One of the most memorable races of the indoor track season for Rhode Island athletes occurred at the New Balance National Indoor Championships this past March.
It was in the 800-meter run, a race that featured Classical High junior Maddy Berkson. The multiple all-stater set a R.I. indoor mark at The Armory in New York City by finishing third overall with an outstanding time of 2 minutes, 6.67 seconds. Berkson led for the first 500 meters of the race before eventual champion Sabrina Southerland of Benjamin Cardoso in N.Y., put on a blistering kick and won with the second fastest U.S. time in history, a 2:03.59 clocking.
Less than two months after that incredible race, Berkson and Southerland will be back on the oval again as competitors in this weekend’s 46th annual Glenn D. Loucks Games at White Plains High in New York (May 9-11). The two are scheduled to toe the line on Friday in a race that will include several other elite runners along with a handful of R.I. athletes. Representing the Ocean State along with Berkson will be Bay View senior Erica Johnson, Barrington junior Abby Livingston and the La Salle Academy trio of freshman Eliza Rego, senior Caitlin Marino and senior Victoria Stephens.
Also on Friday, Rhode Islanders will be competing in the 100 and the 3,200. In the 100, the La Salle duo of sophomore Stephanie DiTraglia and senior India Lamboy are entered. Barrington freshman Emma McMillian and La Salle sophomore Sheridan Wilbur are among the top seeds in the 3,200. Also entered in the long-distance event are junior Caroline Falvey and senior Victoria Varone of La Salle.
On Saturday of the prestigious meet, which attracts some of the finest athletes from the northeast, six different events will feature R.I. competitors. Berkson will be back on the line for the mile run along with Rego, Wilbur and Barrington junior Megan Verner-Crist. Hope’s stellar sophomore Quashira McIntosh, who owns several state marks in the short sprints, will try and steal the show in the 200. She will be joined by DiTraglia and La Salle senior Erin Kane.
La Salle senior Sarah Beatrice is the lone competitor from R.I. in the pole vault. Schedule to compete in the 100 hurdles is Barrington senior Shenelle Teixeira and La Salle junior Morgan Wainwright.
Freshman Jessia Apajee, freshman Lily Miranda and Kane will run the 400 for La Salle. The Rams will also have a team in the 4x100.
Check out all the results of the Loucks Games here at MileSplit RI.