Jack Salisbury is used to taking control in a race. Rarely will you see the La Salle Academy sophomore in the middle of a pack, a good distance behind the leaders.
Late into Saturday’s mile run at the New England Championship, Salisbury wasn’t at his customary position. He sat back in seventh place with a little more than two laps remaining.
But the Ram runner, an individual champion in both the 1,500 and the 1,000 at the recent state meet, didn’t panic. Instead he stayed relaxed and had confidence he could still get it done.
“I tried to go out (fast) but I kind of got cut off. I dropped off again going on the first lap,” he said. “I knew it was a slow pace so I tried to pick it up and then I realized that I could just stay back a little and trust my kick.”
With two laps left, Salisbury’s finishing speed earned him a New England title as he blazed to a 60-second final 400 to take the crown with a personal-best time of 4 minutes, 17.50 seconds. Farmington (CT) senior Matt Chisholm was second at 4:18.17.
“With one lap to go (Chisholm) and I were battling it out,” he said. “I just trusted my kick. I don’t want to sound cocky, but I knew I was going to win.”
East Greenwich senior Garrett Scanlon played the role of pace-setter in the race, leading for the first 1,000 meters. Scanlon opened up with a 64 at the 400 mark and was 2:08 at the half.
Salisbury bided his time until unleashing his devastating kick the closing stages. Although they weren’t able to make it to the podium, a few Rhode Islanders fared well in the race. Finishing eighth overall was La Salle junior Dan Paiva at 4:21.30. Scanlon was ninth in 4:21.56 and North Kingstown Dallin Smith was 12th overall with a 4:31.95 clocking.
In the girls’ mile, won by Wilbur Cross (CT) sophomore Danae Rivers in 4:55.15, La Salle sophomore Eliza Rego finished fifth with a more than two-second best of 4:58.69.
It was the Ram standout’s second race of the day. Earlier in the meet, she anchored the school’s second-place 4x800 relay squad that was timed in 9:19.76. Barrington won the event at 9:09.59.
“I was a little tired from that so I decided to stay relaxed for the first few laps and the last 600 or 400 try and go faster,” Rego said. “That’s what I did. I felt good at the last lap. I just ran as fast as I could.”
Rego and a few of her La Salle teammates will be making the trip to New York in a couple of weeks to participate in the New Balance National Indoor Championships. She’ll be competing on the distance medley and 4x800 relay teams.
“I’m excited,” she said. “I went last year so I’m excited to go back.”
Classical senior Maddy Berkson won her third straight title in the 1,000. She led from start to finish and posted a personal-best time and meet record of 2:49.29, the fourth fastest time in the country this winter.
Berkson, who is focused on winning a national title in the 800 in a few weeks, blazed through an opening 400 of 64 seconds. The fast, early pace took its toll in the late stages, but she still won by a considerable margin. Taking second was Rham (CT) senior Christine Bendzinski, who was timed in 2:53.77.
It was a little fast,” said Berkson, who hit the 800 mark in 2:14. “I was looking for 65, 66-seconds. It was probably too fast. I felt good then. I felt pretty good (with two laps left), but I tried to accelerate and it didn’t happen. The fourth lap I kind of slowed down a lot and went off pace. The fourth and fifth laps felt pretty slow. My legs were tight. I don’t know why.”
The Barrington foursome of seniors Abby Livingston, Megan Verner-Crist, Julianna Portelli and Mary Kate Coogan clocked the nation’s No. 4 time with their win. Livingston anchored the Eagles with a 2:10.4 leg!
“I really like this track,” said Livingston, who won the 600 at the state meet a few weeks ago. “It feels fast. It was a little weird being in first and running by myself, but it was a good race.”
In the 600, Zachery Emrich came just a few ticks short of defending his crown. St. John Prep (MA) junior Joe Luongo edged Emrich at the line with a time of 1:20.59. The N.K. senior was timed in a season best of 1:20.67, the eighth fastest time in the country. Moses Brown senior Amos Cariati had a PB by 1:22.24 to take fifth overall.
Emrich was the early-race leader. He hit his opening 200 at 25 seconds.
“The first 200 was a little too fast,” he said. “I wanted to be behind him the first two laps. It didn’t work out that way. The goal was to kind of just let him do the work and stuff like that, and then take it in the end. That didn’t work out, obviously. I think I was a little too excited coming into the race.”
Hendricken junior Lee Moses was second in the long jump with a distance of 22-6. The Hawks also had a runner-up placement from senior Alex Cerbo in the shot put with his heave of 51-10.75.
