With so much great talent in R.I., to come up with a list that includes all the top athletes at Saturday’s state championship meet would be a monumental task that has a time limit this scribe can't match. So breaking it down, here’s what MileSplit RI considers the "Lucky 8" or eight athletes to watch this weekend at Brown Stadium. This is, by no means, a list of all the high-profile athletes in the state as there are many other worthy candidates for that category. It's just a list of athletes that MileSplit RI feels has potential to do something special on Saturday.
Maddy Berkson, senior, Classical
Few could match the high school career of this talented senior and on Saturday she will close it out against R.I. competition. After dealing with some tired legs towards the end of the indoor season, Maddy has lightened the load on the outdoor surface and appears to be peaking just in time for some strong times at the states (and beyond). Just recently, Maddy set a state mark for the 3,000m with 9:44.72 at a New Balance Twilight Meet on May 28. Maddy has also run state-leading times in the 800m (2:10.04), the 1,500m (4:33.20) and the mile (4:52.08). Look for a big day from one of R.I.’s most prolific track athletes.
Maria Bolibruch, senior, North Kingstown
The Skipper hurdler is seeking her fifth state crown. She won three straight titles in the 55m hurdles during the indoor season and also won her first outdoor title last year with a victory in the 100m hurdles. Maria is undefeated this spring with a personal beat of 14.64 at the Class A meet on May 24. Maria‘s biggest rival is Classical’s Alicia Holloway, who finished second at the class meet with her best of 14.74. The two hurdlers are more than a second faster than their closest rival.
Quashira McIntosh, junior, Hope
When your nickname is a single letter you've got to be fast. And that’s exactly what “Q” is with a resume that already includes multiple state titles and records in the short sprints. At the beginning of the season, Quashira felt she was a little off in her races. But it didn’t stop her from dominating her R.I. competitors. She got a confidence-booster for a prime showing at the state meet this past Saturday when she ran a hand-held PB of 11.94 for the 100m dash. Quashira is also No. 1 in the 200m at 24.94 and is the anchor on the Blue Wave’s top-ranked 4x100m relay (49.34).
Morgan Hart, senior, Exeter/West Greenwich; Bianca Donadio, senior, Classical
Morgan is the reigning pole vault champion and holds the top spot this year with her win at the Cumberland Invitational where she cleared a personal best of 10-7. Her only loss this year came at the Schomp Invitational where Bianca won at 10-6 to Morgan’s 10-0 effort. The two vaulters are more than a foot-and-a-half higher than the rest of the competition so this should be a head-to-head battle that’s worth checking out. The state record of 11-9 by Moses Brown’s Jenna Poggi appears to be out of reach, but an 11-footer is definitely possible.
Eliza Rego, sophomore, La Salle Academy
No surprise, Eliza has enjoyed a great outdoor season. She set a state record of 10:28.45 for 3,200m at the Loucks Games in N.Y., on May 8 and also ran a personal best of 2:12.60 for 800m at the Cumberland Invitational last month. La Salle is among the favored squads for the team title and Eliza will be a key athlete for the Rams in their quest for supremacy. She’s entered in three events (3K, 1,500m, 800m) and should place high in all three. At the outdoor meet last year, she scored 14 points in the events.
Alva Hicks, junior, Classical
Classical has a legitimate shot to win back-to-back state titles and Alva (along with Maddy Berkson) has the potential to score more than 25 points individually. Alva set a state mark of 147-2 in the discus at the Schomp Invitational in early May, an event she leads the field by 23 feet! She is also ranked No. 2 in the hammer (172-1) and the shot put (38-8), two other events she is capable of winning. She won all three at the recent Mount Pleasant Invitational.
Meaghan Scullin, sophomore, Cumberland
Meaghan is one of the most versatile athletes that will be competing at Brown this weekend. The talented tenth-grader, who won the indoor crown in the long jump a few months ago, is ranked among the best in three different events. She owns the top leap in the high jump by two inches with her PB of 5-3 at the Northern Division Championships in mid-May. She’s No. 2 in the long jump with a season best of 17-4.25, just .75 behind Cranston West’s Annabelle Hauck. She's also one of seven runners that have cracked 60 seconds in the 400m with a 59.20 best.