State Meet Preview: Boys' Weight, Field Events


Unfortunately during a track meet, the weight and field events often get overlooked. It's too bad because not only  do we have a plethora of gifted athletes here in the Ocean State, we have some of the nation's finest, too. Especially when it comes to the 25-pound weight throw. This Saturday's meet will feature six athletes in the top 25. The first three on the list all hail from Woonsocket, a team capable of scoring 24 points with a sweep of the top 3 placements. Oregon-bound senior Jared Briere is our state's No. 1 thrower and ranks fifth in the country with his all-time best of  72 feet, 3 inches from the Last-Chance Qualifier on Feb. 7.  Briere's fellow classmates, Dilyn Cote (66-5) and Jacob Greenless (66-4.25) are your No. 2 and No. 3 seeds this weekend. Could we see a sweep? The teammates have done it several times this season already by going 1-2-3 at the division meet, class meet, Yale Track Classic and the New Balance Games. Who could spoil the Novans' party? Among the contenders are West Warwick's Ivan Goretoy (65-6) and Lincoln's Garrett Doyle (63-6).  Goretoy and Doyle could also make things happen in the shot put. Right now, Bishop Hendricken's Kwity Paye, who earned a football scholarship to Division I school Michigan next fall, is the top seed. But not by much. Paye has a best of 50-6, which is a mere half inch ahead of Goretoy, who won the East Coast Invitational with a best of 50-5.5. Lincoln's Evan Grivers (48-10.25), Classical's Jonathan Buchanan (48-7.25) and Doyle (48-6) are also within striking distance. In the long jump, two-time defending champion Anthony Shepard is the clear-cut favorite. Shepard leaped 23-feet even two weeks ago at the class meet. That effort is more than a foot further than the No. 2 seed, junior Cody Stetson of West Warwick, who has done 21-10.5. Three other athletes have done 21 feet or better this winter - Classical's Aaron Tutu (21-5.5), North Kingstown's Andrew Whitney (21-4.5) and Woonsocket's Joshua Correia (21-2.5). Finally there's the high jump, an event that could go to a number of athletes.  the top seed of 6-2 is held by four leapers - West Warwick's Quindel Wilson, Woonsocket's Jonathan Upshur, Central's Augustus Karweh and Hendricken's Michael Bittner.  There two more athletes - Woonsocket's Nicholas Iarussi and Classical's Ademamonia - that have cleared six feet. In other words, it's anybody's guess who will come out on top this Saturday.