In a stacked field that included a nation No. 1 (9:00.29) from individual winner Christian Alvarado of Fairfield Prep (CT), Hendricken senior Colin Tierney was fifth overall in the two mile with a PB of 9:15.0. La Salle sophomore Matt Bouthilette was eighth at 9:18.0 and freshman teammate D.J. Principe clocked an outstanding 9:27.90, the fastest in the country by a ninth-grader by nearly 11 seconds!
Tierney opened up with a 4:36 at the mile.
“I just wanted to go in and try and stay relaxed,” he said. “I knew the competition would be great so I just want to get in there and stay relaxed and hopefully go for a fast time. I wanted to go out in under 4:40 after the first mile and see what I could do the last mile. That’s when the time was really going to come in, the last 400, 800 meters.”
Tierney will next be on the track at the nationals where he’ll compete in the 5K and the 4x1 mile relay.
“Hopefully I can go sub 15 minutes (in the 5K),” he said. “I did 14:59 outdoors last year. Running indoors and sub 15 will set me up for a good time outdoors. It will be the same race plan as this, go out, find some fast kids to hang with and hope I can get dragged to a fast time.”
Hope junior Quashira McIntosh was third in the 300 with a time of 40.10. She also anchored the Blue Wave’s fourth-place 4x200 relay squad that was timed in 1:44.67.
In the girls’ high jump, R.I. champion Carly Timpson of Narragansett tied for fourth with a height of 5-3.
Girls Highlights
- 1,000 Meter Run - Maddy Berkson (Classical High School) 2:49.29; Chrissy Bendzinsk (Rham High School) 2:53.77; Aleta Looker (Ellsworth High School) 2:54.71; Laura Hergenrother (Ridgefield High School) 2:54.75; Olivia Manickas-Hill(Lexington High School) 2:55.06; Erica Hefnawy (Staples High School) 2:55.48; Jessica Drop (Coginchaug High School) 2:55.60; Rhemi Toth (Weston High School) 2:58.13; Alyssa Brehler (Griswold High School) 2:58.50; Rita Maurais(Hopedale High School) 2:59.62; Megan Verner-crist (Barrington High School) 3:01.86; Shannon Hugard (Middletown High School) 3:01.98; Lily Foulkes (The Wheeler School) 3:04.25; Madeleine Hunt (Souhegan High School) 3:06.33; Rose Monahan (Essex High School) 3:06.85;
- Two Mile Run - Hannah Debalsi (Staples High School) 10:12.95; Jessica Wojnicki (Immaculate High School) 10:52.79; Sarah Mattison (Simsbury High School) 10:53.60; Sydney Clary (Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School) 10:54.24; Elizabeth Lagoy (Conard) 10:55.11; Kaleigh Roberts (Mercy High School) 10:56.35; Maddy Berkson (Classical High School) 11:03.87; Emma Newton (Hollis Brookline High School) 11:06.73; Karina Tavares (La Salle Academy) 11:07.68; Juleann Schultz(Shepherd Hill Regional High School) 11:09.25; Kirstin Sandreuter (Greely High School) 11:11.34; Lauren O'neil (Falmouth High School) 11:15.22; Morgan Sansing (Pinkerton Academy ) 11:18.85; Mary Szatkowski (Bonny Eagle High School) 11:26.24; Jackie Burr (Westerly High School) 11:31.96; Quinn Bornstein (St. Johnsbury Academy) 11:33.75; Kiera Murray (Cheverus High School) 11:34.64; Bethany Nunnery (North Kingstown High School) 11:36.19; Tessa Cassidy (Brunswick High School) 11:44.24;
- 300 Meter Dash - Sierra Irvin (Hingham High School) 38.67; Dominique Hall (Shrewsbury Senior High School) 39.97; Quashira Mcintosh (Hope High School) 40.10; Michele Otaluka (South Windsor High School) 41.09; Francine Jacque (New London High School) 41.20; Chelsea Hayward (Litchfield High School) 41.25; Jaliyah White (Hillhouse High) 41.39; Ashley Lewis (Boston Latin Academy) 41.54; Corinne Kennedy (Lebanon High School) 41.65; Keilan Nova (Milford High School) 41.77; Alicia Holloway (Classical High School) 41.84; Sydney Peterson (Exeter High School) 42.08; May Stern (Classical High School) 42.24; Kathleen Cronin (Coventry High School) 43.04;
