was great to win it indoor. It was a tie, but we still won. This is wild. It’s surreal. The way we won it, these kids just put everything on the track.”

Classical got its expected victories from senior Marthaline Copper in the hammer and sophomore Alva Hicks in the discus. Both entered the meet as overwhelming favorites in their respective events.

The Purple also received an outstanding afternoon from junior Maddy Berkson, who collected 32 points for her teammates earning gold in the 1,500-meter run, anchoring the first-place 4x400 relay and placing third in the 800 and the 3,000.

Normally, Berkson’s performances would not seem out of the ordinary. After all, the multiple all-stater did win three events (1,000, 1,500 and 3,000) during the indoor states. But this past spring, Berkson was not her typical self, often coming up short in winning the bigger meets and running times that were far from her best.

She learned part of the problem was due to an iron deficiency.

“That was great to find out,” she said. “Working and changing my diet to include a lot more iron, that’s made a huge difference in my training and I was able to come back this season from not even being able to complete workouts and struggle to break 2:20 for the 800. I thoroughly changed my training around. I owe that a lot to increasing iron in my diet.”

In the 1,500, Berkson nestled behind La Salle sophomore Sheridan Wilbur and her freshman teammate Eliza Rego in the early stages of the race and made her move for the title with a strong kick the final 300 meters. She crossed the line with a season best of 4 minutes, 34.27 seconds.

“That race pretty much played into my hands,” she said. “I was just trying to stay behind Sheridan and Eliza and then just try to outkick them at the end. The pace was really slow at first. I think we crossed the 800 at 2:32. I think one of the middle 400s was 80 seconds. It was very slow and the last 300 meters was pretty fast. That was my type of race. I was fortunate.”

Berkson was timed in a SB of 2:14.76 for the 800 and 10:34.39 for the 3K. She utilized her patented speed down the final straightaway to lead her team to the 4x400 crown with a time of 4:01.16.

In the 800, Bay View senior Erica Johnson edged Barrington junior Abby Livingston at the line, finishing at 2:13.14 to Livingston’s 2:13.34. Johnson also claimed the 400 crown with a 56.67 clocking. Westerly senior Jackie Burr took the 3,000 at 10:12.38.

Based on the talent on the track and the health of his star runner, Green wasn’t expecting Berkson to necessarily win an event. The goal was just to have her accumulate some needed points to defeat La Salle

“If there was a race that she could win it was the first race of the day [the 1,500]. That was unexpected,” he said. “Our game plan was we knew that La Salle had points, we just wanted to chip away at their points. She didn’t have to win a race; she just had to chip away. The 1,500 was a bonus, and the 800 we figured a fresh Erica Johnson and a fresh Abby Livingston, we figured one and two. We figured if we could split up La Salle’s points – great! And she went so far as to finish ahead. It was awesome. In the 3,000, she was outstanding.”

Cooper, the top-ranked thrower in the country, improved on her nation-leading distance in the hammer with a winning heave of 178 feet, 7 inches. Hicks took the discus at 133-5. The Purple also had some important runner-up placements from Bianca Donaldo in the pole vault (10-0), Oluwadara Falaye in the 100 (12.56) and the 200 (25.42) and Alicia Holloway in the 110 hurdles (15.21). Holloway was also third in the 300IH (45.28).

La Salle managed just one victory for the afternoon with the quartet of Stephanie DiTraglia, Amanda Joyal, Veronica Hardy and India Lamboy combining for a time of 49.51 in the 4x100 relay. Other top performance for the Rams included a second-place finish from Joyal in the 400 (57.81) and a pair of PR performances in the 1,500 and 800 from Wilbur (second, 4:35.21; fourth, 2:15.35) and Rego (third, 4:36.6; fifth, 2:15.72).

La Salle coach Dave Wright was more than satisfied with the effort of his squad. On this day, just one other team was better.

“(Classical) just did a great job. I can’t say enough about them,” Wright said. “But I am happy with our kids. I am smiling all day. The kids were saying we don’t have enough points. I’m like, ‘We don’t, but did you have a PR, did you have a PR.’ Amanda Joyal with a 57.81 in the 400, phenomenal. That was amazing. She went out with the leaders and almost tried to win it. Eliza and Sheridan, I can’t say enough about them. The 4x100, I was extremely excited. We haven’t won that race since like 2000. We won it once in my career. I was excited for the 4x100, great time. It went pretty well.”

North Kingstown senior Maria Bolibruch, the two-time indoor 55 hurdle champion, captured her first outdoor title by winning the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.69. Mount St. Charles senior Rita Donahoe defeated 2012 winner Shenelle Teixeira in the 300 hurdles, crossing the line at 44.70. Teixeira placed second at 44.95.

In the no-surprise department, Hope’s outstanding sophomore Quashira McIntosh was a double-winner in the sprint events, defending her titles convincingly in the 100 and the 200. McIntosh broke her own state record in the 200 with a 24.44 clocking. She was timed in 12.02 in the 100.

The Prout School’s Karly Gregory, a senior, defended her crown in the long jump with a leap of 17-11.25. Gregory was also third in the 400 (59.02).

Mount St. Charles senior Cassie Roberge collected 18 points by winning the triple jump (35-9.5) and taking second in the long jump (17-9.25).

In somewhat of an upset, Cumberland senior Kendra Plant had a career best of 39-6 to beat two-time indoor titlist Victoria Ebert of Exeter/West Greenwich in the shot put. The Scarlet Knights’ senior was the runner-up at 38-10.5.

Also snaring victories in the six-hour meet was Smithfield freshman  Alyssa Colbert in the javelin (121-7), Central Falls senior Tiffany Jenkins in the high jump (5-3),Exeter/West Greenwich junior Morgan Hart in the pole vault (10-0) and Barrington in the 4x800 (9:15.85).