R.I. athletes excel at Yale, East Coast meets

La Salle Academy junior David "DJ'' Principe on Saturday eliminated a seven year-old Rhode Island record for the boys' 3000 meters. Running on the Coxe Cage banked over at the 34^th annual Yale High School Invitational, Principe clocked 8 minutes, 26.51 seconds, good for a second-place finish. His time betters the 8:27.21 performance by Westerly High's Andrew Springer in 2009. Principe entered the Yale event ranked No. 2 in the U.S. in the 3000 meters. Saturday's race was won by senior Connor Lundy, of Fordham Prep High (N.Y.) in 8:22.06.  Principe led the field for the majority of the race until Lundy took over with roughly a lap and a half to go. Principe finished in seventh place last year in the Yale 3000; a race in which teammate Jack Salisbury placed fourth. (A virus sidelined Salisbury from competing at Yale this weekend.

R.I. champs at East Coast Invitational

The two-day East Coast Invitational was held Friday night and Saturday at the PCTA track. Bobby Colantonio won the 25-pound weight throw at 79-5 (24.20 meters), repeating a victory he'd scored on Friday night at the Yale Invitation in New Haven. (See Notables item below.)

Cumberland's Meaghan Scullin took the long jump with a leap of 18-5.25 (5.61), and teammate Madison Soulliere won the 55 hurdles. It was Central High's Don Djero winning the boys' 55-meter dash in 6.53, North Providence's Nathan Coogan victorious in the 800 (2:00.90), and Nate Narcisse, a senior from Classical High, going 7.67 to win the 55 hurdles.

Classical High senior May Stern clocked a PCTA field house (and near state-record) time of 56.63 to win the girls' 400 meters. Central's Don Djero took the boys' 55-meter dash in 6.53.

Notables in the Coxe Cage

In two Yale Invitational relay events based on school male enrollment, Central won the 4x200 in 1:31.28. Donatien Djero, Demetrius Oconnor, Franklyn Mercado and Austin Wolo did the honors for the Knights. Hendricken copped the 4x800, based on a male enrollment over 800. Avery Ingegneri, Jordan Dagrin, Harry Antunes and Nick Williams clocked 8:09.89 . . . Both weight throw events were won by Rhode Islanders. U.S. leader Colantonio, of Barrington High, threw 79-0 to mine gold with the 25-pound ball. It was Smithfield High's Meghan Malloy taking the girls' 20-pound weight throw with a mark of 52-9 (16.07). Malloy shared the first place spot with Classical High's Lysah Russell . . . The La Salle girls' distance medley relay placed second on Friday night. Karina Tavares, Gabby Celico, Emily Kane and Eliza Rego clocked 12;09.19. The relay team from Mamoroneck, N.Y. posted a winning time of 12:02.14 . . . North Kingstown freshman Sam Toolin posted s second-place time (4:22.36) in the boys' mile. Toolin came in close behind the winner, Conor Hughes, of Fordham Prep, who leaned in at the wire in 4:22.25.

EAST COAST INVITATIONAL

Top R.I. girls

      WT (20-lb./9-kilo) - 2, Courtney Jacobsen, TG 52-9.75 (16.09 meters); 3, Megan Malloy, Smith. 52-4.75 (15.97); 4, Lysah Russell, Class. 51-2.25 (15.60); 5, Olu Yusuff, Class. 47-8.50 (14.54); 6, Gianna Rao, Pon. 47-3 (14.40).

     SP - 3, Jenn Iozzi, CW 37-8 (11.49); 4, Malloy 35-11.75 (10.96); 5, Alyssa Colbert, Smith. 35-6.25 (10.82); 6, Taylor Morris, BV 34-2.75 (10.43).

     HJ - 3, Meaghan Scullin, Cumb. 5-2 (1.57); 5, Ashley Chin, TG 5-0 (1.52).

     LJ - 1, Scullin 18-5.25 (5.61); 4, Charleen Theroux, Cov. 17-6.50 (5.34); 5, Kayda Phllip, Pil. 17-5.50 (5.32).