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4x200 Meter Relay - Darien High School 1:44.19; Notre Dame Academy-Hingham 1:44.36; Cambr
idge Rindge and Latin High School 1:44.55; Hope High School 1:44.67; Bloomfield High School 1:44.71; Hingham High School 1:46.21; Danbury High School 1:46.23; Pembroke High School 1:46.48; La Salle Academy 1:46.63; Lexington High School 1:46.79; Glastonbury High School 1:47.40; Cranston West HS-RI 1:47.71; Career High School 1:48.40; Mount Anthony Union High School1:49.04; North Kingstown High School 1:49.19; Pilgrim High School 1:49.37; - 4x400 Meter Relay - Hingham High School 3:59.17; Lexington High School 4:00.30; Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School 4:01.30; Lowell High School 4:01.67; Wachusett Regional High School 4:02.01; Pembroke High School 4:02.21;Windsor High School 4:02.31; La Salle Academy 4:02.34; Classical High School 4:02.94; New Milford High School 4:03.80; Tolland High School 4:04.71; Bishop Guertin High School 4:05.22; Glastonbury High School 4:05.35; Wilbur Cross High School 4:06.12; Hope High School 4:06.33; Staples High School 4:06.98; Coventry High School 4:11.12;
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4x800 Meter Relay - Barrington High School 9:09.59; La Salle Academy 9:19.76; New Milford High School 9:22.89; Needham High School 9:22.91; Dracut High School 9:26.46; Beverly High School 9:28.70; Tolland High School 9:29.88;Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School 9:31.09; Glastonbury High School 9:32.41; Shepherd Hill Regional High School 9:34.62; Simsbury High School 9:35.26; Cumberland 9:
37.15; Wilton High School 9:37.41; Weymouth High School 9:38.77;Ridgefield High School 9:46.64; Brunswick High School 9:54.22; Hollis Brookline High School 9:56.45; St. Johnsbury Academy 9:57.86; - 55 Meter Hurdles - Ellen Dipietro (Marshfield High School) 8.30; Alyson Comeau (Gardner High School) 8.36; Alyson Comeau (Gardner High School) 8.33; Ellen Dipietro (Marshfield High School) 8.48; Synclaire Tasker (Brewer High School) 8.48; Synclaire Tasker (Brewer High School) 8.49; Chenoa Sebastian (Ledyard High School) 8.50; Sarah Boyd (Brien McMahon High School) 8.52;
- 55 Meter Dash - Jessica Scott (Hopkinton High School) 7.08; Amanda Henson (Barnstable High School) 7.16; Amanda Henson (Barnstable High School) 7.10; Jessica Scott (Hopkinton High School) 7.17; Chaslynn Saucier (Wilbur Cross High School) 7.18; Chaslynn Saucier (Wilbur Cross High School) 7.20; Amanda Reilly (Notre Dame Academy-Hingham) 7.20; Amanda Reilly (Notre Dame Academy-Hingham) 7.21; Sarah Militano (Nashoba Regional High School) 7.23; Sarah Militano(Nashoba Regional High School) 7.24; Joy Padget (Sport & Medical Science) 7.26; Ally Isley (Wellesley College) 7.29; Ally Isley (Wellesley College) 7.27; Dominique Twombley (Oyster River High School) 7.30; Joy Padget (Sport & Medical Science) 7.33; Dominique Twombley (Oyster River High School) 7.33; Caroline O'neil (Daniel Hand High School) 7.34; Michele Otaluka (South Windsor High School) 7.34;
- 600 Meter Dash - Molly McCabe (Bishop Guertin High School) 1:32.00; Amy Piccolo (Ursuline Academy) 1:32.01; Anna Sulger (Darien High School) 1:34.91; Tyler Scanlon (Staples High School) 1:35.02; Kate Gobi (Wachusett Regional High School) 1:35.28; Merissa Wright (Ursuline Academy) 1:35.58; Katie Foley (Trumbull High School) 1:35.99; Jenna Olander (Tolland High School) 1:36.00; Danielle Gajewski (Timberlane High School) 1:37.07; Meghan Dietter (New Milford High School) 1:38.42; Robin Vincent (St. Johnsbury Academy) 1:38.70; Julia Gregory (Concord Carlisle High School) 1:38.99; Annicka Mcdonald (Windsor High School) 1:39.18; Gianna Bender (King Philip Regional High School) 1:39.75; Nichole Barger (Cumberland) 1:39.76; Grace Page (Mount Anthony Union High School) 1:41.35; Bethanie Knighton (Freeport High School) 1:42.29;
