Berkson skipping Brooks PR Invitational (Update!)

MileSplit RI learned this morning that Classical graduate Maddy Berkson has decided to skip Saturday's Brooks PR Invitational to concentrate her efforts on the upcoming USATF World Track and Field Trials. 

Berkson will be entered in the mile and the 800-meter runs at the Trials, held July 5-6 at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field. She goes into the meet just a few weeks after breaking her own state record in the 1,500-meter run with a 4:26.88 effort at the R.I. Championships. That's a time that computes to about a 4:48.59 for the mile. Berkson does hold the indoor and outdoor state marks for the event. She set the indoor record of 4:50.11 at the Eastern States Championship back in February. In early May, she etched her name in the books for outdoor by placing third at the Glenn D. Loucks Games with a 4:52.08 clocking.

Berkson primary focus at the Trials will be in the 800m, an event she's also a state record-holder. At the New Balance National Indoor Championships in 2013, she ran her all-time best of 2:06.67 to place third overall. She has dipped under 2:10 two other times in her career and recently copped the state crown at 2:12.32 and was second in her heat and 11th overall at the NBNO meet on June 13 with a 2:10.22 clocking. 

Other Rhode Islanders that are scheduled to compete at the Trials with Berkson are former Barrington all-stater and All-American Charlie Ionata, a sophomore-to-be at Wake Forest, and current Eagle standouts Adam Kelly and Bobby Colantonio. All three athletes are entered in the hammer throw.

The Trials next month serves as a qualifier for the IAAF World Junior Championshipship, which wiill take place from July 22-27 at Hayward Field. It's the first time that the event has ever been held in the United States.