Rams hold off Purple for girls' state crown

 

(All photos by RAPHAEL BIEBER)

One of the most difficult decisions for coaches leading up to an important meet is where to put their top athletes to insure maximum points for success at the end.

That’s the dilemma that La Salle Academy head coach Dave Wright and assistant coach Kelly Martin were faced with before Saturday’s R.I. Track & Field Indoor Championship. With Classical their toughest rival, the primary concern was how to counter-attack the Purple’s star senior Maddy Berkson’s possible (and eventual) multiple-win afternoon.

Wright and Martin found their answer in sophomore teammates Eliza Rego and Karina Tavares.

Berkson matched her performance of a year ago by taking the 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000 meter runs. She also anchored the winning 4x400 relay. Rego did the next best thing by placing second in all those events and anchoring the second-place 4x400 squad and Tavares added a pair of third-place finishes in the longer races to provide the Rams with the needed points to capture their eighth straight title, a 93-88 decision over the Purple at the Providence Career and Technical Academy field house.

“On paper, it looked like we were going to win but I was talking to Kelly and told her it looked like we were going to be short a couple of points. She was like I agree,” said Wright, whose Rams tied Classical for the state title in 2013. “We really thought we were going to be short a few. I give Kelly Martin a tremendous amount of credit because she came through in the final hour of scratches when we had to put the stuff in.”

“She called the last minute and said I think we can make a few changes here, scratch these kids and we can extend a few of them that I think are strong enough to do it, and that was Eliza and Karina,” he continued. “We had them originally in two events. She was like I think they can do it. I know they can do it. If they can do this, I think it’s enough to put us over the top.”

The Stanford-bound Berkson put an appropriate close to her outstanding career against R.I. competition on the indoor surface with her three individual wins and her leg on the relay squad.

“She’s amazing,” Wright said. “We talked about her earlier, that we’re glad that she’ll be gone. She’s probably the greatest ever and I have enjoyed watching her. But I am glad after this spring it will be the last time I see her. I’ll watch her at Stanford and wish her luck but man she makes that Classical team really tough.”

Berkson earned her first win in the 3K, a tactical race that she won in 10:17.36. Rego was second at 10:21.39 and Tavares took third in 10:27.69. Berkson ran just enough to win the race. She was 30 seconds slower than her state mark of 9:47.35, set at the Yale Track Classic last month.

“That was fine,” Classical coach Mike Green said. “To use her words, it was pedestrian, an easy pace. We knew that La Salle had runners in all three events. We realized that they were all good runners.”

“It was very tactical because a lot of girls in that race were doing multiple events,” Berkson said. “Eliza Rego did all four events that I did. I think everyone was just trying to conserve as much energy as possible.”

About an hour later, Berkson took control from the start and won the 1,500 in a time of 4:43.17. La Salle scored 18 points in the event, courtesy of Rego (second, 4:46.80), Tavares (third, 4:50.61) and senior Caroline Falvey (fourth, 4:52.32).

The 1,000 proved to be the easiest for Berkson as she posted an almost five-second victory over Rego with a season best of 2:56.85. The La Salle tenth-grader finished at 3:01.70

“Karina didn’t place in the 1,000 but she ran 3:02 (for seventh place) and ran down three girls,” Wright pointed out. “It will never show that she ran 3:02. She’s not in the top six. She did great and Eliza just came up huge for us on her third distance event.”

Berkson and the top La Salle athletes are not finished yet with the New England Championships on March 1 and the New Balance Nationals in mid-March.  The Classical standout is also looking for a possible record day this coming weekend at the Eastern States Championship in New York.

“I am signed up for the mile and the 800 but I’ll probably just do the mile,” she said. “I am going for the record, the state record (of 4:53). I ran 4:50 last year so I should be able to do it.”

La Salle’s depth was apparent in its triumph. The Rams were shutout from winning any of the 14 events, but made up for it with more key placements. In the 4x800, won by Barrington in a new meet record of 9:27.86, La Salle finished second with a time of 9:32.29. The Rams also had a runner-up finish from junior Stephanie DiTraglia in the 55 dash (7.38) and a fourth place from junior Mary Ernster in the high jump (4-10).

Classical did its best to keep pace with La Salle. Senior Alicia Holloway was second in both the 300 (41.54) and the 55 hurdles (8.46). The Purple’s Alva Hicks (40-11) and Bianca Donadio (38-11.25) were second and third, respectively, in the shot put.

“We did better than probably what we thought,” Green said. “But La Salle just had so much depth this year. It was tough. I think other girls from other schools had great days too. Our kids did what they needed to do. Just in other events they were bettered by other performances.”

Hope’s multiple all-stater and record-holder Quashira McIntosh had her typical afternoon. The Blue Wave junior copped her second straight titles in the 55 and the 300. In the shorter race she was timed in 7.19. She had a season best of 40.45 in the longer event and also anchored the winning 4x200 relay that finished with a time of 1:46.0.

For the third straight year it was North Kingstown senior Maria Bolibruch in the 55 hurdles. She won a tight race with Classical’s Holloway, breaking the tape at 8.42. Another repeat champion was Exeter/West Greenwich senior Tori Ebert, who had a PB of 41-6.5.

Barrington senior Abby Livingston claimed her first-ever state title by taking the 600 with a time of 1:36.05. She also anchored the victorious 4x800 squad. Middletown senior Shannon Hugard was second in the 600 at 1:37.91 and Cumberland junior Nicole Barger finished third in 1:38.41.

Meghan Scullin, a sophomore from Cumberland, surprised the competition with a victory in the long jump where she leaped a distance of 17-6.75.

Narragansett senior Leia Mistowski, the leading weight-thrower all season, took the 20-pound weight with a distance of 54-11. Junior teammate Carly Timpson was first in the high jump at 5-4.

Rhode Island State Indoor Championships

 

1,500 girls' seeded heat

More videos