- High Jump - Ellen Dipietro (Marshfield High School) 5-9; Anika Hibbard (Bedford High School) 5-5; Phoebe Fitzgibbon (Westwood High School) 5-5;
- Long Jump - Kelsey Sullivan (Marshfield High School) 17-8.5;
- One Mile Run - Danae Rivers (Wilbur Cross High School) 4:55.15; Kaley Richards (Lowell High School) 4:56.81; Claire Howlett (Westhill High School) 4:57.93; Shannon Murdock (Exeter High School) 4:58.41; Eliza Rego (La Salle Academy) 4:58.69; Olivia Lantz (Manchester Essex Reg. High School) 4:59.38; Stella Worters (Shepherd Hill Regional High School) 5:01.00; Cate Allen (Fairfield Warde) 5:03.73; Janaya Randall (Marblehead High School) 5:14.38; Renee Capps(Narragansett Regional High School) 5:14.79; Kristie Schoffield (Merrimack Valley High School) 5:17.20; Gwen Geisler (Conard) 5:17.28; Teresa Murphy (Brunswick High School) 5:19.01;
- Shot Put - Michaela Smith (Newton North High School) 40-6.25; Gaelin Farrell (Narragansett Regional High School) 39-11.75; Destiny Coward (East Haven High School) 39-7.25;
Boys Highlights
- 1,000 Meter Run - Everest Crawford (Gloucester High School) 2:26.11; Gabe Montague (Newton North High School) 2:26.38; Quinn Cooney (Chelmsford High School) 2:27.49; Randall Neish (Glastonbury High School) 2:27.71; Pj Garmon(Billerica Memorial High School) 2:28.64; Spencer Brown (Wilton High School) 2:28.77; Alex Tan (Rocky Hill High School) 2:30.75; Tyler Mannion (Brookfield High School) 2:31.72; Connor Donovan (Oliver Ames High School) 2:32.73; Connor Gralton (Norwich Free Academy) 2:35.73; Sean Munnelly (Campbell High School) 2:35.84;
- 300 Meter Dash - Andrew Bolze (Hingham High School) 34.25; Shyden Pierre (Brien McMahon High School) 34.65; Ethan Biron (Dartmouth High School) 35.37; Jeff Santos (Brookline High School) 35.44; Zakari Jenkins (Nashua North High School) 35.45; Jake Dixon (Cheverus High School) 35.63; Abu Ceesay (Bridgewater Raynham Regional High School) 35.74; Stephon Henry (New Britain High School) 35.79; Julio Gil-martinez (Waterford High School) 35.81; Joseph Carter(Ledyard High School) 35.85; Nick Snow (Moses Brown School) 35.99; Liam Nicoll (Cheshire HIgh School) 36.19; Christopher Arling (Bishop Guertin High School) 36.26; Moses Fafana (Central High School) 36.36; Luke Velez (Xavier High School) 36.49; Tobias Muellers (Burlington High School) 36.57; Isaac Yeboah (Cheverus High School) 36.64;
- 3,200 Meter Run - Christian Alvarado (Fairfield Prep High School) 9:00.29; Alex Ostberg (Darien High School) 9:02.74; Dan Curts (Ellsworth High School) 9:07.24; Austin Gilbert (Ridgefield High School) 9:14.12; Colin Tierney (Bishop Hendricken High School) 9:15.61; Owen Gonser (King Philip Regional High School) 9:17.39; Zachary Williams (Xavier High School) 9:17.56; Matthew Bouthillette (La Salle Academy) 9:18.00; Trevor Hopper (Ridgefield High School) 9:25.94;David Principe (La Salle Academy) 9:27.90; Mitchell Morris (Cape Elizabeth High School) 9:36.51; Liam Simpson (Cape Elizabeth High School) 9:36.54; Eli Moskowitz (Souhegan High School) 9:38.61; Michael Potter (Bishop Hendricken High School) 9:42.90; Josh Fontaine (Lebanon High School) 9:45.11; Jacob Terry (Scarborough High School) 9:46.25; Matt Malcom (North Yarmouth Academy) 9:46.86;
- 4x200 Meter Relay - Brien McMahon High School 1:31.66; Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School 1:31.97; Wachusett Regional High School 1:32.19; Windsor High School 1:32.20; Weymouth High School 1:32.50; Nashua North High School1:32.98; Danbury High School 1:33.23; Central Falls Senior High School 1:33.62; Classical High School 1:33.69; Woburn High School 1:33.79; Shelton High School 1:33.99;
