Warwick, Ionata triple-winners at Classical Classic (updated)

 

PROVIDENCE – There is no denying the versatility and talent of Lawrence Warwick. During his high school track and field career, which concludes this outdoor season, the Coventry senior has often finished among the top three in several different events in league and state meet competition.

Warwick’s specialty has been in the jumping events, where he currently ranks tied for first in the high jump, third in the long jump and No. 1 in the triple jump. For good measure, he’s also got speed and is ninth on the list in the 100-meter dash.

“When I first started coaching I was always nervous about putting kids in four events,” Coventry coach Carlton Bradshaw said. “With Lawrence, it’s always accidentally I put him in five events. It’s that sort of situation. He is so versatile.”

In his typical workmanlike fashion, Warwick demonstrated his value to the Knotty Oakers at the annual Classical Classic on Saturday.  The senior, along with Barrington weightman Charlie Ionata, were the only triple-winners at the Conley Field facility.

Competing in the Large School Division, Warwick earned gold in the high jump, long jump and triple jump. He moved up in the rankings to the top spot in the vertical leap with a winning height of 6 feet, 2 inches. He nearly hit 20 feet in the long jump with a distance of 19-11.5 and copped the triple jump by more than a foot with a 41-7.5 effort.

Bradshaw is hoping Warwick’s hard-work ethic pays dividends at the June 1 state meet. Despite consistently placing high at big meets, the Coventry standout has never won an individual state crown. Warwick was a runner-up in the long jump, high jump and 55 dash at the indoor championship in February, but at last year’s outdoor meet was fourth in the high jump and ninth in both the long and triple.

Bradshaw feels Warwick’s misfortunes in 2012 may have been some tired legs.

“Last year it was not a good thing to do,” he said. “At the Southern Division Championship he did four events. He came in first in the 100 and second in the long and triple. That was a bad coaching move by me because I am pretty sure that wasted him for the rest of the season.”

Some pre-season conditioning in the weight room that started in the fall has been a value to Warwick his final season for the Oakers. The focus now is on a state title, or possibly more.

“I think he is good enough to be a triple-state champion but it’s going to take a lot of strategy,” Bradshaw said. “It’s going to take a lot of monitoring between myself and (girls’ coach) Erica (Horlbogen) who is really the jump coach. And hopefully someone else isn’t going to have some crazy day. We are hoping that he is the one that has the crazy day. I don’t want to make any crazy predictions but he is the type of athlete that can do it.”

An occasional rainfall and the moderately windy conditions greeted the more than 400 athletes that participated at the Classical Classic. In the Large School Division, East Providence edged Bishop Hendricken for the team title, 94-85. Classical easily took the Small School Division, defeating second-place Mount Pleasant, 157-67.

The Eagles’ Ionata, the No. 2 hammer thrower in the country, had a personal best in his specialty with a winning heave of 233 feet, 7 inches. The Wake Forest-bound senior, who was named the meet's Outstanding Field Athlete, also captured the discus (142-10) and the javelin (153-9).

Coventry senior Aaron Comery won the shot put with a distance of 52-7, a little more than a foot shy of his state best of 54-0.5. Woonsocket senior Connor Fugere was second at 50-9.

Comery captured the indoor title and is favored to make it two in a row with another crown on the outdoor surface. Westerly’s Joe Calao, who won the Small School Division title at 51-9, is ranked No.2 in R.I.

“I don’t want to doubt (Calao) of Westerly, who is very good, but I think Aaron’s biggest competition is in his head,” Bradshaw said. ”He is an ultra-perfectionist. He wasn’t all that happy when he won the indoor title because it wasn’t a personal best. The type of athlete he is, it’s a blessing and a curse. He is the most hard-working athlete I know. In fact, my job is to try and calm him down and make sure he rest. He wants to take 50 throws every single day.”

East Providence, which is considered one of the leading contenders for a state crown next month, collected 20 of its points from junior Ryan Williams. The state’s top-ranked sprinter, who was selected as the meet's Outstanding Track Athlete, copped the 100 with a time of 10.7 and was the first to break the tape in the 200 with a 22.2 clocking. In both events, Williams held off the Hawks’ Power Kanga, who was timed in 10.8 for the 100 and 22.4 for the 200.

East Providence also won the hurdle events. Junior Matthew Harten took the 110HH with a time of 16.0 and senior Joshua Rambert was first in the 300IH at 42.9.

In the Small School Division, Mount Pleasant’s John Brapoh ran the state’s fastest clocking in the 110 hurdles with a first-place time of 15.3. Also moving to No. 1 on the list was Cumberland senior Trevor Crawley in the 1,500.

Crawley won the metric mile with a PB of 4:04.3. Finishing second was North Kingstown’s Dallin Smith at 4:08.0. Bishop Hendricken’s Colin Tierney was third in 4:08.8. The Clipper all-stater did the pace-setting from the start. He hit the 800 mark in 2:10 and distanced himself from the competition with an impressive kick the final 300 meters.

“I wanted to go under four (minutes), but it was tough because it was a little windy and rainy,” said Crawley, the defending 3,000 state titlist. “I felt good. I think I can go a few seconds faster. I wasn’t really worried about place today. I just wanted time. I just went out in 64 (seconds) to give me a chance to break four.”

Crawley was testing his speed in the shorter race as he prepares to defend his title in the 3K, a crown he also won at the indoor states.

“I think I am just going to just do the 3K,” he said. “It would be tough to win the 1,500 and come back and win the 3,000. I’d rather just stick to the 3,000 where I know I have a better chance of winning.”

 

Classical Classic