     PV - 2, Kelsey Coughlin, LS 9-6 (2.89); 6, Ireland Judge, Smith. 8-0 (2.43).

     Two mile - 5, Lily Sefranek, Barr. 13:59.59.

     Mile - 2, Eliza Rego, LS 5:00.87 (= 4:38.7 @ 1500m); 3, Claire Hanlon, BV 5:26.79 (= 5:02.8 @ 1500m); 4, Danika Wayss, Pil. 5:27.54 (= 5:03.2 @ 1500m); 5, Cianna Lynch, LS 5:29.62 (= 5:05.1 @ 1500m).    

     800 - 2, Lisbeth Valdez, Hope 2:23.04; 3, Leinni Valdez, Hope 2:24.56; 5, Allyson Walsh, LS 2:26.03.

     400 - 1, May Stern, Class. 56.63 (PCTA record); 2, Brianna Gausland, Barr. 1:01.92; 3, Isis Hack, Hope 1:02.03; 5, Isaballa Gentil. EG 1:03.77.

     55m - 3, Gausland 7.57; 5, Gentil 7.65.

     55mH - 1, Madison Soulliere, Cumb. 9.03; 2, Casey Gannon, TG 9.05; 3, Tianna Houston, LS 9.20; 4, Maria Nunez, EG 9.26; 6, Coughlin 9.47.

     SHR - 3, Smithfield 36.32; 4, Barrington 38.44.

     4x200 - 2, Pilgrim 1:50.08; 4, N. Kingstown 1:51.78; 5, La Salle 1:52.17; 6, Barrington 1:52.38.

     4x400 - 1, La Salle 4:14.83; 2, Classical 4:21.34.

     4x800 - 2, MSC 10:36.87; 3, E. Greenwich 10:52.94; 4, Barrington 10:55.33; 6, Moses Brown 11:09.07.

     SMR - 2, Barrington 4:18.81; 3, Pilgrim 4:28.25; 4, Hope 4:33.06; 5, Barrington "B" 4:36.98.

     DMR - 1, Portsmouth 13:10.95; 2, Bay View 13:16.22; 3, Smithfied 13:16.53.

Top R.I. boys

     WT (25-lb./11.36-kilo) - 1, Bobby  Colantonio, Barr. 79-5 (24.20 meters); 2, Jared Briere, Woon. 68-1.50 (20.76); 3, Dilyn Cote, Woon. 62-6.75 (19.06); 4, Mike Coppolino,Cumb. 61-1.50 (18.63); 5, Adrian Matos, Cent. 60-2.50 (18.35); 6, Jody Harris, Cent. 57-6 (17.52).

     SP - 3, Steve Cirella, NK 49-7 (15.11).

     HJ - 2, Dariy Esenov, Linc. 6-0 (1.82); 6, (tie) Quin Wilson, WW and Vasilios Meltsakos, Barr. 5-8 (1.72).

     LJ - 3, Cirella 21-1.25 (6.43); 5, Avery Williamson, WW 20-9.50 (6.33); 6, Josh Johnen, NK 20-1.75 (6.14).

     PV - 3, Nick Curci, Prout 12-0 (3.65).

     Two mile - 3, Matt Carranza, LS 10:36.05 (= 9-48.9 @ 3000m); 4, Andre Solomon, NP 10:40.71 (= 9:53.5 @ 3000m); 5, Eli Mitnick, Barr. 10:43.95 (= 9:56.3 @ 3000m).

     Mile - 2, Mars Bishop, Barr. 4:27.87 (= 4:08.1 @ 1500m); 3, Ben Drezek, Cumb. 4:38.99 (= 4:18.3 @ 1500m); 6, Hayden Ivatts, Barr. 4:40.78 (= 4:20.2 @ 1500m).

     800 - 1, Nate Coogan, NP 2:00.90; 4, Bishop 2:04.47; 5, Nick Reygadas, TG 2:04.74.

     400 - 3, Austin Wolo, Cent. 51.03; 4, Yeury Galva, CF 51.63; 6, Justin Lucier, WW 52.72.

