Highlights Were Plentiful At RI State Meet

Central scored 75 points to finish second to team champion Bishop Hendricken on Saturday.

Bishop Hendricken and La Salle Academy proved why they are the best of the best on Saturday by capturing their respective boys' and girls' titles at Saturday's RI State Championships. Both teams did it in dramatic fashion with the Hawks having to wait until the final event of the day, the 4x400-meter relay, until they could call themselves champs over a very-determined and talented Central squad. The Lady Rams secured their crown an event earlier with their 2-5 finish in the 1,000m, holding off up-and-comer Portsmouth at the Providence Career and Technical Academy field house.

With several teams in the mix for the team championships - defending titlist La Salle Academy also put up a good fight in the boys' meet -  and meet records and superlative performances by a number of athletes, it was a meet to remember.

Here' are some of the many highlights:

  • La Salle senior DJ Principe competed in his final indoor state meet of his outstanding career, and did it in style. He led off the school's third-place 4x800-meter relay squad with a quick 1:57 split. That was ONLY the warm-up. Principe swept three individual titles, winning the 3K, 1,500m and 1K. In the 1,000m, Principe broke former St. Raphael's great Andrew Butler's 29-year-old state mark with a winning 2:29.44. Remember this was done after his other three races, which also included a 4:00 1,500m and an 8:46.84 for 3,000m. Never seen anything like it!
  • Portsmouth's Nikki Merrill, who is just a sophomore, did her part in putting some pressure on La Salle for the girls' title. Merrill anchored her squad's first-place 4x800m team. Just like Principe, that was just the start. She won the difficult 1,500m, 600m and 1,000 triple - events with limited rest in between. In all three races, individually, she won by a combined two seconds, showing just how competitive they all were.
  • Central did all it could do to try and win the school its first state title, showcasing its outstanding speed at the PCTA. The Knights went 1-2-3-5 in the 300m with their top three under 36 seconds! Central also collected 18 points in the 55m dash and won both the 4x200m and 4x400m relays. In the 4x200m, the Knights broke their own MR with a blazing 1:30.19. Keep in mind, this time was done on a flat oval. Transfer that performance to the banked ovals of their next two meets - the New England Championships and the New Balance Nationals Indoor (NBNI) Championships - and it's comparable to a sub 1:29, a time that would be another state record and top 4 or 5 in the country. Watch out NBNI!
  • Head coach Jim Doyle and his staff couldn't have asked for a better start from their Hendricken squad. The Hawks scored 28 points in the first three completed events at the meet, winning the 4x800m and high jump (Michael Bittner leaped 6 feet, 4 inches) and placing second in the 4x200m relay. Hendricken's 28 points alone would have tied it for fourth place in the meet and there was still nine events left!
  • We predicted it, and we're sure most others did, too. Woonsocket weight-throwers Jared Briere, Jacob Greenless and Dilyn Cote went 1-2-3 in the 25-pound weight. For the girls, Ponaganset's Gianna Rao once again exceeded 60 feet, winning her first state title inside the circle.
  • We've had some talented underclassmen over the years and our newest arrivals are Moses Brown's Mary Beth Fitzsimmons and West Warwick's Virsavia Goretoy. The two ninth-graders made their inaugural State Meet a successful one. Fitzsimmons captured the 55m and 300m dashes and Goretoy claimed the long jump.
  • Speaking of Goretoy, I can't recall another time it's happened before, but we did have a brother-sister winning combo at Saturday's meet. In the shot put, the Wizards' Ivan Goretoy, older brother of Virsavia, earned his first indoor title. He's the defending titlist on the outdoor surface.

  • It's hard enough to win one state title in your specialty. Two is a little more difficult and three doesn't happen too often. South Kingstown's Anthony Shepard put himself in the latter category by taking his third straight gold in the long jump with a winning leap of 21-11.75. He certainly was tested in this one. The top four finishers were also over 21 feet.




Meet Results

Girls Highlights

Boys Highlights