Based on the seed sheets, one thing is certain about
Saturday’s state track & field championships at Brown Stadium. The winners
of the team titles for both the boys and girls will not be determined into
later in the meet, possibly the final event of the afternoon, the 4x400-meter
relay. It’s that close!
By our calculations, La Salle Academy is a 94-78 victor over
Hope High in the girls’ meet and the Rams have a chance to do it again on the
boys’ side with a slim 83-78 decision over runner-up Barrington. Now throw in
some surprises and the few disappointments that usually happen on track & field’s
biggest stage and you have the makings for an exciting affair for the hundreds
of fans that show up for Saturday’s meet and a nerve-racking six-plus hours for
the coaches and athletes of the contending squads.
La Salle will be attempting a grand sweep of the
cross-country, indoor and outdoor team titles at Saturday’s meet. To do that,
it will not be a cakewalk for the Rams, who will have to be at their best on
Saturday.
For the boys, La Salle has the ability to score nearly 70
points in the middle- and long-distance events (4x800m, 800m, 1,500m, 3,000m)
with junior Jack Salisbury, junior Matt Bouthillette, sophomore D.J. Principe
and senior Dan Paiva taking care of the bulk of the load. Look for the trio of
Salisbury, Bouthillete and Principe to work together in the 1,500m, an event they
own the top three seeds. East Greenwich senior Tommy Sommers, a No. 4 seed, has
the ability to break up the party and Barrington sophomore Mars Bishop will be
looking to get some valuable points for his teammates with a top finish.
The Rams can also do some damage in the 800m with Salisbury
and Paiva capable of challenging top-seed Ian Connors of North Kingstown for the individual title.
Salisbury will have plenty of rest no matter how fast he has to run in the
1,500m, so don’t be surprised if he pulls off the double. Paiva, who clocked a
1:56 leg for his 800m leg on the Rams’ first-place DMR squad at the Penn Relays
Carnival in April, could also break the tape. A one-two finish by the La Salle
teammates would certainly increase their chances for a team title.
La Salle could also score quite a few points in the 3K where
Principe, Bouthillette and Salisbury are the top three seeds. But look for a
rested Sean Laverty of Cumberland to take charge and try and steal a win.
Laverty is never afraid to challenge the leaders and goes in with an 8:43 best,
just a few seconds behind the top-seeded Principe. Either way, expect the Rams
to score at least 14 points in this race.
The Rams are also capable of scoring some needed high points
in the sprints where it has one of the top 4x100m squads and junior speedster Cam
Morenzi, who ranks among the top six in the 100m and is No. 3 in the 200m.
Again, La Salle’s biggest threat, and a legitimate one at
that, is Barrington, seeking its first team title in school history. Whereas the
Rams are loaded in the distance events, the Eagles can create havoc in the throwing
events. Barrington’s Bobby Colantonio and Adam Kelly, the nation’s best hammer
throwers, are almost an automatic 18 points with either capable of winning or
finishing second. Kelly is also ranked No. 2 in the shot and is a third seed in
the discus and senior Jamie Heinl has the best toss in the javelin with a
172-02 effort. Teammate Mike Alvernaz can score in all four throwing events
(hammer, discus, javelin and shot put) with rankings in the top six in all of
them.
Toll Gate coach Norm Bouthillier has stated often that he
feels the pole vault will be the difference. He could be right, considering
that’s one of those events that can be unpredictable when the competition is
close, due to its difficultly. Four vaulters in the field have gone higher than
13 feet with Classical’s Newell Roberts at No. 1 based on his PR performance at
the Hendricken Invitational where he reached a winning height of 14-2. The
Eagles’ Jon Cavanagh is tied at No. 2 with North Kingstown’s Robert Cassidy
with a best of 13-6. With a differential of just five points between La Salle
and Barrington based on the seedings, a win by Cavanagh could changes things
substantially. Either way, expect a down-to-the-wire affair between these two
powerhouses with East Providence and North Kingstown potentially taking the
next two spots.
On paper, La Salle is a nearly 20-point favorite for the
girls’ title. But it should be a lot closer against a tough Hope squad that’s
led by nationally-ranked sprinter Quashira McIntosh, who always rises to the
occasion at the state meet. McIntosh, a multiple state champion and
record-holder, will be attempting to become the third girl in state meet
history to win the 100m-200m-400m at the states and there is no doubt she can
pull off the improbable triple. She owns the top seeds in all the events and
also anchors the top-ranked 4x100m relay squad. Hope also has the best athletes
in the 300m hurdles and the triple jump with Chevell Burgess and Whitney
Jackson holding those spots, respectively, and is the No.
1 seed in the 4x400m relay.
Like the boys, the Rams are distance-heavy with junior Eliza
Rego, senior Sheridan Wilbur and junior Karina Tavares leading a group that can
rack up at least 70 points. Rego, alone, has the ability to score 20 points
individually with victories in the 1,500m and 800m, two events she is
comfortably ahead of her rivals as a No. 1 seed. The Rams also have one of the
fastest 4x100m relays.
La Salle also has the top two seeds in the pole vault with
senior Michaela McNamara and junior Kelsey Coughlin both tied at No. 1 with a
height of 9-6.
You also can’t count out North Kingstown to battle with the
leaders, although its a longshot. The Skippers have freshman Tereza
Bolibruch, who could score 20 points by herself. She’s the top-ranked 100m
hurdler and also is seeded No. 2 in the long jump and among the top six in the
300m hurdles. The Skippers also have the best javelin thrower in Paige Olauson and
are ranked high in the 1,500m with sophomore Katarina Ho. N.K. can score at
least a dozen points in the pole vault with five athletes in the field,
including freshman Katy Brayman, who has done nine-feet even.
Be prepared for some great performance at Saturday’s meet
and an exciting finish for the team crowns.