     55m - 1, Don Djero, Cent. 6.53; 2, Wolo 6.61; 5, Frank Mercado, Cent. 6.78.

     5mH - 1, Nate Narcisse, Class. 7.67; 3, Gbatoh Browne, Class. 7.98; 6, Matt Ciullo, MSC 8.65.

     SHR - 2, Classical 32.43; 5, Hendricken 33.87; 6, Cumberland 37.53.

     4x200 - 4, Cumberland 1:36.14; 6, W. Warwick 1:36.21.

     4x400 - 1, Central 3:32.61; ,2 W. Warwick 3;33.11.

     4x800 - 2, E, Greenwich 8:39.37; 4, Central 8:51.08; 5, Chariho 8:59.00.

     SMR - 2, Barrington 3:57.74; 3, Portsmouth 3:37.78; 4, Cumberland 3;59.68; 5, MSC 4;00.66; 6, Shea 4:01.52.

     DMR - 3, Cumberland 12:07.62; 4, Portsmouth 12:09.29; 6, Shea 13:21.25.

YALE INVITATIONAL

Top R.I. girls

     WT ( 20-lb./9-kilo) - 1(tie), Meaghan Malloy, Smith. and Lysah Russell, Class. 52-9 (16.07 meters); 4, Gianna Rao, Pon. 47-11 (14.60); 6, Olu Yusuff, Class. 44-4 (13.51); 7, Sam Andrews, Linc. 43-4 (13.20); 8, Annika Kelly, Barr. 41-3 (12.57); 9, Faith Polando, Barr. 40-3 (12.26); 10, Maria Louma, Class. 40-2 (12.24).

     PV - 2, Kaitlyn Brayman, NK 10-0 (3.05).

     Mile - 6, Randi Burr, West. 5:11.98 (= 4:49.9 @ 1500m).

     3000 -  4, Karina Tavares, LS 10:07.25; 8, Emily Kane, LS 10:12.15; 10, Beth Nunnery, NK 10:14.07.

     800 - 5, Julia Zitzmann, Barr. 2;19.84.

     4x800 (Over 600 enrollment) - 5, N. Kingstown 9:31.96.

     DMR - 2, La Salle 12:09.19; 7, Cumberland 12:30.29.

Top R.I. boys'

     WT (25-lb./11.36-kilo) - 1, Bobby Colantonio, Barr. 78-7 (23.95 meters); 2, Jared Briere, Woon. 66-2 (20.16); 3, Adrian Matos, Cent. 60-10 (18.54); 4, Dilyn Cote, Woon. 59-8 (18.18); 5, Jacob Greenless, Woon. 57-10 (17.62); 7, Kevon Fofana, Class. 54-0 (16.46); 8, Ray Woodmansee, Woon. 53-6 (16.30); 9, Joe Palazzo, Class. 52-10 (16.10).

     HJ - 9, Mike Bittner, BH 6-0 (1.83).

     LJ - 3, Tony Shepard, SK 22-10 (6.96).

     Mile - 2, Sam Toolin, NK 4:22.36 (= 4:03.1 @ 1500m); 7, Connor Ratte, Cov. 4:28.38 (= 4:08.1 @ 1500m).    

     3000 - 2, DJ Principe, LS 8:26.51 (SR. OR: 8:27.21, Andrew Springer, Westerly 2009); 4, Matt Bouthillette, LS 8:29.49; 5, Sean Laverty, Cumb. 8:36.39; 11, Dom Parlato, BH 8:52.99.

     55m - 4, Sam Coleman, LS 6.53.

     Champ. 4x200 - 9, La Salle 1:32.60.

     4x200 (Over 600 enrollment) - 1, Central (Don Djero, Demetrius Oconnor, Frank Mercado, Austin Wolo) 1:31.28; 10, Hendricke 1:35.03.

     4x400 (Over 800 enrollment) - 2, Hendricken 3:27.75.

     4x800 (Over 600 enrollment) - 1, Hendricken (Avery Ingegneri, Jordan Dagrin, Harry Antunes, Nick Williams) 8:09.89.