- 4x400 Meter Relay - Amherst-Pelham Regional High School 3:26.67; Natick High School 3:27.18; Danbury High School 3:27.86; Saint John's High School 3:28.20; Hingham High School 3:28.70; Central Falls Senior High School 3:29.47;Boston College High School 3:29.94; Ridgefield High School 3:31.30; Mount Saint Charles Academy 3:31.40; Pinkerton Academy 3:31.50; Bishop Hendricken High School 3:31.76; Windsor High School 3:31.86; Canton High School 3:32.06;
- 4x800 Meter Relay - Ridgefield High School 7:56.12; Burlington High School 7:56.56; Staples High School 8:00.00; Mansfield High School 8:00.59; Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School 8:01.21; Lowell High School 8:03.18; North Andover High School 8:06.45; New Fairfield High School 8:06.97; Danbury High School 8:07.39; Pembroke High School 8:10.42; Souhegan High School 8:10.59; Capital Prep Magnet School 8:13.80; Darien High School 8:15.53; Bishop Hendricken High School 8:19.94;
- 55 Meter Hurdles - Jordan Samuels (Boston College High School) 7.48; Jordan Samuels (Boston College High School) 7.56; Edison Perez (Springfield Central High School) 7.49; Edison Perez (Springfield Central High School) 7.61; Stephon Henry (New Britain High School) 7.73;
- 55 Meter Dash - Taj-amir Torres (Amherst-Pelham Regional High School) 6.43; Jonathan Derolus (Brockton High School) 6.47; Randolph Zleh (Mount Pleasant High School) 6.51; Taj-amir Torres (Amherst-Pelham Regional High School) 6.55;Julio Gil-martinez (Waterford High School) 6.51; Julio Gil-martinez (Waterford High School) 6.58; Jonathan Derolus (Brockton High School) 6.55; Orrin Parke (New London High School) 6.60; Malik Anderson (Boston Latin Academy) 6.56;Randolph Zleh (Mount Pleasant High School) 6.61; Malik Anderson (Boston Latin Academy) 6.61; Orrin Parke (New London High School) 6.61;
- 600 Meter Dash - Joe Luongo (St. John's Prep) 1:20.59; Zachery Emrich (North Kingstown High School) 1:20.67; Justin Marcantonio (Boston College High School) 1:21.53; Jason Dimmick (Sutton High School) 1:21.98; Amos Cariati (Moses Brown School) 1:22.24; Russell Wells (Minnechaug Regional High School) 1:22.35; Ryan Flach (Oxford High School) 1:22.57; John St. Hilaire (Methuen High School) 1:22.97; Tommy Harter (Winnacunnet High School) 1:23.07; Chazz Winter(Danbury High School) 1:23.11; Connor Kwiecien (Pinkerton Academy ) 1:23.16; Ben Stewart (North Kingstown High School) 1:23.32; Dharan Velasquez (Capital Prep Magnet School) 1:23.39; Brandon Dinsmore (East Lyme High School) 1:23.71; Griffin Cobb (Sheehan High School) 1:24.58; Ryan Lynch (Pinkerton Academy ) 1:24.82; Ryan Wittenberg (Bedford High School) 1:24.94; Josue Astacio (Central High School) 1:25.38; Marcos Tavares (St. Johnsbury Academy) 1:25.63; Harrison Stivers (Freeport High School) 1:25.67; Zach Narowski (Derby High School) 1:25.92; Anderson Mota (Central High School) 1:26.03; Forrest Stearns (Fryeburg Academy) 1:26.38; Daud Idow (Lewiston High School) 1:26.66;
- High Jump - Jermaine Lascelles (Bloomfield High School) 6-7; Keelan Mccoole (Bedford High School) 6-7; Nicholas Lombardo (Darien High School) 6-5; Rino Tonelli (Shrewsbury Senior High School) 6-5; John Cioffredi (Lebanon High School) 6-5; Hack Kevin (Nipmuc Regional High School) 6-5;
- Long Jump - Andrew Bolze (Hingham High School) 23-7; Lee Moses (Bishop Hendricken High School) 22-6;
- One Mile Run - Jack Salisbury (La Salle Academy) 4:17.50; Matthew Chisholm (Farmington High School) 4:18.17; Sean Robertson (Medfield High School) 4:18.72; William Bordash (Ridgefield High School) 4:19.41; Will Shafer (Gray New Gloucester High School) 4:20.31; Armstrong Noonan (Darien High School) 4:20.41; Ian Robertson (Medfield High School) 4:20.47; Dan Paiva (La Salle Academy) 4:21.34; Garrett Scanlon (East Greenwich High School) 4:21.56; Ben Trapani(Camden Hills Regional High School) 4:24.09; Andrew Ernst (Marblehead High School) 4:24.29;
- Shot Put - Ryan Kim (Newton South High School) 55-2.25; Evan Dombrowski (St. John's Prep) 54-3;