Who are the top runners coming back this year? Who will make the most impact this fall.
During the next few weeks, MileSplit RI will highlight the athletes (boys and girls) we feel to keep an eye on this season. Among the top 14 boys at last year's state meet, seven are gone to graduation. For the girls, just three have graduated. The competition will be stiff once again. Both of our returning state titlist, La Salle Academy junior D.J. Principe and Barrington senior Emma McMillan will back on the trails with McMillan aiming for a record, fourth consecutive individual crown.
Without further ado...
Eliza Rego
La Salle Academy, senior
For the last two years, Rego has been one of the top runners in the state but luck hasn't come her way at the state meet. After leading for much of the race in 2013, she collapsed on the course with a half-mile remaining and never made it to the finish line. Last year, she was ranked No. 1 and finished fourth overall.
Could this be the year she gets that much-deserved championship? It could happen.
Rego is coming off back-to-back track seasons (indoor and outdoor) where she earned an abundance of accolades. She captured her first individual title (actually, two) during the indoor season where she won the 1,500-meter run and established a state-meet record of 2:54 in the 1,000m. She was also the outdoor titlist in the 1,500m and was part of the Rams' winning 4xMile Relay squads at the New Balance National indoor and outdoor meets. Rego owns the fastest time among all returnees based on her fourth-place time of 17:38.29 at the Great American X-C Festival last fall. The La Salle standout's biggest challenge will come from three-time defending state champion Emma McMillan of Barrington, who always rises to the occasion at the states. McMillan set the state-meet record of 17:42.87 on Ponaganset's covered-bridge trail during her junior year in 2014. That mark has a good chance to be eclipsed this year with Rego and McMillan the likely candidates to do it. If it turns into a kicker's race, Rego should get the edge. She has sub 60-second 400m speed and has done 2:12 for 800m.
