It looks like we will not have a repeat champion in the 55-meter dash this Saturday. Defending titlist Quinn Harlan of Woonsocket has decided to forego this year's meet to take part in a school-sponsored trip. The Villa Novan senior was the top-ranked sprinter in the state with her season best of 7.35. With her absence, the short sprint is wide open with a number of athletes capable of earning gold this weekend. Those individual include East Greenwich's Isabella Gentil (7.43) and Laura Murphy (7.48) and Moses Brown's Mary Beth Fitzsimmons (7.47). Murphy (41.31), Fitzsimmons (41.90) and Gentil (42.24) own the three best times in the 300m with Gentil the top returnee. She was third at last year's states. The hurdles could be a difference-maker. The clear-cut favorite is defending titlist Tereza Bolibruch of North Kingstown, who also has won the last two outdoor 100m hurdle crowns. Bolibruch is once again unbeaten against RI competition and holds the top-seeded time of 8.44, which is she did to finish fourth at Yale last month, her only loss this winter Toll Gate's Casey Gannon (8.78) and South Kingstown's Eva McCool-Gugliemo (8.91) are the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. Here's where it gets interesting. La Salle once again will be contending for a state crown and is dominant in the distance events. To hold off some of its biggest challengers, the Rams could score some crucial points in the hurdles with two of athletes ranked among the top five - Tiana Houston (8.98) and Abigail Creamer (9.04). In the 4x200m relay, East Greenwich, Central and Westerly have all gone under the 1:50 mark with EG holding the No. 1 seed of 1:48.0. Westerly, one of a few teams that could challenge La Salle for the team title, is the No. 1 seed in the meet-ending 4x400m. A win there for the Bulldogs could make things interesting in the team scoring.