Barrington High senior Adam Kelly continued his early-season
excellence in the 25-pound weight throw by improving his nation No. 1 with a
state-record heave of 82 feet, 8.75 inches. His effort, along with a junior Bobby
Colantonio (75-2.5) and senior Mike Alvarnez (63-9.5) toss, earned the Eagles
the title in the weight throw relay with a combined distance of 221-8.75, a meet
record.
“It was the last throw our team had. I knew we were under
the record. That was part of the motivation, too,” Kelly said. “I knew that Mike
was close to his PR and Bobby was close to what he has thrown earlier. I
knew I needed another few feet. I wanted to get it for myself, obviously, and I
wanted to get it for my team…I actually surprised myself it went as far as it
did.”
Benjamin was running his first race on a flat track. He
regularly competes on the banked oval of the New Balance Armory in New York City.
“Being on a flat track for the first time I am satisfied
with it but I think I can go faster,” said Benjamin, about his 300m victory. ‘I
got a good start but as soon as I started I got tripped out to the outside of
the lane and I was just trying to get back into position. Coming around the
turns it’s a little tricky because this is a flat track and transition from the
Armory to here you have to get used to it.”
For the second straight year, Lake Region, Me., senior Kate
Hall won the long jump and the 55m dash, both with national-level efforts. She
leaped the best distance in the country in the long jump at 19 feet, 7.5
inches. She broke the tape in the 55m with a season-best of 7.06, currently No.
3 nationwide.
“I am very happy with my performances today,” she said. “This
is my first meet of the season. I was pretty nervous going into it. I just
wanted to be consistent with my long jump mark and get a good time for the 55,
and I achieved that so I’m really happy.”
Hall was second in the long jump at last year’s New Balance
Nationals. She's hoping to win it all this season.
“I really want to be a national champion because I’m a
senior,” she said. “And I just want to set PR and have fun. That’s my goals.”
In the boys’ Distance Medley Relay, La Salle Academy raced
to the fastest time this year with a winning clocking of 10:31.80. Bishop
Hendricken was second at 10:40.13. The Rams quartet consisted of junior Matt
Bouthillette (3:13/1,200m), James Placco (:53/400m), Jake Grundy (2:04/800m)
and D.J. Principe (4:21/mile).
Bouthillette put the Rams out in front from the start. It
was a position they never relinquished.
“The plan going in was definitely to win,” he said. “I knew
for the 1,200 I really wanted to get out hard, get a lead and give Jamie a
decent enough lead to do some work in the 400.”
Burda is coming off a successful cross-country season where
she was a state champion and also the winner of the Nike Cross National New
York Regionals.
“I’m hoping to get a PR in the 3,000 and be competitive at
the state meet and the nationals,” said Burda, who owns a best of 9:33.90 for
the 3K.
La Salle junior Jack Salisbury captured the mile run with a
time of 4:21.31, No. 6 on the national leaderboard. Glastonbury, Ct., senior
Randy Niesh was second in 4:21.38 (US #7) and Greenwich Central, N.Y., senior
Jeremy Spiezio was third at 4:21.94 (US #8).
Salisbury assumed the top position from the start and passed
the 800m mark in 2:14. He held the lead for most of the race until he was
passed by Spiezio with about 300m remaining. The Ram standout, the defending
state and New England champion, regained the front-runner position by the last
turn on the backstretch.
“I just wanted to hang on his shoulder until I could pass
him on the final bend,” he said. “I was able to pass him at the end. He and
another kid (Neish) were pushing really strong and I just tried to hold them
off.”