With the outdoor track & field campaign just a few weeks old, peak performances are never the norm at this juncture of the season. League competition, especially, is often used more as tune-ups for the bigger invitationals and championship meets down the road.
In other words, don’t expect to see too many eye-openers quite yet. But here’s some of the more noticeable performances we noticed from results gathered early this week.
North Kingstown is one of the leading contenders for the state title title in June and some of its key athletes showed why in a double triumph over Chariho Regional and South Kingstown on Monday in a Southern Division meet.
Ben Stewart, the defending 300-meter hurdle champion, took both hurdle events. He was timed in 15.4 in the 110m event and crossed the line at 40.6 to take the 300m race. He was also first in the long jump, leaping 20.3. Senior classmate Zachery Emrich, a multiple all-stater and the returning R.I. winner in the 400m and 800m, was sharpening his speed in the shorter events. He broke the tape in the 100 with a fast, early-season time of 11.1 and was the best in the 200 at 23.3. Emrich wasn’t finished, running legs on the victorious 4x100 (45.6) and 4x400 (3:33.5) squads.
The Skippers also had impressive wins from Robert Cassidy in the pole vault (12-0), Ben Lee in the high jump (6-2), Dallin Smith in the 1,500 (4:21), Joe Craven in the 400 (51.3) and Ian Connors in the 800 (2:02.9).
It was a given that there would be some strong performances in Monday’s Central Division showdown with La Salle and Bishop Hendricken, two perennial powerhouses. Lee Moses was a three-time victor. The two-time indoor long jump champion copped his specialty with a leap of 21-0.5. He was also first in the triple jump (38-4.5), 100-meter dash (11.0) and as a leg of the 4x100 relay squad (43.6). The Hawks’ distance ace Colin Tierney beat the field in the 1,500 with a time of 4:08.5 and teammate Alex Cerbo was first in the shot with a distance of 47-5.
La Salle had two stellar efforts from Jack Salisbury and James Placco. Salisbury was victorious in the 3K with a sub-nine time of 8:54.1 and Placco broke the tape in the 800 with a 2:01.6 clocking.
Central, one of five schools that participated in the meet (Toll Gate and newcomer St. Patrick’s were the others), had a pair of triumphs. Andrew Mota took the 400 at 51.5 and the 4x400 relay combined for a first-place time of 3:33.8.
Connor Fugere has often displayed his versatility and Tuesday was no different for the Woonsocket High senior. The talented Villa Novan captured four events in his team’s Northern Division sweep of North Providence, Burrillville and Johnston. He earned gold in the hammer (197 feet, 4 inches), javelin (147-2), shot put (50-7.5) and the discus (135-2).
North Kingstown’s hurdler extraordinaire Marie Bolibruch registered some fast times in a meet with South Kingstown and Chariho. She won the 100m hurdles at 15.4 and was first in the 300m hurdles, running 50.4. Bolibruch also won the 200m. Freshman teammate Katarina Ho dipped under five minutes for the 1,500 with a winning 4:58.1 effort.
Cumberland’s Nichole Barger had an outdoor best of 4:59.1 for the 1,500 in a Northern Division meet with Lincoln and Ponaganset.